# Cockatiel dosent like to go back to his cage



## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Hi 
I have a cockatiel that loves to come out of his cage and he also likes to stand on top of his cage but every time i take him out he never wants to go back
I feel bad to put him back in his cage when he acts like this because he makes this sad face saying
"What did I do wrong" "Why did you do this to me"
What can I do to peacefully put him back in his cage so we can both be happy
Thank you for your further posts


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Are there are toys in his cage? Millet or other treats for him to nibble on? If the cage is bare he may be bored.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It can be helpful to give the bird a treat at the same time you put him back in the cage. With some birds it works best to deliver the treat just before you put him in, so he's happily munching as he goes in the cage. With other birds it's better to give them the treat after they're already in, so they have something to occupy themselves while you close the door.

It can also be helpful to sometimes put them in the cage with a treat but then leave the door open so they can come right back out again if they want to. This teaches them that going in the cage doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to be locked up for a long time, so it's nothing to get upset about.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

It was suggested to me when I had a similar problem to spend time with my tiel when he's in his cage. That helped a lot. So he doesn't always associate "going in the cage" with you going away. Also, millet makes going back in the cage a lot better.


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## Ghosth (Jun 25, 2012)

How much "You" time is it getting? Are you giving it an hour to sit on your shoulder, preen your hair, nibble your ear before it gets put away again?


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

roxy culver said:


> Are there are toys in his cage? Millet or other treats for him to nibble on? If the cage is bare he may be bored.


Yes there is a lot of toys in his cage
But not millet


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Thank you 
I will try what you suggested


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Update:
I let my birds go out of the cage for over two hourse
Then when it was time to go to bed I did what tielfan said by putting them back and leaving the cage open then they came out again
Then I gave them treats while putting the back at the same time then I left the treats in the cage and they were busy eating treats then they were happy to go back to the cage for the first time

Thank you so much for your posts


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## shannoncrangasi (Mar 12, 2013)

my birds are babies, and they were hand reared out of the cage all the time, so even being out with us for 6 hours a day on schedule (8-10 and 2-6) they NEVER want to go back in ... but they just run up my arm on their way back to the cage like it has to be done, and once inside they are fine, they eat, rest, talk to sticks and toys. now they have a big new cage and it has become a kind of group play that they sit on my shoulders while i clean and fix things in it and they learnt to trust that i play with them in the cage, esp. while they're clumsily practicing climbing in new spaces. they also LOVE classical music channel on the radio, as long as its not the opera or drivetime jazz show it really seems to keep a part of their brain active and soothed while they go about exploring/playing/destroying


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