Odd Behaviour?

[Alexander]

I've been handle Poe alot lately (like 6 hours a day, or more), and it seems that everytime I put him in his cage so I can do something, he has a tempertantrum. To the point where he misses hopping from his food dish to the perch and belly flops onto the wire grate at the bash of his cage. Am I doing something to encourage this? I worry he is going to give himself a mini-stroke if he keeps freaking out everytime I put him down.

[Lovebirds1578]

I could be completely wrong but i think that 6 hours or more a day is a bit much to have your lovebird out. Since you let him roam free around and such he is throwing a fit becuase he doesn't want to go back in. Being out in a big space and then confined into a small cage doesn't really go over well. Thats my guess. Good Luck,

-Ben

[bellarains]

I would tend to agree with Ben. You might try setting up a schedule for Poe or in and out time. Make it more like an hour out, then 1/2-1 hour in. Not enough of something is not good, but sometimes too much of something is bad also. Poe has become very dependent on you, and it may take some time to get him adjusted to a new schedule, but you can't spend 24/7 with him, so a schedule will be good for both of you.

When he throws his little tantrum the one thing you don't want to do is run get him out. This will teach him that is he does this, he gets out. What you can do is give him a small treat when you put him in his cage, especially if he goes back in without a fuss. Reward good behavior, but not bad. We say they are like toddlers all the time, and in many, many ways they are;)

[Janie]

Mine (3 of them) are usually out at least 6 hours each day. More if I'm home all day and a little less if I'm out running errands or working at my part-time job. Yesterday I did not leave the house and they were out from 8:00 a.m. till 4:00 when I did return the two younger ones to their cage to give my older bird a little peace and quiet but after an hour they were back out again till bed time. The younger two love to be out but do not have a hissy fit when they have to go back into their cage and often go in and out on their own. Oliver, my older lovie, is very unhappy being caged except at night and since he gets into no trouble ever, he is always allowed out when I'm home. Oliver is not a very curious lovie which is not typical behavior so when he is out he is either with me (like right now) or in his bird room.

I do agree that keeping your bird on a schedule is a good thing and especially if your schedule means that you'll often be gone all day. The only reason my birds are out as often as they are is because I am home most days so that works for us. :)