# Hissing and biting when in/near cage



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Hey there, my cockatiel Smokey is extremely territorial when in his cage. I've managed to tame him enough so that when he's out of it he's not too bad unless he's actually sitting on it.

He'll usually quite happily sit on the number pad on the laptop when i'm typing although having said that he just gave me a hard nip on the little finger when i pressed the enter button. Must know i'm talking about him 

Whenever i change his water or his food he'll hiss and lunge at me. I don't back off if he does bite although i do try and read his body language to see when i'm really pushing it.

Before he came to me he was in his cage nearly constantly, i'm wondering if this is the reason for being so territorial? He just tried to bite me again so he's back in his cage now, playtime is firmly over. That's the first time he's attacked me out of his cage.

I'm wondering what to do now. He has come such a long way since i first got him and has learned a lot but we can't seem to get over the hissing.

When he's out of the cage he'll hop up onto an old perch and he'll come and sit near me and has even let me gently stroke his tail feathers, he'll let me know when he's had enough.

Any tips please?


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

*Hello Click on the post bellow, I'm sure there is help there for you
& your bird......B.J.
*

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=31981


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Thank you, i'll go have a read now


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Ok i've read the first couple of steps so far now.

Something i'm curious about - it says not to let the bird out of the cage until taming has been mastered as it can be hard to get them back in. Smokey is trained enough to know to step up onto a perch and so i can get him back into the cage that way quite easily. Should i still confine him until he stops the biting and lunging? When i first got him he was so fearful that even if i walked by his cage he would hiss and lunge and it took a couple of weeks to get over that. All i did was change where i sat in the room so that i now sat right next to his cage. He started coming to me of his own accord, sort of on his own terms but if my hands go anywhere near him except for the odd stroke of his tail he goes mental.

Oh yeah, he's also 7-8 years old and has had a long time of his owners not knowing what to do with him before he came to me, will that affect his training? He is a very curious and playful bird and has really come out of his shell a lot lately though.

*goes back to read the rest*

Edit - thanks, there was a lot of useful hints on that. I've decided that i'm going to discourage him from sitting on my laptop as he seems to be getting territorial about that too. The strange thing is that he'll only go on it when i'm typing on it myself! I've also been looking online at play gyms so i can set up a play area on my coffee table. That way he will still be near me but will have his own play area which won't cost a ton to replace should he wreck it (as cockatiels do, lol).... Plus he just pooped on the disc drive. I've discovered some foods lately that he really likes, so it looks like it's bribing time!


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

This is the playgym I have... Mine is a year old so this one has different toys. 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Pet...tivity-Center-Birds/14100919?findingMethod=rr

Not expensive and yeah... they will tear the crap out of the stuff on it..


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Also, keep getting him out if you are able to put him up when you need to. The more time he spends with you is more time for you to bond.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

He did look very sorry for himself when i put him back in the cage earlier, like he knew he'd done wrong. Never thought it was possible for a cockatiel to do a hangdog look lol.

Going to let him out for a little bit again now, once the budgie goes back in. If nothing else it will allow me to change his food and water without damage to my fingers.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

That playgym looks like fun! There was another wooden one i saw on Amazon that looked good, but it would need replacing every couple of months probably! my budgies had a similar but more flimsy thing and it got destroyed after a month between two of them.

It's like a wooden bark covered thing with ladders and bells and stuff


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

That one is plastic and they have had it since Christmas. It used to have little tree pieces on it and they have sucessfully torn all those off. I am going to buy the other one eventually too. I pour millet, treat sticks broken up in pieces, and some seed in the bottom of it, and cover it with toys and paper and stuff so they forage for the yum yums. it works out great keeping them busy.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Oooh i could imagine Smokey loving causing all that mess whilst looking for nibbles!

It would purely be for him, my budgie is rather elderly now and doesn't come out of her cage for long anymore.

I'll have to see if there's somewhere over here (uk) that will sell a good play gym like that. There isn't great bird suppliers in my area.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

If you can't find anything similiar, you can always buy the plastic trays that you put under plants to catch the water and make him a foraging dish out of that too.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Hmmm i'm not sure, he tends to destroy everything so i'd be a little worried about sharp edges. He ruined one of my paintings by digging a hole in the canvas lol. Luckily it was just one i was messing around with, not one that had taken me ages haha.

