# Bedtime tantrums!



## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

Sorry I'm asking so many questions, I'm not new to birds but most certainly new to tiels and they are quite different! Anyway, I've had my coco for just over two weeks now and to begin with she didnt like being put to bed and she'd flap at the cage until she finally calmed down realised she was tired and dozed off (I put her to bed at half 8 every night) but RECENTLY she becomes the devil hahahah, she's all fine sat with me being stroked and then we take the walk upstairs to my bedroom where her cage is and it all turns to ****, she doesn't want to know me she starts attacking me, she does a fly around she will come back to me but not with a smile on her face!!! I'd like to end the day on a good note I try to give her a little treat or stroke after all that but she doesn't want to know, so I just leave her tucked up. Then in the morning I'm the one that's being forced out of bed to give her attention 
Is she just having a tantrum about going to bed and I should just learn to live with it haha?


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## NatashaMcNeil (Aug 15, 2016)

I would love to know the answer to that too! Mine is really young but every time I try to put her to bed she bites me when i get near the cage! it's like she turns into a different bird...I'm going to follow your thread for the advice too :grey tiel:


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Zoe sometimes throws a temper tantrum when it's time to go to bed. She'll avoid me like the plague and then when I finally catch her she'll give me a thorough beaking to let me know she's extremely offended by what i'm trying to make her do. 

I don't react, I don't talk to her or give her any attention other than holding her, I put her in her cage, cover her up and leave. When she's good, I give her half a sunflower seed and a scritch before bed, so I think she learns from the lack of attention she gets after a tantrum lol.


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

NatashaMcNeil said:


> I would love to know the answer to that too! Mine is really young but every time I try to put her to bed she bites me when i get near the cage! it's like she turns into a different bird...I'm going to follow your thread for the advice too


Haha feel free to! I'm guessing the best thing to do is ignore their little kiddy temper tantrums, but i am quite taken back when one minute I have the sweetest bird and the next it's like she's never been tame in her life lol!


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

shaenne said:


> Zoe sometimes throws a temper tantrum when it's time to go to bed. She'll avoid me like the plague and then when I finally catch her she'll give me a thorough beaking to let me know she's extremely offended by what i'm trying to make her do.
> 
> I don't react, I don't talk to her or give her any attention other than holding her, I put her in her cage, cover her up and leave. When she's good, I give her half a sunflower seed and a scritch before bed, so I think she learns from the lack of attention she gets after a tantrum lol.


Yep it's exactly like that, not a pleasant thing to receive at the end of the day which was full of strokes and love ahah  

But I'll keep that idea in mind maybe, I don't react to her bites anyway so that's a start but I'll begin to just put her in without attention until she calms herself down and we can all go to bed nicely!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

You'll get used to it lol! Zoe is nice as pie while she's getting what she wants but as soon as she decides she's unhappy she turns into a little demon


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## kr90au (Aug 4, 2016)

Mine starts getting fussy when the sun goes down and lets me know she's ready for bed, guess I lucked out.


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## cat (Apr 11, 2012)

Guess I lucked out also. Mine wants nothing to do with us once the sun goes down. He just wants to be left alone to do his own thing. Otherwise he is all about coming out and getting scratches and Cheerios.


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

kr90au said:


> Mine starts getting fussy when the sun goes down and lets me know she's ready for bed, guess I lucked out.


Ha! Wish my little devil was like that, would make things a little easier, and leave me feeling a lot less hated at night hahaha


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

cat said:


> Guess I lucked out also. Mine wants nothing to do with us once the sun goes down. He just wants to be left alone to do his own thing. Otherwise he is all about coming out and getting scratches and Cheerios.


Aw little sweetie, yes she's all about the scratches during the day can't get enough of those! Maybe as she gets older she'll be like yours and pop herself to bed!


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## cat (Apr 11, 2012)

Yes maybe so who knows. Have you tried giving her a special treat she may like when u put her in there at bedtime? When I first got mine I would entice him with Cheerios. He took one nibble and was hooked. Got him to come to me every time. So maybe if u do something like that your bird will associate getting that special treat with getting into her cage. Does she do that all the time or just bedtime? Maybe there is something in cage like a toy she is scared of? If u do try Cheerios get the plain Cheerios they don't need the sugar. Good luck. Mine also loves popcorn.


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

cat said:


> Yes maybe so who knows. Have you tried giving her a special treat she may like when u put her in there at bedtime? When I first got mine I would entice him with Cheerios. He took one nibble and was hooked. Got him to come to me every time. So maybe if u do something like that your bird will associate getting that special treat with getting into her cage. Does she do that all the time or just bedtime? Maybe there is something in cage like a toy she is scared of? If u do try Cheerios get the plain Cheerios they don't need the sugar. Good luck. Mine also loves popcorn.


