bird resists going back to cage

[tendrini]

Hi -

Does anyone else have this problem? Our lovebird loves to spend time out of his cage, sitting on shoulders or fingers (and biting everything in sight!), but when it's time to go back in the cage, he does everything in his power (which is considerable) to avoid this. He will move to the back of my daughter's neck and if she tries to get him to step up on her finger, she gets bitten. He does this for me, too. Sometimes it takes quite a while to get him back, and usually we have to trick him, by offering millet or a toy and distracting him.

Any help would be appreciated.

Susan

[Janie]

Susan, hi!

My older lovie, adopted 2 years ago does not have those issues and will always come to my finger when I put it in front of him but my new boys, clutch mates, 3 months old, do not go back to their cage willingly so I just reach around (when they are on my back), pick them up and put them back in. They are young and have not bitten me yet but I do expect to get a few bites in the future. I don't know if my way is the right way but that is what I do when the resist going back into their cage. If they fly to the floor they will "step up" but if they are on my shoulders/back area, I usually have to take them by force, :lol. Very gently but with force. :D

[bellarains]

Susan,

Yep, mine never seem to want to go back in, and bribery is usually what I resort to also :)

My cage does have a huge front door though, and sometimes if I just lean down with them on my shoulder, pet it next to their boing toy, they will hop off. They love that boing ;)

[Z28Taxman]

Ditto used to be like that. But since he's decided that I'm his best buddy there's no problem. All I have to do is put him in front of the cage and say, "go on in", and he hops right onto his boing. He listens so well it scares me sometimes. :rofl:

[LauraO]

Susan: If your lovie doesn't know how to step up on a stick/perch/dowel this might help. That way, if he won't be able to bite anyone's fingers when you are trying to put him back in the cage. I would also make sure to use the stick at different times so he/she will not begin associating the stick with the cage or it will become another problem.

I'm also wondering how much time your lovie spends out of his cage. My lovies spend the entire day out of their cages and don't mind going in when they have too. I realize most people can't do this, but if the lovie has 3 or 4 hours out of the cage a day it may not mind going back in as much. Also a schedule might help. Our birds come out of their room in the morning and in the evening about the same time everyday. If we try to get them out sooner they don't want none of it. The last thing I would try is not returning the bird most nights until it's close to his bedtime. They get really easy to manage when they are tired and want to go to bed.

Good Luck

[Elle]

Sam used ot be like that. At bed time she'd dive down my shirt,running in circle down there, biting anything she could to avoid being picked up. If you put your hand down there you had to make sure you had your keys handy and pretty much ready to go to the hospital for stitches.
The thing that worked to put her back into the cage was shaking her feeder dish. And of course adding something in it. The other thing was to touch a toy that made noise such as a bell, the other one was a bird head on a spring. Basically, anything she could associate as being HERS, not mine that was inside the cage. She'd come out of my shirt so fast and dive into her cage. Problem solved. ( Still worked after 10 years too! :rofl: )

[Mummieeva]

I have a bird just like this. If you can go to the bird and offer forearm not hand. I found if I do this my bird will not bit them. Also try swinging a perch in front of her. She might step up before realizing this. Tell her step-up every time and she will learn.


Steph

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Do they resist going back to their cage? Absolutely. We have a rousing game of Keep Away - as in, everybirdy Keep Away from Momma - every night when it's time to go to the cage for the night.

I can usually catch Melody after a few tries, but she chomps on my thumb and fingers the whole time I'm carrying her to her cage. I just keep walking calmly, talk to her, kiss that bitey little beak of hers good night, and gently put her in her cage (when she lets go of my fingers, that is). Yes, I've been to the useful links section, and I've seen the photo of how to hold a lovebird and not get bitten, but I swear this little hen can spin her head all the way around because no matter how far back I hold my fingers, she still gets me. By the way, she really only bites when it's bedtime and she's cranky.

Then it's Milo's turn. He makes a beeline for the floor (because that's a good way to get a reaction out of his momma) and hides under the coffee table until I give up trying to catch him. Then hubby walks over to the bird, puts his finger down, calmly says, "Milo, step up," and he does without hesitation. Hubby kisses Milo and puts him in the cage with Mel.

And that's how it is, EVERY NIGHT, when it's time to go to the cage for the night.

[mother_hen7]

The same for my 4. Mom dad and the babies will fly around the house all day. Taking any scraps of paper they can find. It looks like they are starting to nest again. The 4 know if they keep flying up high we have a hard time retrieving them. So out comes the good old millet... It's kind of funny to watch 5 of us in the house trying to fetch these lovelies.

Sandy :happy:

[Z28Taxman]

More proof that Ditto is not normal.

Even though he's fully flighted, hen it's time for him to go back in the cage, I just put him in front of the door and most times, he'll just hop right in. Once in awhile I'll have to put him in front of his boing and tell him to step up, but not often.

He's too well behaved to be a lovie. :rofl:

[butterfly1061]

I wish y'all would stop bringing up these topics. My normal birdie never does anything like this until y'all mention it. :rolleyes:

Molly has really been giving me a hard time going into his cage for the night. I've been bitten more these past couple of weeks since I've had Molly. I hate grabbing him. I don't like doing this to any of my birds. I need a birdie psychic ;)

[LauraO]

Jackie: Didn't you move into your new place that doesn't allow to come home and visit during the day. Molly may be going through an adjustment period. Does he stay up later then the rest of the birds?

[Mummieeva]

I have one bird who fights going into cage. Baggy hops to top of cage when i am close. Then Whisper who sits on hand then hops to a perch as soon as in cage.


Steph

[butterfly1061]

Laura,

I haven't moved yet. I close this Friday and I probably won't move the birds for a couple of weeks.

I don't know what to think about what he's doing. It's just not normal, but I've been trying to spend some extra time with him. I hope it will work. :confused:

[LauraO]

At one point we had a similiar problem with Won Ton although he didn't bite. We would keep him up after the rest of the birds went to bed and he would snooze on our hands or toes. I just sort of let him decide when he wanted to go to bed because he wasn't any trouble and about 8:30 or so he would be begging to go to bed. I've noticed that once a lovie is tired and wants to go to bed there is no stopping them :D

[butterfly1061]

Laura,

Thanks! I'll keep trying to let Molly stay up after the other two go to bed. I think part of the problem is that when all three are out of the cage, Daisy & Piper chase Molly away. In fact, Daisy will go out of her way to chase after Molly like she's searching for Molly to "get at him". Molly gets miffed cause he sees me as his mate. The other two have each other to a point. Daisy can become a real momma's baby when she's tired. I'm sure Molly sees that he doesn't get to spend any one on one time with me. Poor baby!

[DeepLikeNin]

Mercuri is 8 months old now, and got to be a very very bitey bird at one point (but isn't now...or maybe i'm just a little more resistant to the pain...haha) but yes, bribery is always ok i think. She loves those sunflower seeds, and i'll hold her near the cage door (which is humongous) and use my other hand to toss a seed in and she goes at it, and the door gets shut. :o)