How to introduce new cage to CAG

[jgerardo]

I finally bought Luna a large cage 24 L 22 W 34 H. Total of 67 inches high with wheels and everything. He is afraid of the cage. Will fly away when i put him on perch at top. Is it bad if i lock him in there and make him deal with it? I am new CAG owner by the way only had him for 3 months. He hasnt been used to a cage yet. We have a small one for budgies that he was in but he only goes in for food. He sleeps on the perch we made for him. I am gonna need advice

[judygram]

Please don't lock him in the cage if he is scared of it, just leave it where it is and let him get used to it being there, maybe put a treat and some toys inside and he will eventually go check it out, most greys are very leery of anything new or different and need time to adjust and get used to it.

[Luvparrots]

Please do not force your grey into a cage. How about putting the cage he is use to, into the new cage. Put food into the feeders in the new cage but none in the used cage. Close the door of the used cage so the grey can't get in. I believe your grey will go into the new cage when he gets hungry and having the old cage inside might be helpful. Forcing a grey, or any pet to do to things is never a good idea.

[Timbersmom]

It took quite some time for me to get my TAG to accept his new cage. I put it next to the rust bucket he was in. It actually took him a few months to move over and start exploring it. The first time I saw him poking around inside of the new one, I started moving favored perches and toys over. After that it was a quick process. I removed the old cage and we never looked back. You need to move at your bird's speed, which is usually much slower than you'd wish! Good luck!

[Inara]

Inara moved pretty smoothly into her new cage. We assembled it in front of her while she was safely in the cage that came with her that she had lived in most of her little life. She was a bit taken aback by the activity and the large parts, but we just were matter-of-fact about it all and chatted with her as usual while assembling. We then moved it at a 90 degree angle to her old cage and let it sit there for the rest of the day. She saw me cleaning every part of it, that was a familiar activity to her, since she had seen me do that with her old cage.

 

Initially, I put one of her familiar perches into the new cage, as well as one familiar toy. Then just casually put her into the new cage onto the familiar perch, and gave her a bite of her favorite treat and let her just sit there for a few moments, then took her back out before she had an opportunity to react negatively. Did this a few times off and on over the day and evening, then back into her old cage for the night. Next day we moved her old cage into the kitchen area (to have it readily available if she truly freaked out) and put her new cage in the place where her old cage had been, and she readily went into it and was fine. She did have quite the time with the new covered feeding system but once she figured out that she could not tip the dishes and that the see through covers on the outside weren't going to be able to "get her" she adjusted well. Her first few nights, I left a night light on for her so that she could orient herself to the new space in the darkness. Her first night, she did not sleep well, I could hear her climbing around, and would occasionally give her a little flock call, but I allowed her the experience, and by the next night she was fine. It took her longer to adjust to the feeding dishes than it did to the cage itself. We then moved her old cage into our exercise room so that she can hang out in it when we're down there.

 

She loves her new space, and as I type, she has discovered that it is a blast to talk and whistle and shout while she has her head inside the feeding areas -- it acts like a microphone/echo chamber! Am taping as we speak.

 

I wouldn't force a bird or other animal to so something that they are terrified of. If they are simply hesitant, however, then (my opinion only, can't speak for others) I've never had a problem with a nudge. Birds in the wild are exposed to daily stressors and are often more adaptable than we give them credit for. I really like the idea of putting the smaller cage (with bird in it) inside of the larger cage, and allowing your bird to get accustomed while in his familiar cage. He may show some nervousness at first, but allow him a bit of time to calm himself, while you act normal and relaxed and just chat with him, about how cool his new cage is. Then open the door to its little cage, give him a tasty treat, ask him to step up to you, tell him how wonderful he is, and just keep him on your hand with your hand still inside the bigger cage, or put him onto the top of his old cage, then give him a tasty something and then take him to his favorite place outside of the cage. This focuses his mind away from nervousness and onto something pleasurable -- you and the treat, and lets him know that you and he can come and go safely from the new cage. Repeat this off and on, and also put him on top of the new cage even if he takes flight. Just approach it nonchalantly each time, and don't react when and if he takes off. It's normal for him to have taken flight at a new object. It does not necessarily mean that he is frightened of it, it's an instinctive response to something new, bigger, that was not there before. He could easily do the same with a new lamp, etc.

 

You know your bird. Watch for the difference between truly frightened and merely wary or nervous. If truly frightened, don't force. If just cautious and bit skittish, then just spend the time taking back and forth, in and out, praising and rewarding and acting like the cage is fine. They take a lot of their cues from us.

 

EDIT: Inara has a pretty relaxed personality, and is pretty intrepid. She does get startled by unexpected loud noises (the dog bellowing at the package man, loud pop from something inside of the microwave) or she will get startled if something major has changed in her environment: the xmas tree and decorations, and will take flight. But the moment I retrieve her, she's then fine with it all. So things that have moved pretty easily or seamlessly with her, I can take partial credit for due to my own scrillion years of grad school in (human and comparative) behavior science, but the larger part has to do with her particular temperament. So naturally, your mileage may and likely will vary depending on your bird's unique personality and background

Edited December 20, 2013 by Inara

[jgerardo]

We are on day 2 with the cage and he seems to have accepted it already. He is realizing that he has lots of room to climb and move from perch to perch. He is still not comfortable being on the playtop area but he is adapting pretty well. He wasnt terrified but he was just nervous at first. He will still fly down from his cage and will go to his old one but I think we are making progress. Now i just need a sign that says Parrot Crossing watch your head!