She only does it at bedtime thankfully, the rest of the times she has to go in to her cage she just flaps around inside it trying to get out but no biting at all! I'll try millet maybe or I'll get some Cheerios and try what you do, she seems to give everything a go so I'm sure she'll probably like it


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## chickadeedee (Jul 27, 2016)

cat said:


> Guess I lucked out also. Mine wants nothing to do with us once the sun goes down. He just wants to be left alone to do his own thing. Otherwise he is all about coming out and getting scratches and Cheerios.


Mine is the same way! During the day he's the sweetest and loves being a part of the "flock" but about an hour before his bedtime, he gets cranky and wants to play in his cage by himself. He'll let me know he's ready for bed when he climbs up to where he sleeps and settles down.


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## cat (Apr 11, 2012)

find a treat that she will really like and ONLY give it to her at bedtime. No other time. That way she may be a little more willing knowing that at bedtime is the only time she getts it. Harley likes Cheerios, apples, and popcorn &#55357;&#56842;. Hopefully it will work for you.


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

I think I have an idea as to what's wrong. After a full day of loving,your bird feels like you're just putting her away and disappearing for hours! At night! When the scary predators come! lol

Based on what you said, your tiel doesn't like going in her cage at all. But at night, it's even worse, probably because she gets left there for hours at the scariest time of the day. What I would do if I were you would be to teach your bird that the cage is a good, happy place. Here's how:

1. Reward heavily for being near the cage on your hand
2. Reward heavily for allowing you to put your hand in the cage (with them on it) and out again
3. Reward heavily for going willingly into the cage onto a perch (without you removing your hands/arms)
4. Reward heavily for going into the cage and allowing you to step out
5. Reward heavily for going into the cage and allowing you to shut the door for half a second, then one second, then 30 seconds, then a minute, etc (while standing right by the door)
6. Reward heavily for going into the cage and allowing you to shut the door and leave the room for half a second, one second, 30 seconds, etc

Each step should gradually and slowly build into the others. And take it very slow, you might spend two minutes on step one, or you might spend two weeks on step one. Parrots can't be rushed 

By 'reward heavily' I mean lots of millet and love and praise. If your bird likes other treats you can use them as well. 

Always remember that, during the training sessions, don't give the reward until you've completed the step. The first few times it's okay to reward them for the step behavior even if they bite or scream, so they get the idea, but after that only reward them for doing the step without biting or screaming or struggle. 

Remember after each step to immediately take your bird out of the cage so that they don't think that being put away in the cage means they'll be stuck there for hours. It would also help to randomly put her away during playtime for a few minutes and then take her back out again. 

Keep training sessions short; 15 minutes at a time at the most. 

When your bird is in the cage, randomly and inconsistently treat them without taking them out; this will tell the bird that the cage is a good place where treats are given! Another thing you can do is to have a certain allotment of time everyday dedicated to in cage love/playtime. 

For your particular situation, I would have training sessions during the day, and then maybe a training session or two at night, one a bit before bed. 

Sorry for the long post, but I think this will help


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

Lunawolfsong said:


> I think I have an idea as to what's wrong. After a full day of loving,your bird feels like you're just putting her away and disappearing for hours! At night! When the scary predators come! lol
> 
> Based on what you said, your tiel doesn't like going in her cage at all. But at night, it's even worse, probably because she gets left there for hours at the scariest time of the day. What I would do if I were you would be to teach your bird that the cage is a good, happy place. Here's how:
> 
> ...


Not at all!! thank you for the long message I'll go by your advice and start tomorrow as she's had a long day of flying and having a lot of fuss over her  she's currently munching her dinner inside her cage, but that's about the only thing she'll do in there and as long as her cage door is open too. The second it's shut she has no interest which really worries me that I have to be there to know she's had a drink and eaten  

Yes you're quite right about not liking being in her cage, couple of days ago I thought I was making progress. She was playing with her toys and chose to be in the cage herself but nope. Second I stepped out of the room (on purpose to see what she did) she has no interest and doesn't care :-(
So I will most certainly be using your method, she loves millet so I'll use that and we'll start at step one tomorrow! She's a good girl otherwise who loves her cuddles so I'm sure she'll do brilliantly after a while! (Or so I hope )
Shall keep you updated or if I need extra help. Thank you very much once again


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## cocoandmisty (Aug 27, 2016)

cat said:


> find a treat that she will really like and ONLY give it to her at bedtime. No other time. That way she may be a little more willing knowing that at bedtime is the only time she getts it. Harley likes Cheerios, apples, and popcorn &#55357;&#56842;. Hopefully it will work for you.


Thank you! Yes I'm thinking of using millet because I know she goes mad for that!  I hope so too!


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