# Poor Billie, now a Happy Billie



## spraymillet (Mar 2, 2010)

So, after trying to train my cockatiel every day and not really making progress (she's still TERRIFIED of me, and despite eating from my hand still tries to lunge and hiss and fly away and hide in corners, she shakes when people come near her, poor thing) I decided to put her cage outside for the day, just to see how she liked it. My previously depressed, quiet, bored, sad cockatiel turned into a happy one overnight! I feel bad. She was miserable in my room with me, but outside in her own cage near the budgies' cage she is so lively, active, and she squawks quite a bit now. I can hear her loudest in the morning.

I think maybe she's just not happy with people, and may never be, she's 100x happier outside where she has a hundred wild birds to watch fly around and so many trees to look at.

I have a lot of patience, but I don't want that to translate to holding a bird hostage in my room and trying to show her I'm worthy of her trust, when she clearly doesn't want any part of it.

Meanwhile, I visited my aunt's aviary the other day, and her African Grey Parrot fell in love with me and flew out and sang with me for about an hour, and there was a baby male cockatiel right near the Grey who was whistling at me and following me around like he wanted to be friends. PS her Aviary is full of untame birds, not people-socialized ones. There were plenty of parrots in there who ignored me. But I know I'm not bad with birds... I just seem to always bring home the unfriendly ones.


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## shining_star (Jul 1, 2010)

Aww how frustrating. Sandi ("my" bird) would never let my mom, sister, or anyone else touch her, only me. I'm sure you can imagine how that went when I moved out and had to leave her with my family. Now I've brought her to live with me and slowly but surely her sweet side is coming out as I spend time with her.

I've never heard of putting birds outside (obviously in their cage) before this site. What temperature do you recommend for doing that? What about mosquitos and such, will they make them sick?


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## spraymillet (Mar 2, 2010)

I don't know, my aunt has an aviary which is like a big shed with a partially enclosed half and half with mesh and many perches. I always have admired it. It's summer time here where I live. When it gets cold out, I'm going to bring them in for the winter.


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## spraymillet (Mar 2, 2010)

So I heard her this morning in her cage outside, singing happily away. A couple hours later, my mother rushes into my room telling me she was gone. I'm not sad so much as angry that she doesn't understand how tough the world is out there. Just last night I saw a big fat feral cat under my dad's car who wasn't the least bit afraid of anything. And two weeks ago I came home to find a HUGE hawk eating a fat dove not 30 feet from my birds' cages. There are a lot of predators around here, and I live on a big hill near thick forests. 

She had around half her flight feathers, and never practiced flying in the house but I hope she's strong at it.

I hope she comes back, but I don't know if she will. I don't think I'm ever going to own a cockatiel again. :/


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I agree with shining star, never put cages outside, it's just too dangerous from escape and preditors. If you want the birds to be outside during the warm months then build an avairy.


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## spraymillet (Mar 2, 2010)

Herp derp, I don't have to worry about that any more because I don't have a bird to put in a cage.

At least she never really made a good pet.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

Lets hope she finds her way to an avairy or a bird lover somewhere. Poor little mite.


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## liltweets (Oct 31, 2008)

Even though she "never really made a good pet"  I'm sure she's scared and hungry and in danger. Sad.  I hope someone finds her and takes her in.


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## spraymillet (Mar 2, 2010)

I am very sad. I can't stop thinking about her. Just because she wasn't a good pet doesn't mean her life had any less value. But I think I would be irrevocably devastated if she was a good pet.


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