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Pet Forum / Birds / Parrots / February 2004Mirror in Cage
My Tiel is still reluctant to come out of his cage. I'm thinking it's down to the mirror. I want to remove it, but I'm worried he may fret. What should I do? Remove it or leave it? Maybe ween it away? Any ideas? Use it as a lure. If there's some reason you don't just take the bird out of the cage (I haven't been following this group the last few days, is there some reason you don't take him out to work with him?), remove the mirror and put it outside with the door open -your bird will probably come out to get to his beloved mirror. Heck, stick a millet spray on it for good measure :). He may fuss at first but that's not such a big deal; a little fretting isn't fatal :). If you want to be his beloved instead of the mirror, then yes I would suggest you remove the mirror. And then get the bird out and away from the cage where you can work with him; include him in your activities (especially meals); keep him with you whatever you're doing as long as it's safe for him; forge a relationship with him. That can't happen when he's left in a cage, seeing his cage as his safe haven from the world and his mirror as his best friend. owly http://www.ittybittybirdiebites.com - healthy natural treats for birds >>> We specialize in seed junkies! <<< *** FEBRUARY 2004 SPECIALS ARE UP! (Click on Specials)*** Over 2 dozen sprouting links! (Click on Sprouting Resources) Yummy nutrition in a shaker??? (Click on Beggie Birdie Bits©) >Got seed junkies? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seedjunkies > My Tiel is still reluctant to come out of his cage. I'm thinking it's down > to the mirror. > I want to remove it, but I'm worried he may fret. What should I do? Remove > it or leave it? Maybe ween it away? > > Any ideas? > My Tiel is still reluctant to come out of his cage. I'm thinking it's down > to the mirror. > I want to remove it, but I'm worried he may fret. What should I do? Remove > it or leave it? Maybe ween it away? > > Any ideas? If it were me, I'd remove the mirror. Try to lure him out with a millet spray or his favorite treat. If you get him away from the sight of his cage and work with him a little, doing step-ups, and talking to him, that would help with bonding with him. Start with short intervals at first, maybe 10 minutes at a time, and work up to longer periods. Laurie > > My Tiel is still reluctant to come out of his cage. I'm thinking it's down > > to the mirror. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > You could try to lure him out with the mirror and when you have his attention hide the mirror. Ray . Ok I'll try that. Thanks... He used to be sooo tame, but then he hit "breeding season" and started behaving like he was some love crazed mad man, defending his "nest" etc etc. Do males sit on the nest while they are waiting for a lady? He's getting territorial and the longer he stays in the cage without coming out, the worse he is getting so I thought I'd best remove the mirror. Just didn't want him to fret that's all. But Thanks for the advice - I'll try it and let you guys know how he's going... > If it were me, I'd remove the mirror. Try to lure him out with a millet > spray or his favorite treat. If you get him away from the sight of his cage > and work with him a little, doing step-ups, and talking to him, that would > help with bonding with him. Start with short intervals at first, maybe 10 > minutes at a time, and work up to longer periods. Mark, It's strange because Jasper used to act this way as well. He hated coming out of his cage. I used to have paper on the bottom of his cage and he used to tear up the paper into little bits and he would sit on the bits of paper like as if he were nesting.... putting the hand in the cage would make him fret and be all defensive, like as if he were protecting his "nest", but he didn't act like this all of the time, so maybe it's just that certain time when your bird acts this way too. > Ok I'll try that. Thanks... > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > help with bonding with him. Start with short intervals at first, maybe 10 > > minutes at a time, and work up to longer periods. Yeah, I don't put paper in the cage anymore, for that same reason. He was tearing it up into little tiny pieces and sitting on it like a nest. Also I was concerned the ink off the newspaper might be bad, so I stopped using it. If I can get him out, he's usually fine, it's just the getting him out that's the problem :-) > Mark, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > protecting his "nest", but he didn't act like this all of the time, so > maybe it's just that certain time when your bird acts this way too. I don't use newspaper anymore either.... That is exactly how Jasper used to be.... it must be a male thing! What was also strange is he used to nip at everyone, except me! Now Piper is totally different.... he nips at me and everyone else, but not my husband.... he must be going through the same thing now because last night he almost wouldn't come out of his cage :-( > Yeah, I don't put paper in the cage anymore, for that same reason. He was > tearing it up into little tiny pieces and sitting on it like a nest. Also I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > protecting his "nest", but he didn't act like this all of the time, so > > maybe it's just that certain time when your bird acts this way too. | Mark, | [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] | maybe 10 | > > minutes at a time, and work up to longer periods. I use newspaper (pages with black ink only) in both my 'tiel and lovebirds cages, and have never had a problem with either of them tearing it up. Of course I also keep the grate in the bottom of the cage so that they cannot gain access to the soiled newspaper. As I'd always thought that the reason for the grate is/was to keep them from the newspaper as well as their droppings. . . My lovebird will shred anything paper that I place in his cage above the grate, i.e. papertowel tubes, papertowels, newsprint, etc. Which I always removed when it becomes soiled with his droppings. DC I don't like using the grate.... I always worry about him getting his feet, tail, or wings caught in it.... I don't know why I worry about that, but I do. Besides, he likes to get the seeds that he's dropped on the bottom of the cage. I always change his paper (paper towels) every single day. > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > =qoQX > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Kathy, Neither of my birds have ever had any kind of "accident" with the grate that sits an inch or two above the bottom of the cage. And given that it isn't "secured"' into place IF they were to get a toe, foot, etc "caught" in it. I would think that it would just as quickly come unstuck again. . . I have also used ground up corn cob bedding from time-to-time sifting it like one would kitty litter a couple of times a day, and changing it at least weekly IF not more often IF it's become "super" soiled. But I've gotten back into the habit of using the newspaper as my grandmother and I