# Charlie hates the microwave



## CharlieBirdy (Apr 5, 2016)

Hello everyone! 
I'll start with a small update, Charlie has been eating some of his pellets in his bowl and not just his seeds  

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this... Sorry if it isn't. 

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with their cockatiel hating the microwave. Every time we use the microwave, Charlie yells back at it until its done. He does the same with the fan for the stove. I'm not sure if he is afraid of it or just annoyed. Anyone have a y tips? 

I was also wondering if anyone has eny suggestions about having guests who yell at their bird and tell them to shut up? On a daily basis... 
I have family over, and one person specifically tells him to shut up every day! Again though, he only yells when she uses the microwave or the oven... But she finds this irritating apparently...


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## Krieger (Oct 31, 2015)

If somebody showed up at my house and told my bird to shut up, I'd make it very clear in no uncertain terms that they are in my house, and the bird has alot more right to be here than they do, and show them the door


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

It's usually pretty easy to tell when a tiel is scared. His head crest will either be straight up (meaning good or bad excitement) or flat against his head (meaning fear or anger), and his neck feathers will be pressed against his neck, so it looks skinny rather than fluffy. If he's not pressing his feathers against his neck, I'd say he's most likely angry/annoyed, and maybe a bit scared too. Though it's hard to say, each bird is an individual, and in the end only you can tell for sure what they're thinking...

Also, if your guests are telling the bird to shut up, tell _them_ to shut up. They have no right to go into _your_ house and start yelling at your bird. Plus, yelling at a bird who is currently yelling only encourages the bird to yell more, so if you're trying to train the bird to stop yelling at the microwave, or trying to get it to be quiet, yelling at it to "shut up" is only going to encourage the bird to get louder. 

If I were you, I'd tell that person "You've got a problem with my bird? Don't come to my house" or "you can go out of the room when the microwave's going if you've got a problem with it". Overall, I'd definetly say "Don't you dare tell _my_ bird to shut up. That is unacceptable" 

You can also explain to them how yelling at the bird encourages it to yell louder.


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## CharlieBirdy (Apr 5, 2016)

Well, it seems you both are as upset as I am about my guests behavior. 

He gets his crest up right when he yells at the microwave. I swear in his eyes can see anger haha. 
He stops yelling when I go see him and reassure him its ok. 

Thank you for your advice guys! On the guests and my Charlie bird


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

No advice about the microwave screaming, but as for the guest, I would be furious! If someone were to come into my home and tell my animals to shut up like that, family or not, i'd remind them that they do not live here and that they know where the door is if they don't like it. That is so disrespectful! It would be just like going into someone else's home and telling their kids to shut up.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey only yells at our microwave when it beeps. Of course, he also yells at police sirens whether they are outside on the street or on tv. If he hears beeping on tv, he yells at it too. We can't help but laugh at him.

Guests, even family, need to understand the tiel lives there, it is their home, and they have to be accepted. Would the same person yell at a toddler who doesn't like the microwave? It is the same principle.


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## CharlieBirdy (Apr 5, 2016)

You guys are making my feelings validated. I am right to be angry. 
We have only had our Charlie for three weeks. It is a learning process for us both. 

Funny you guys mention the comparison to children. 
She has a 3 month old with her... He cries all night and all day. I've thought of that comparison alot! I don't threaten her child when he cries... My Charlie is a living thing. He deserves the same respect as any other living being. 

Thank you all so much.


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

CharlieBirdy said:


> You guys are making my feelings validated. I am right to be angry.
> We have only had our Charlie for three weeks. It is a learning process for us both.
> 
> Funny you guys mention the comparison to children.
> ...


What a lot of nonbird owners, new bird owners, and people who don't know enough about birds don't understand is that adopting a bird is usually a lot like adopting a kid. They go through hormones as they grow up, they get moody, they misbehave, they yell, etc. This is more true for the bigger birds, like cockatoos and macaws, but it applies to the little guys as well. Birds are pretty much like little three-five year olds their entire lives (which for tiels is 15-30 some years, and 65+ years for larger birds!).


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

One thing I remind people of is, they are birds, being birds, in a human world. Bird people understand that, but non-bird people don't. Sure, it would be ideal if they grasped the concept of neighbors, or the humans of their flock wanting to hear the tv, not chewing everything in sight, shouting at other birds outside, etc. But just because we have them living indoors doesn't mean they have to stop being birds. If anything, we should adapt to their needs because we are responsible for them. Guests just have to understand that or start inviting you to visit at their houses.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

What a lot of people fail to understand is that animals in general are living beings with their own minds and personalities, just like kids. They have their likes and dislikes, they don't always get along with others (so tired of people writing this off as a "dominance thing" when some animals just DON'T LIKE EACHOTHER, just as some people don't), and there are every day things that **** them off. Just like kids.

I am very quick to tell people to suck it up or leave if they don't like my animals making noise during their visit in OUR home. The dogs and birds live here, you don't. This is THEIR house, not yours, and above all, I call the shots here, you most certainly do not.

Also on the microwave thing, while I was raising Panda, sometimes on cold mornings I would heat his bowl up in the microwave for a few seconds (just to the formula wouldn't go cold the second it hit the bowl) and he learned that when the microwave beeped it was meal time and he would absolutely SCREAM. He did it for the longest time after he weaned, too. Is it possible that he associates the microwave with something?
It could just be that he doesn't like the sound though.


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

shaenne said:


> What a lot of people fail to understand is that animals in general are living beings with their own minds and personalities, just like kids. They have their likes and dislikes, they don't always get along with others (so tired of people writing this off as a "dominance thing" when some animals just DON'T LIKE EACHOTHER, just as some people don't), and there are every day things that **** them off. Just like kids..


THANK YOU! I couldn't have said it any better myself! I can't believe how hard it is for some people to understand this, especially with birds.


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