# Sexual Frustrated Cockatiel



## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

I have another issue concerning Sonnie-Man! 

Sonnie use to have luntino hen/mate named Daisy that passed away, but he never bred or anything with her--she wanted him to though, I believe, becuase of her movements towards him like trying to get under him, practically laying on her belly. His sexual "manly-ness" was concentrated on one of his toys. 

That toy is still in his cage, but not near a perch to where he can grab ahold and do his birdie love with it. This bird is "in love" with his reflection as well. I am about to take away all his mirrors because I don't think it is healthy for Sonnie-Man to love a reflection... as well as a toy, but if I take the mirrors and toy away, he will just have love with anything else in his cage. :blink:

~*See, the thing with Daisy was that... I beleive.... Sonnie thought he was too much of a human since he was hand raised, so, I don't know. When we got him he was with a whole slew of birds at Petsmart. He was a gift to my mother for Valentine's Day. He is not 6 years old--still the same way ever since he reached sexual maturity. 

---Now he trys to "hump" one of his mirrors. <_< But then can't grab a hold of it so good, so he ends up just humping the perch. :wacko: 

I am going to buy him some new toys next month since I am starting up a job. I am goingto get rid of all his toys in his cage, mirrors and all. Do you think this would depress him? Suggestions?? I am going to try and bond with him as well. 

Any suggestions on what "you" would do it this was happening with your one cockatiel?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

I would definitely take away the mirror, sometimes with the mirror they see it as a potential mate and become very attached to it or possessive of it and some get aggressive, try taking the toy out thats the object of his affections maybe move things around in his cage change the toys up its pretty normal for them to find something thats the object of there affection when they are alone


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Do you think another mate is in order?

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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

I don't know if another mate is the answer unless of course you want to breed them  there are lots of people that only have one tiel and there tiels seem content I think its up to you I think it is nice for them to have a friend but not all tiels need it some are quite happy to be alone, I have my female Georgie and she could care less if she even saw the other birds she would love to be an only bird. I bought Ollie as a companion for Georgie and she has never taken to him its been 8 months and he still is not allowed to sit close to her she will bite him.


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Also, If I take his toy and all his mirrors out of his cage... he practically has nothing in his cage.  All he has is 1 squishy toy and a bird pencil. 

Its not my bird, so of course... well, now I am caring for his needs and going to have to buy him everything. I don't mind at all.  Being a 15 year old... I don't make money every week. I save up. I will save up for Sonnie-Man, but in the mean time... if he has nothing in his cage, should I not take his mirrors and eveything away right now?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

maybe just take the mirror out and move the toy around to a new spot I wouldn't recommend taking everything out but change is good and sometimes its enough to throw them off there frustrations you could also try and move the perches around not sure how many you have in there, but its good for them to have various perches with different sizes when you get some money saved up you could always buy some different toys and change them around, most people have a few different toys and change them around every few weeks so they don't get bored


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Okay, thanks Woman! :thumbu: lol


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

I would take the mirror away, or any other toys that he is, attracted to. Have you got any previous toys that you have swapped with the toys in his cage now ?? Because you could take the toys that are in his cage now, and swap them with previous toys, just make sure he won't act the same with them one's!  

You can also make your own toys, I have got some cable ties (click here, if you don't know what they are!) as toys, just put around one of the bars, we have a red,blue,and a yellow and they play with them all the time!  You will surely find something bird-safe around the house, that you can make into a toy!


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would take out his mirror but not his toys. I think if you try to bond with him. He would be ok with you as his friend


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Well, I scrounged already in my p'let discard toys. I have found a bird bridge with little plastic chains and smaller bocks connected. And another that has hanging bells connected to a fruity flavored block. 

I already rearranged the cage. I am going to get him a twisty bird rop for the middle of the cage since it is bare. 

~* I have blocks with holes in them, pony beads, bells, and string. I may make some toys for him sometime. I do have cable ties.  I will tie those on the cage now. What about scrunches? I have a couple that I can sacrifice that have pony beads all over them.


