Cage Aggression or Play?

[JeffNOK]

My morning routine with Gracie has always been to uncover her cage, say good morning, and then change her water. Over the last month, Gracie has seemingly become cage aggressive when I change her water. She lunges at my hands from inside the cage and says "Ah Ah bite daddy!". Well I concluded that maybe I was stressing her, so I decided to wait until she exited the cage and was eating her veggie breakfast at another location before changing her water. Well the first time I did that, Gracie refused to exit the cage. She kept saying, "Gracie want water" over and over. Then she started lunging at the cage bars saying, "Ah Ah bite Daddy", even though I was nowhere near the cage. She kept it up for about 20 minutes before reluctantly coming out for breakfast. It was almost like she was disappointed I didn't change her water so she could have a go at me (she never actually bites--all bluff---but very menacing). This has been repeated day after day. It's as if she really wants me to change her water while she is in her cage, so she can "attack" me. Do you think she is actually cage aggressive, or is this some game she is playing where she actually enjoys mock-attacking me as a morning routine? If she is having fun, I don't mind going back to the old way, but if my water changing really is a stress, I don't want to do it. Just for the record, she hasn't actually bitten me since July. She is mainly a sweetheart.

[Kizzybird]

Does she allow you to stick your hand in her cage for other reasons? Like to change a toy? If so, does she lunge at those times too?

[JeffNOK]

She lets me put my hand in her cage to change toys or even have her step up sometimes without any bites. She just does this lunging biting thing when I change her water dish from outside the cage.

[Kizzybird]

Jeff, How is she with the water dish when it is outside of the cage? Is she possessive of the dish itself? Sorry to ask another question, but just trying to get to the root cause of the problem. If you can safely place your hand in the cage at other times, wouldn't that rule out "cage aggression." ANd if she is not possessive of the dish itself, would the only other alternative be that she is playing a game with you, as you suggested?

[Inara]

Jeff, just brainstorming also here. Will she let you remove the water dish from inside the cage, rather than removing it from outside of the cage? Could there be something different (sound, movement, view) about your process for changing the dish from outside of her cage? Another thought, could she be hormonal and the water dish (for the time being) is a nest object that she is protective of? Have you tried putting a different dish in the same spot, to see if she reacts the same to it? That might be one way to troubleshoot whether it is dish specific, or if it is you specific. If it is time specific, I wonder what would happen if you began changing her water dish in the evening.

 

If she is not actually biting you, can you get her to step onto your hand, remove her from her cage, and then calmly point to the water dish with your other hand, and move to change the water dish and see how she reacts under that circumstance? If she seems OK with that, then perhaps walk with her and the dish to put the clean water in it, then walk back to put it into its place in her cage -- all where she can see the process? Again, just brainstorming. You know your feathered companion better than anyone, so when in doubt, trust your instincts.

Edited October 3, 2013 by Inara

[JeffNOK]

Great questions. Gracie is just over two years old, so I'm not sure if she could be hormonal yet or not. I think she is still young for that. She tends to be possessive of things she considers to be hers. If I move a toy she struts over and says "AH Ah..!" Like ""Don't touch my stuff". But she never lunges or tries to bite. As far as time of day--that's a tough one. Basically Gracie is out of her cage all day. She only sleeps in her cage. So the only time she is in her cage is when she sleeps or first thing in the morning. I actually leave her out when I go to work. So, when I change her water bowl at other times, she is out playing on her play stand or elsewhere.

[danmcq]

It sounds like a routine that Gracie enjoys and considers it an integral part of it. Thus her staying in the cage and wanting her water changed to me. Dayo is used to a morning routine as well. When it gets out of order every once in a while you can tell it bugs him because he acts differently, looks puzzled and starts asking questions and making requests. I don't know what it is about water, but dayo likes hot water each morning which we give him. He also acts like he is going to bite sometimes while getting the bowl out, but does not. He will sit and wait for that hot water if the routine is not followed precisely and ask for hot water.

[murfchck]

Just my opinion but it seems like it is just playing. Bongo is my boy thru and thru but when we put them to bed at night, he ignors me completely to play the "get daddy" game. He will try biting Pat until Pat gives in and says "ouch". It is just their game and he doesn't really bite but he loves feeling the power. After the ouch, Bongo will climb to his sleeping perch and the pride he shows is priceless, this is nightly! Cotay on the flip side really does attack me when i try changing food bowls. I have to distract her to a higher part of the cage so i do not end up missing fingers, she is serious and there is no doubt. No more cute "oh waiter" comments from her while she waits but pure "i dare you" evil, lol.

[Timbersmom]

That is my opinion too for what it is worth (a game). Timber and hubby have a game where Gary puts his hand on the cage and Timber lunges at it. He puts his hand on another part and Timber quickly runs there and lunges at it. The point being that Timber grabs and bars and not Gary's hand when he gets there. He will continue as long as Gary is willing. When Timber wants to bite, he bites. When he wants to play he lunges and "pretends" to bite.