I'll definitely have a look around though, and there's always online! If i can't find one like that i've spotted another one that looks quite good, and i could have it as a central thing and put more toys and stuff around it 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Living-Bird-Playground-25cm/dp/B000WFE5NG/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1

I notice that these also have the tray in the bottom, perhaps they would be handy for nibble hunts?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Living-Playground-35%C3%9727%C3%9730-5663/dp/B000WFG9IK/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_2

My coffee table is a decent enough size that i could add in other toys and stuff. Unfortunately that means i'll have to find somewhere else for my daily junk pile lol!


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## katiemcginnis (Jul 27, 2012)

My three birds were like that until we tamed them.

In general, you just have to get used to them, and they have to get used to you. Try putting on a glove (so you won't get bit) and setting your hand in the cage. For an extended period. Watch TV. Your bird will get used to it.


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

*Hello The secret to a happy interactive bird is to keep it confined
until you can give it your undivided attention. Birds act rather like 
naughty children when let out do what they want. Being a flock 
bird means doing what the other flock members are doing. You 
tapping on your computer is an invitation for other flock members
to join you. Your bird is completely bemused, confused by your
mixed signal reaction of shooing him away. 
*



Loopy Lou said:


> Ok i've read the first couple of steps so far now.
> 
> Something i'm curious about - it says not to let the bird out of the cage until taming has been mastered as it can be hard to get them back in. Smokey is trained enough to know to step up onto a perch and so i can get him back into the cage that way quite easily. Should i still confine him until he stops the biting and lunging?
> 
> ...


*Can I just add that picking out bits you like from a training schedule is
not a good idea. It's like being ill & only taking the medicine you like the colour of & hoping you'l still get better....B.J
*


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

Hello Just want to wish you luck & patience in your endeavour.
you only need a little luck but a truck load of patience...B.J.
.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Bird Junky said:


> *Can I just add that picking out bits you like from a training schedule is
> not a good idea. It's like being ill & only taking the medicine you like the colour of & hoping you'l still get better....B.J
> *


I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to when you say i'm picking bits i like from a training schedule.

I shooed Smokey away from the laptop that once as he started to become agressive and trying to bite me. 

Anyhoo thank you very much for your advice  Luckily patience is something i have tons of lol.


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

Bird Junky said:


> Hello The secret to a happy interactive bird is to keep it confined
> until you can give it your undivided attention. Birds act rather like
> naughty children when let out do what they want. Being a flock
> bird means doing what the other flock members are doing. You
> ...


I have to disagree with this method. If it's not a hassle getting your bird out and back in the cage, and he's not being too aggressive, it's good to give him as much time as possible out of the cage to interact and get used to interacting with you. It means more time to bond and train and get used to each other. Giving a time out (back in the cage) when he gets aggressive can also be a good method to teach him not to bite. 
Also, there doesn't have to be a strict training schedule, as long as there is regular and consistent interaction and training. Although having a consistent approach is important, being adaptable and flexible to the bird's mood is also important. If you can read the bird's body language and adjust it will result in better understanding and bonding with the animal. Sometimes a bird may be just cranky and not wanting to interact, and this should be respected. But there may be days when he is particularly interested in bonding and training with you, and you may get a lot more progress by training on these days. I know these things from personal experience with my tiel. Some days she just won't behave and other days she's a super smart and well behaved bird. Just like people, animals can feel different on different days.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

RedQueen said:


> Although having a consistent approach is important, being adaptable and flexible to the bird's mood is also important. If you can read the bird's body language and adjust it will result in better understanding and bonding with the animal. Sometimes a bird may be just cranky and not wanting to interact, and this should be respected. But there may be days when he is particularly interested in bonding and training with you, and you may get a lot more progress by training on these days. I know these things from personal experience with my tiel. Some days she just won't behave and other days she's a super smart and well behaved bird. Just like people, animals can feel different on different days.


I have noticed this. There are certain times of the day when he is most responsive and i can usually tell by his behaviour whether or not he is feeling cranky. The head crest position can be a bit of a giveaway too  If it's just sitting on his head with a curl at the end he's pretty happy and relaxed, if it's sticking up bolt upright he's feeling cranky/agressive and if it's somewhere inbetween or lying down flat he's scared/wary.

He's been much better today, he's been quite relaxed and happy and i feel like we may have made a little progress.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Oops he just had a good go whilst i was covering him up, but he does get really cranky at bed time.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Well after a good day yesterday he is not in the best of moods today. I think it might be because i was up late last night as there was a fight going on in the street outside my flat so he got disturbed at about 4am.

He's hissing if i go anywhere near him, when i went to open the cage door he lunged at me straight away.