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

This may sound stupid, but what is a scrunches ?? Or do you mean scrunchie ?  Lol! Sorry for asking but I haven't a clue!


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

I guess people say them differently. Yah, I mean Scrunchie. lol Don't be sorry. You are being observant.


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

I just put some cable ties... and some "scrunchies" in his cage. It looks a lot fuller.  He's actually taking interest and not being like they're gonna maul his face off too. 

I took all of his mirrors out. I did leave the affection toy in there though... if he is still showing affection still with it... I will take it out. I put it across the cage and on the bottom where he barely goes. 

He loves the bird bridge.   I am glad he is taking interest becuase my parrotlets never touch it barely. I just took it out of Keiko's cage and gave it to him. No one is sheading tears from sacrificing toys.  

Sonnie's asleep now right next to a cable tie. I will post pictures of his cage. What is the smallest size of cage for a cockatiel anyway?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

The minimum cage size a cockatiel should be kept in is approx 18"d x 18"h x 30"w


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Okay, he is kept in a 20x21x30. 
Might fix that in the future since he might become _my_ bird. lol


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

It is good news that he is taking interest in the cable ties and scruncies!  He is even keeping one of the cable ties company!  You have also made a good choice by putting the affection toy at the bottom, where he rarely goes! :yes:



Kumiko said:


> I guess people say them differently. Yah, I mean Scrunchie. lol Don't be sorry. You are being observant.


Lol! Thanks for clearing that up for me!


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

yes take the mirror away


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## Kumiko (Mar 27, 2008)

Well, this gets me mad now. 

Told mom about what I was going to do -- redid his cage and everything. After about 30 minutes of playing with cable ties and checking out his new set-up in his cage... he sleeps and doesnt make a peep, but then He screams like he normally does because he wants attention. I take him out. He doesnt want anything to do with me. He flys. Flys on dad's head, annoys him. Flys on mom's head... she's mad. 

I got a talking to about it. Mom said to put back just one of mirrors, not the one he was loving on.

Now, he hasnt spent one second on the upper part of his cage. He is running back and forth looking at him self at the bottom of his cage where I put it. Whistling to it and all. No screaming. 

It seems that Sonnie-Man is a lost cause if parents don't like what I am doing and question everthing I do. I am thinking I should just quit now since he wont be making improvements because of whats going on. 

And it is even harder on me because the bird doesnt want anything to do with me as well. It doesnt help there being a mirror in there at all!


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Maybe, instead of a full-sized mirror toy you could replace it with a toy that has small mirrors.  My guys have a X & O's toy which has mirrors where the O's are, and i know they're pretty easy to find...


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## Bonny (Mar 19, 2008)

When we first got my mum and dads first tiel Reebok he had never been out of his cage before and he was on the floor and was intrested in my dads feet(he had grey socks on dont no if that had anything to do with it lol)he started birdie loving my dads foot lol we didnt no what he was doing we thought he had an itch lol till the next time he was on my mums hand giving her birdie love he did this quite often if we tried to move him he carried on with nearest thing. he is 13 now and still doese it weather it be the pearch or his tea towl (he loves pulling the thread out)the other day i was round there without fail he was birdie loving his cage door he has all the things a tiel should have in his cage but he still cant help flirting with everything. my mum has a new tiel i no he is to old for breeding anyway but he is just not interested lol im sure he thinks hes a human

i dont no what to suggest reebok has no mirrors in his cage because he hisses and bites them as he does with his new friend lady not that she is bothered so just see what works best for him with us ignoring him or giving him attention just seems to make him do it more he is just a birdie loving bird lol


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## Beckyjean81 (Mar 21, 2008)

I agree that removing the mirror is a good idea. Some birds have a problem with them and others don't. Also, the urge to mate is a natural thing for your Sonnie-man. It may go away if you change around all his toys and such, but you also may find that it doesn't make a difference and he will find something else to focus his "attention" on. Trial and error is probably your only option. Good luck!!!


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