Suggestions, please...

[Gwen]

After having an 11 yo rehomed CAG for the past year & a half, Roscoe is still VERY apprehensive on the floor and never wanders more than a 10 ft. radius away from his cage. He loves to play w/ me & eat treats, then climbs back onto his cage door & then down again over & over. My question is: i just got him a Midwest Poquito Avian Hotel cage & he is scared to death of it. It's only been 2 days that i set it up on the floor across the rm from his cage. He walks out & around the travel cage to come over to me. I've put treats & his favorite blanket near the door. I removed one of the stainless steel cups & perch top for him to check out but he doesn't want to go within 3 feet of the travel cage. He normally loves to explore & crawl into cardboard boxes & such but this cage he definately doesn't like.

Should i continue to leave it where it is or possibly move it over next to his cage, where he could climb onto it when he comes down onto the floor?? How do i acclamate him ???

[birdhouse]

It's all trial & error when something spooks them like that. The solution really is patience & sensitivity. As you know, they can be very slow to accept things by that age. I'd just leave it where it is until it becomes part of the furniture & non-threatening, unless you have a particular target date where you need to have him use it.

 

He's probably going to like the travel cage even less if it invades his space. So, I don't think I'd move it any closer to his cage.

 

Once in a while you could put it someplace that you'll be sitting w/him. Don't put it out in his face or hide it. They don't miss a thing. So, if you just casually put it nearby, he'll certainly be aware of it.

 

Maybe once a day put it on the floor at one end of the cocktail table & sit on the other end of the couch w/him to help give him confidence. Play normally & don't even look at it. After you put him back on his cage, put the traveler back in its normal place.

 

When he starts ignoring it, you could put the cage on top of the table. Once that isn't a problem, you can see how Roscoe reacts to letting him walk on top of it. Then, put some good stuff inside & hopefully he'll go in to explore.

[Gwen]

Thanks !!!! No target date, just wanted to have a travel cage in case i ever needed it. I DO, however, want him familiar w/ it so it won't be intimidating or freak him out if i wanted to use it. Good idea abt. leaving it be, i dont want to invade his comfy space. Roscoe has come along way in the time i've had him & i don't want any backslides... He's just in the last month let me give him neck scritches when he lowers his head. This is only a brief touch but he makes a kiss sound & turns his head sideways & down for me to touch him. He pretty much trusts me but still likes to "grab" a finger & hold waiting to crunch down... When i say, noooo, he lets go & makes his kiss sound. Cute game to him... Occasionally, on my hand he leans forward & bites my thumb or bottom of my hand hard. When i say no, he laughs !! Little booger loves to have full control.

About the travel cage, again Thanks... I'll just let it become part of the furniture in hopes he will eventually accept it as a toy w/ treats inside. It would be nice to use it for outside too. ( I wheel his whole cage out onto the deck from the living rm. for sunshine. He loves it.. Even takes a nap & talks the entire time he's out there.

I did show him yesterday... I put my tiel in his travel cage & she played for an hour in it. All Roscoe says is, "OHHHH.. bye, bye pretty girl..."

[judygram]

Val has given you some sound advice as many older birds do not take to something new in their environment especially something with bars but the day will come when he is more comfortable around it and goes into it, once that happens take him out somewhere where he will enjoy himself, in other words don't use the travel cage only to take him to the vet, use it to take him on short trips where he enjoys himself so he associates good times in that cage.

[Gwen]

I can't wait until he is ready to enjoy his travel cage !!! I will make sure he has a good experience in it so if i ever need it for an emergency, he won't mind.

I knew I could count on the forum for some good input -- you all are so helpful !! Meantime, patience & baby steps, which Roscoe is teaching me !!! Again, i'm learning from him.