subscribe to it, so it just makes sense to "reuse" it for this purpose as opposed to just "tossing" it in the trash/recycle bin. . . DC | I don't like using the grate.... I always worry about him getting his | feet, tail, or wings caught in it.... I don't know why I worry about [quoted text clipped - 81 lines] | > =qoQX | > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- DC, What about ground up and sifted walnut shells? The woman that owns the pet shop recommended this to me. > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 113 lines] > =6B07 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Kathy, I don't know, how round is it? Are there any "sharp" edges/angles/corners on it that could somehow injure your 'tiel? Just cause it looks "soft/dull" to us doesn't mean that it will be to some"one" much smaller then us. . . DC | DC, | [quoted text clipped - 141 lines] | > =6B07 | > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- DC, It is very tiny... I would almost say round. I didn't buy any. I looked the bag over to see exactly what it looked like. If I could have, I would have felt the texture of it, but it was a sealed up bag.... either way, I don't think I'll buy any. I just thought I would ask about it here because I never heard of the stuff. > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 102 lines] > | > | > | > > | > | > | > "Laurie" <whowhat@where.com> wrote in message news:8U4%b.7745$yZ1.1230@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net... > | > | > | > > If it were me, I'd remove the mirror. Try to lure him out > | > | with a [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > | > | > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > | > | > Version: PGP 8.0 iQA/AwUBQD5Ngh/i52nbE9vTEQLx0gCfY2BBPG6ch3jnGnT0oht2Nyru2TcAoLqU > | > | > sMsBlr9VZGxDNHIqtK7I+1SI > | > | > =qoQX [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > =Kcoe > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Kathy, Not taking the chance with something that you couldn't test for yourself is the best move. I've used corn cob (under the grating) without any problems. But I have read that IF they can get to it that they can end up with an impacted crop. Which I would think that (unless someone knows differently) could also happen with ground walnut or any other grounded bedding material IF the bird(s) can get to the bedding material. Which again is the reason that I always use the grating that comes with most IF not all cages. . . With the newspaper (and being as I said my grandmother and I subscribe to it so I ALWAYS have a good supply) is to cut sheets that will fit into the bottom of the tray. And then at the end of the day when I am getting ready to go to bed I remove the one that is on top, and throw it away. Thus leaving another clean sheet beneath it. And because my grandmother has Alzheimer's Disease which is the reason that I am now living with her. My lovebird lives downstairs with her and my 'tiel lives upstairs with me. And also because my lovebird is such a good escape artist I keep quick release clips on his feed and water door, and the other doors that I do not use are premantely sealed so that neither he nor my grandmother can open them up. Both birds get PLENTY of time outside of the cage with both myself and my grandmother. So given that, removing the top layer of newspaper is probably "overkill" but tis best to "err" on the side of caution. . .;-) DC | DC, | [quoted text clipped - 204 lines] | > =Kcoe | > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > DC, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > bag.... either way, I don't think I'll buy any. I just thought I would > ask about it here because I never heard of the stuff. If you do not use the bottom grate (I do, keeps birds aways from poop), probably the best cage liners would be newspaper, plain brown paper or paper towels. I would never use crush walnuts on my birds' cages, I mean, what are it's advantages over good ol' newspaper? Corn cob bedding is believed to promote bacterial growth, specially if not changed (not just sifted) every day. AND it has been linked aspergillosis infections. I'm not taking that risk. And pine shavings are just a mess: one wing flap and you got shavings all over your house. If you want something more 'cushy' than plain paper, there is some recycled materials I've used in the past, like these: http://www.afrma.org/beddings_paper.htm. I buy rolls of brown paper at Lowes, pretty cheap, and they'll last you forever. Just cut to size.  Signature~Marco~ "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." -- Terry Pratchett, Jingo I would never use the crushed walnut shells... it's just the shop owner showed this stuff to me and I was curious about it and I also wondered if it would cause bacteria.... Funny how you mentioned the rolls of brown paper because I was thinking of using the brown paper instead and I was going to ask if it could be used :-) > > DC, > > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I buy rolls of brown paper at Lowes, pretty cheap, and they'll last you > forever. Just cut to size. > I would never use the crushed walnut shells... it's just the shop > owner showed this stuff to me and I was curious about it and I also > wondered if it would cause bacteria.... Funny how you mentioned the > rolls of brown paper because I was thinking of using the brown paper > instead and I was going to ask if it could be used :-) Absolutely... it is absorbant, cheap, safe and easy for clean up. The roll I used to buy (when I had many more birds than now) was about 4 feet wide... huge, and it lasted I'd say a good six months. Depending on how many cages/birds you have, it might last you a good year. Signature~Marco~ "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." -- Terry Pratchett, Jingo I just use sand...... > It is very tiny... I would almost say round. I didn't buy any. I > looked the bag over to see exactly what it looked like. If I could > have, I would have felt the texture of it, but it was a sealed up > bag.... either way, I don't think I'll buy any. I just thought I would > ask about it here because I never heard of the stuff. Yeah same. I'd be worried his foot would get caught in the grate... > I don't like using the grate.... I always worry about him getting his > feet, tail, or wings caught in it.... I don't know why I worry about > that, but I do. Besides, he likes to get the seeds that he's dropped > on the bottom of the cage. > Ok I'll try that. Thanks... > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > didn't want him to fret that's all. But Thanks for the advice - I'll try it > and let you guys know how he's going... The best thing you can do is work with him, get him away from his cage more often and bond more with him. I know there are some people who don't believe birds get hormonal, but I know my birds and there are certain times of the year when they're bitchy little sh.ts and very territorial. That's hormones to me! Don't worry if he 'frets' about the missing mirror. Just distract him with time out of the cage and being with you. Laurie |
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