# Is it possible to teach her to sleep elsewhere?



## Sunshine2009 (Dec 29, 2011)

My female tiel, Sunshine, for the past few months has been sleeping on one of the food dishes and pooping into it thus causing a nasty huge clump in the mornings. So obviously I have to clean it and dump the pellets daily. 

I've tried moving it to other parts of the cage but it's no use. There is one other as they fight over the food so there are 2 dishes but when I remove
the one in the night she ends up sitting and pooping in her water dish. 

Any suggestions? Is it possible to try to get her to sleep somewhere else? There are 5 perches in there, several swings perches, 2 mirrors with perches, many toys etc at all locations of the cage. Even one directly in line of the food dish. It's not the spot, she just seems to like the dish itself!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

can you move the food dish


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Maybe get a dish that looks just like it and leave it empty? I've noticed grey retreats to a certain corner for bed bx its "snuggly" fleece blankets on both sides and a rope perch to stand on. Maybe try a snuggle buddy to attract her elsewhere? My thinking is that she would feel more comfortable like she feels comfortable with the dish.


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## rainfeather (Jan 26, 2012)

How old is she? Babies tend to sleep in food dishes and then eventually outgrow it. I'm going through that stage with my new lutino. I know how you feel about having to replenish the food every morning, haha! 
Or maybe, if the cup is located at the front of the cage, she wants to be nearer to everything that goes on. 
Or she might be obsessed with it and thinks it's her mate, etc. I agree with meaggiedear to try to get her interested with something else like a snuggie.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I would buy a new dish and put it in a different part of the cage.


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## lordsnipe (Nov 11, 2010)

take the dish out when it's sleeptime .. not like she's eating anyway.


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## Sunshine2009 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks all! I'll try getting a snuggle. She has a ton of toys, a lot of rope ones as well that hang waaay down, is it something like that? 

I think I will get new dishes and the ones she's dumping in now I'll leave empty. Terrific idea!

She's actually 3 years old but this is a newer thing. Koko sleeps on the swing at the very top of the cage, she used to like sleeping on the perch over to the side of the cage (cage is shaped like a house so the side is near the outer "roof" so it was low, she liked to scratch her head on it haha) but after her eggs this is her new sleeping place. 

I'll try those things out. Thanks again!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

bjknight93 said:


> I would buy a new dish and put it in a different part of the cage.


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If you do this and she does not poop in the new dish, but still does poop in the water and food it could be that something is stressing her a little and when stressed they lose the water soluble nutrients in the body. I have supplemented with Brewers Yeast on their favorite food and it has worked to stop the pooping in water and food.

This link is about eating dropping, which some tiels will also do, but the basic info on Brewers Yeast might help with what is going on: http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/eating-droppings.html


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## Sunshine2009 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks so much, I had no idea!! I am still looking for it over here for her, not had too much luck so I'm trying online. Thanks again!


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