won't go to bed

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:01 am

This is probably a bit of a dumb question, but just in case it is not just a bit of bad behaviour, I'm having real trouble getting Ziggy into his/her cage at night. Even once in, starts climbing all over cage until all lights are out and all noise stops.
When I peek under the cover s/he is actually sleeping on the seed dish!!
Just making sure is normal misbehaviour at night - is spending a lot of time with me at the mo cos I am working at home, although usually has 3 or 4 hours to him/herself during day and seems reasonably happy.
I think just maybe likes cuddles and company at night - but if sleeps with me will be extremely flat bird

!!!
Not used to having such a tame one - now 10.5 weeks old (but who's counting...)
Cheers
Stu

laine · Post by **laine** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:36 am

Hi Stu. I used to have the same trouble with Smokey. Now I have a different problem but I do think they are almost having a tantrum or sulking like a child. Smokey used to bite me when I said it was bed time. Now he is like a sleepy baby who looks forward to being tucked in :lol:

. Sometimes, if he is playing and I want him in his cage a bit too early, he will play up a bit and either run away or just not step up - He is basically telling me "I'm not ready for bed yet". When he was really hard to put away at night, I was told to take control. Let them know that you set the rules not them. Your little one is probably trying to reset the rules such as "I will tell you when I am ready for bed". My problem now is that Smokey seems to understand the different reasons he is put away. I always give him a little pat, make him wave and give me a high 5 and he loves it. I tell him either Back soon / I'm going shopping / bed time (night night time) or I have to go to work. He sort of sulks when I say I am going to work, he will go in his cage (I'm the boss) but he will not wave or give me a high 5 and if I try to pat, he tries to avoid me. He knows that when I go to work it means he is in his cage for a long time, I still think that a bird's level of intellegence and understanding of our language/routines is far above what we give them credit for. :lol:

I guess you just need to be patient and don't give up.

Post by **Lauren** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:11 am

Sometimes they just can't get comfortable, I guess like us fluffing up a pillow to get comfortable hehe. Yoda changes sleeping spots around 3 times a night, he has a wood perch, rope perch and a calcium perch, he just doesnt know which one to choose. When I first got him the first few weeks he slept in the food bowl or attached himself to the corner of the cage. He has a thing for being upside down. Most of the day he's hanging from something and I have caught him sleeping upside down on the side of the cage. Strange!?

I'm thinking of buying these.. but I'm not sure if it will get used.. or if it makes them sleep better? http://www.parrotrescuecentre.com/prc_shop_cat_details.cfm?ID=135
Maybe in the winter because its looks really warm and snuggly! hehe You could even make one!

Yoda's also very cheeky at bedtime. Nearly every night, when he hears the word 'Bedtime!' He throws a temper tantrum better than a 2 year old does when they hear the word NO in a candy shop. Jibby is usually a good boy and does as hes told accept for when Yoda refuses to get out of his cage, then he just comes sooking to me. Mummys boy! :lol:

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:34 pm

yeah, he definitely stay firmly squeezed into the corner of his cage - and after only 2 weeks knows the meaning of 'time for bed'. Also know that 'Oi!' mean to stop chewing (on me) :lol:

Sleeping in seed dish a classic - sounds like Ziggy's not the only one. I suppose he will relax a lot more over coming weeks.
Not looking forward to leaving him/her alone all day when I am at work though - not at this early stage - but have another week of being at home so might even drag him around with me some days like I used to with Max.
Max met a lot of my clients whilst travelling around in the car with me!!

leo · Post by **leo** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:02 am

asking for advise...i read healthy bird sleep on 1 legs...but tango has been sleeping with 2 legs...i check his walking and dropping is fine, apetite is also good...

another thing is...
tango is actually get less than 10 hour sleep ebverynight...sometime i come bacause everytime i come home about 1 am, he will wake up and asking for playing time...but he seems to cope well with that...

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:36 am

Maybe you just have a bizarre unit!
(weird bird)
They all are really - I wouldn't know how Ziggy sleeps at night cos if I look in the cage he wants up! But during the day he is generally on one leg. You might just not catch Tango at the right time - cos s/he certainly looks very healthy.
I'm still trying to get Ziggy to bed yet again, will have to show who's boss I suppose.
As for hours of sleep, it probably depends on the bird, but certainly if you get home at 1 a.m. (after going out I assume?) I would leave Tango alone. Depends on how long you play for. In past occasions if I got home and Max was up sleeping in the curtains he would come down and have a bit of a nap with me then off to bed.
Does Tango sleep in a cage? And if so, do you cover the cage?
Not that there seems to be any recommended rule about it..

Lene · Post by **Lene** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:17 am

When I work evening shift - finishing at 11pm - I don't disturb the birds. I do have to walk past them, but if one says something, I go 'shhh'.

Cory, my Corella, is sometimes hard to get back in the cage... I always ensure he gets the best treat possible, in his case a peanut in shell.

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:19 pm

Right, I've started this one up again as Ziggy is still a nightmare to get to bed. Worst thing is he now knows the words - time for bed - and promptly hops off my hand onto my chest then snuggles up under my chin.

How can I refuse that!!

As soon as I get him back on my hand he leans forward, hangs upside down, anything really to get back onto me rather than the hand that will put him in his cage.

Tricks no longer work either - sigh

Problem is he is really comfortable with hands and I don't want him to start hating them (doesn't seem to yet) but it is getting to the stage that without physically holding him and planting him in the cage he will end up being up all night.

help!!!

pinkdevil · Post by **pinkdevil** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:20 pm

Don't know if this is any help to you or not.
I was birdsitting a green ringie last week that definately did not want to go back into the cage when it was time. Everytime I went to put her back she fly off (obviously not clipped) so what I did was find her absolutely fav food in the whole wide world (which is capsicum) and had her back to the door of the cage and the capsicum in front of her. While she was focusing and eating the capsicum I put her in the cage, and gave her other fruit as well to make it a happy and good experience to be in there. I had tried a few other ideas but this was the only one that worked for me and her. When she had finished eating she paced her cage wanting to come out but she was in there

. I was looking after her for 1 week and she hadn't clicked on to it in that time. I was taking her out of the cage around 10 times a day. (I couldn't bear to see her in there all day) So she had plenty of time to "catch on" to my plan.

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:21 pm

sounds exactly like Ziggy.
Ta
I will try that - distraction the best way. Ziggy is out all day when I am home, but does spend a fair bit of time resting inside the cage.

skibum · Post by **skibum** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:55 am

Right, finally an addition to this one.
I have to bribe Ziggy with toast of all things to get him into the cage in the morning when I head off to work. No problems there.
At night the same trick might work but I don't bother, I just trap him behind a perch so he can't get out and has to hop on it.
Works pretty easily, although this is after a good couple of hours of him snuggled up under my chin (and, more recently, nibbling at my neck - couldn't help but react to that!!!)
Anyway.....problem is..... he (or she) still persists in sleeping on the seed dish. I bought a cuddle buddy thing that he loved the first day and never used again.
I tried putting one perch higher than the seed dish but that hasn't worked either.
I am going to resort to removing the seed dish next, however I would like an opinion as to whether this is a good idea or not.
Cheers
Stu

pinkdevil · Post by **pinkdevil** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:27 am

Hi Stu,

Good to hear you made progress with Ziggys bed times lol

I can't see any problems with moving the seed dish if you don't like him sleeping in it. Ziggy may prefer that corner of the cage, where the dish is, to sleep in. You could try putting his cuddle buddy where the seed dish is and see if Ziggy will use it.