I think maybe i'll give him some chillout time and an early night tonight when i get back from work


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

Loopy Lou said:


> I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to when you say i'm picking bits i like from a training schedule.
> 
> *Hello I didn't say you did. I just said it was not a good idea.
> *
> ...


*Yours....B.J.*


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Have you tried lperry's taming advice? It has helped many many people here:

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

bjknight93 said:


> Have you tried lperry's taming advice? It has helped many many people here:
> 
> http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073


This is really superb advice. If you are patient, it won't fail you.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

bjknight93 said:


> Have you tried lperry's taming advice? It has helped many many people here:
> 
> http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073


Thanks! Quick and to the point. I like it lol.

Anyhoo i've decided that i don't think Smokey is scared of me, as he'll fly to me of his own accord quite often. He also associates me with treats as when i come to sit next to him he climbs down to the bottom of his cage to see what i have for him. I had to play about a bit to find what works for him - he doesn't seem to like millet unless he's stealing it from the budgie, even if he has his own in his cage. (Bob the budgie got her own back by tugging at his tail feathers through the bars. Luckily she didn't do it hard at all)

We had a bit of playtime when i got home from work and i managed to have my hand in the cage for a little while, like about 10 mins til i got serious cramp. I think it's his food in particular that he's really overprotective of. Maybe he thinks i'm going to steal it and not bring it back or something. He could hiss and bite at any time when i'm in his cage, but he's worse if i'm replacing his food/water or removing the remains of fruit sticks etc. Would cockatiels have memories of food shortages etc and get protective of food? He was really underweight when i got him but has fattened up considerably.

He came out for a fly and hopped onto the stick to be put back in again with no problems, just gave a bit of a hiss when it was time to be covered up for the night.

All in all, a bit of an up and down day today but luckily time is something i have lots of.


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

Loopy Lou said:


> Thanks! Quick and to the point. I like it lol.
> 
> Anyhoo i've decided that i don't think Smokey is scared of me, as he'll fly to me of his own accord quite often. He also associates me with treats as when i come to sit next to him he climbs down to the bottom of his cage to see what i have for him. I had to play about a bit to find what works for him - he doesn't seem to like millet unless he's stealing it from the budgie, even if he has his own in his cage. (Bob the budgie got her own back by tugging at his tail feathers through the bars. Luckily she didn't do it hard at all)
> 
> I think it's his food in particular that he's really overprotective of. Maybe he thinks i'm going to steal it and not bring it back or something. He could hiss and bite at any time when i'm in his cage, but he's worse if i'm replacing his food/water or removing the remains of fruit sticks etc.


I think this is pretty normal, being over protective of food. Our tiel, Galilea, is very tame and cuddly with us, but when it comes to her food, if she's eating it, she hisses and lunges if a hand gets anywhere near the dish, like "back off, it's mine!". Even when I'm just adding more food to the dish, she sees my hand and bites, not too hard, but it's still very aggressive compared to her cuddly behavior. She also gets cranky before bed time, when she's ready to go in her cage and sleep she becomes less cuddly. When it's time to cover her she almost always gives a little hiss at our hands, also as if to say "I'm not in the mood, back off". This may be just the personality of some 'tiels, even when they trust you. It sounds like your 'tiel is starting to really trust you, especially if he flies to you, and anticipates treats from you, it's a really good sign.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Would cockatiels have memories of food shortages etc and get protective of food? He was really underweight when i got him but has fattened up considerably.


That very well may be his issue...he remembers a time when there wasn't enough food to eat and now he's worried that may happen again. You'll just have to keep reassuring him by putting his food back lol. Sounds to me like you had a pretty training session.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

I think we might be getting somewhere!

Perhaps Smokey is just scared of hands/fingers when out of his cage. He was just sitting on the arm of the chair next to me as he does, and i put a treat on my arm and held my arm out, and he put one foot on then leant forwards to get the treat!

He's still agressive while in his cage most of the time, but i'm thinking that if he is tame out of it when he's with me, maybe i can deal with that if he wants his own space.

If he can get to be more comfortable and step up properly onto my arm or wrist then i could maybe tame him enough to sit on my shoulder etc.

Well it's really early in the morning now and he's gone back into his cage, but we will have a good training session later on


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Smokey came and sat on my wrist yesterday so he could eat a treat i was holding in the other hand!

He then walked up my arm to sit on my shoulder to follow the treat!

I feel so happy, it's a massive step!


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

That's very good! Congrats


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