Dumping his Water Dish for Attention?

[MysticRealm]

So Turkey has picked up a habit of dumping his water dish for attention! He lifts the one side up until it comes off and bangs down hanging by one hook (which dumps half the water). Then if he feels like going the extra step with take the other side and lift it up till it unhooks and crashes to the bottom of his cage (scaring the p.oop out of anyone near it that isn't expecting such a loud sound!) So annoying. I never pay him attention when he dumps it, I don't even take it out and refill it right away. I always wait at least half an hour or more before fixing it so he knows it doesn't get him attention but he still does it. I tried for a while tying it so he couldn't dump it, which worked but it's so annoying to deal with each time I have to refill it! So I did this for a good week then decided to see if if had broken the habit, or thought that it was still tied so wouldn't try to do it, but alas he immediately started to do it again. Sometimes he will dump it again within half an hour of me refilling it!!
He has also started to 'attack' and gnaw up his little 'house' (like those triangular fuzzy sleep things put it looks more like a pocket) if I don't give him attention. This last week he didn't get AS much time out of his cage due to me having to look after my parents dog and so he has really chewed up that thing. He doesn't use it so I guess I could just take it out.

Are there any good water dishes that are not so easily dumped? Or ways to make this one less dumpable without making it a pain in the bum to change each time? I was using wire and wrapping the wire around the hooks then twisting it around the bars of his cage but that was very finicky.

I couldn't find a pic of the one he actually has but this one has the same metal attachments, mine is rectagular not a half circle.
http://reviews.petco.com/3554/6386/petco-petco-plastic-bird-cage-cups-reviews/reviews.htm

[linda040899]

Here's your solution: http://www.petco.com/product/105767/PETCO-Twist-and-Lock-Crock.aspx?cm_mmc=CSEMGooglebase-_-Bird-_-PETCO-_-1095854&mr:trackingCode=6C707C8D-4C8D-DE11-B4D4-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA He's dumping his water dish simply because he can. :) Mine do it, too, so I either use this one or a stainless steel cup that fits into a metal holder that attaches to the side of the cage. Some lovebirds are OK with the kind of dishes you are using but most will unhook them just like yours is doing.

[Pips mom]

Ahhhhh, this gives a lovebird true joy! knocking dishes off the side of the cage! Lovebirds seem to LOVE doing this! My Pip is an expert at it! and Rudy is coming along! When I first got Pip, he used to go along the outside of the cockatiel's cage and knock off anything that he could! the food dishes were the ones he'd get first though! cuttlebones were great fun too! I had to go out and buy dishes that would clamp to the cage so he couldn't knock them off......those dishes were like 9 bucks a piece! then I had to find something to keep the cuttlebones up too! I found some holders for them that were "Pip proof" but now I just drill a hole in them and tie them to the cage! of course, the tiels still have those holders and they work great too. Also.....Pip will knock off the dishes I put on top of the cage with their veggies. Once he discovered this fun game, there was no going back! I attach those dishes now every day, and if I forget to do it just one day....BAM. the dish is on the floor and he DOESN'T ever forget! These little guys are very persistent and have great little memories! so I would highly recommend that you go dish shopping for something that's "lovie proof" :rofl::rotfl This isn't to get attention.....it's just a really fun game!!!:rotfl

[Chickobee]

We use these. They aren't as easy to wash as an open dish but the birds don't p.oop in their water with these. They also lock into place.

http://www.petco.com/product/15420/Insight-Clean-Cup.aspx

[linda040899]

Once he discovered this fun game, there was no going back! I attach those dishes now every day, and if I forget to do it just one day....BAM. the dish is on the floor and he DOESN'T ever forget! These little guys are very persistent and have great little memories! so I would highly recommend that you go dish shopping for something that's "lovie proof" http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/../rofl.gifhttp://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/../rotfl.gif This isn't to get attention.....it's just a really fun game!!!http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/../rotfl.gif
You got that right!!! There's nothing that's more fun to a lovebird than to cause something to drop or fall!

I have the same kind of water dish for my macaws (just bigger) that I referenced above, and, believe it or not, they've figured out how to unlock it by twisting the crock, picking it up and dropping it onto the bottom of the cage! >: >: >: >:

[Pips mom]

These are the dishes that I ended up getting for my tiels.....
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5950+14403&pcatid=14403
Notice a peachface lovebird sitting the dish! Yup....he probably knocked all the other dishes off! :rotfl These dishes are nice because you just untighten the thing holding them on and they lift off and easy to get in and out for easy filling and cleaning. There are other nice dishes out there too, like these.....http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5950+7433&pcatid=7433 These give you the option if you want a hanging dish or one the clamps on.....of course with a lovie you always want the one that clamps on! These stainless steel ones are nice because they lift in and out easily and I use these for water dishes in my tiel's cage and in Ivy's cage. Rudy's cage has dishes similar to these that are plastic that lift in and out and clamp onto the cage.

[MysticRealm]

Thanks guys! I will definitely go get new dishes as using the wires is terribly annoying and finicky!

[Thornapple]

What about some veggie clips? I find once I started clipping the bowls to the cage, Gypsy stopped even trying to flip them.

[linda040899]

Whatever works! Not sure what my crew would do with veggie clips. All you can do is try and see what happens.... :whistle:

[MysticRealm]

Thanks guys. I ended up getting the Smart D Cup which looks exactly the same as the In and Out Smart Crocks, just not a corner one. I just got it today but so far he hasn't dumped it.

[CHIris83]

lol my peach faced lovies they used to do that too XD until i got the hagen vision cage which lock the water & food dishes to the floor of the cage and you can only get them out through a door that is locked from the outside... xD so no more dumping plates of course they tried lol like 1000 times XD but they gave up when they couldnt... but since they stopped it now they tend get their nesting material out of their nest box and into the bottom of the cage -.-

[penelope's person]

ooh my Penelope LOVES to do this! She'll mostly do it if she wants out of her cage, but also if she's in the mood for a little mayhem and destruction :P

Ever see those babies sitting in a shopping cart, tossing out their bottles, and goldfish crackers, Mommy's purse, etc? I tend to think of my lovie as being perpetually stuck at this particular phase of babyhood.