New bird doesn't like his cage

[KDK241]

Monty seems to be settleing in great and even though it's only been a day he's really been a total sweetheart so far and I just adore him already. The only problem is that he really seems to hate his cage! I took out the new toys and only left his old ones in there thinking that might help but nope. As soon as I open the cage door he is out as fast as he can and then he won't even go back in to eat or drink. The cage door locks so it's like a platform and the food and water dishes are under it so he will stand on the door and stretch down to eat and drink instead of going inside when I know that would be easier. When he is in his cage he just sits there and does nothing but eat or drink. I know that he's only been here for a little while and is still adjusting but when he is out of the cage he is very playful, plays with toys and seems happy.
His cage is a lot bigger than his old cage so I am wondering if maybe I should put him in a smaller one until he adjusts to being here and work up to the bigger cage? (new cage is over twice the size of his old one) I do have a smaller cage that is closer in size to his old one.

[karen4]

just give him some more time. my birds are afraid of new toys whenever i put one in, but i just leave it there & they start playing with them in a few days. put a treat cup inside the new cage with his favorite ones. he'll adjust in his own way in his own timeframe. leave him inside it for a few days,then let him out on occasion.

[SisterBlue]

Yep, give him time. My newest 'tiel, Marley, took about 6 weeks before he would do anything but sit on his food or water dishes. He had all of these great toys and perches and he never set a single toe on any of them. He was sweet as can be when he was out of his cage, and I tried to "show" him how to play with toys, but nothing. I was starting to get really worried!

Then one day I heard a sound and looked over, and he was hanging from a toy, tearing it up! Since then he's all over his cage, up on hs swing, beating up all his toys, etc. It just took him that long to feel comfortable enough to start checking it all out.

Your little guy will surprise you when you least expect it!!

-SB

[Monica]

Do you have a picture of his cage?

[mmr]

Do you have his old cage? If so I would give that back to him with his new one next to it for him to get used to.
Remember he has a lot of new things going on right now. You kind of in a way took the only "security" blanket away from him that was HIS. Understand?

[shosh]

Personally, I think he will end up LOVING his new, big cage if it's got toys and all sorts of fun treats and stuff.
Sometimes, it just takes a bit of time....I remember when I was a kid and I moved my budgie from a small cage into a big one and it took him quite a while look at ease....it wasn't that he didn't like it, he just needed to get used to it. Within a few weeks, you couldn't have forced him into his old cage.
I think your guy probably just loves being outside, too, and rushes to get out. My lovebirds are like that....

[KDK241]

I don't have a pic of his new cage, I dropped my camera. It is 36x30x60 and his old cage was about 24x24x36 I would say but not exactly sure. I do not have his old cage (she wanted another $200 for it) but I do have a smaller cage that is closer to the size of his old one. The only toys I have in there are the toys he came with and I even put the perches as close to his old cage as I could. I know it takes time to settle but he really does not seem to like his cage. I moved the food dishes away from the platform and he just doesn't go in to eat at all. He waits until I put him in there and then will go eat. I was just thinking that he might not feel comfortable with so much space right now, lol.

[Jannabellsmom]

Well did he actually like his old cage? Or is he one who simply prefers to be out of the cage period? What color are the cage bars?

[KDK241]

He seemed to like his old cage although he did like being out. His old cage was a light tan but the new one is black. You know, I never thought about that. He loves being on top of the new cage, or on the platform, just not in it. I have started making him stay in it for a while after I get home instead of letting him out right away and he didn't freak out quite as long at bedtime tonight so hopefully he's getting used to it.

[Jannabellsmom]

I only asked about the cage bar colors because Jannabell pretty much hated her black barred cage but loves the white barred cage. Maybe it was also a function of her age but she stopped the pacing/screaming things when she got her white barred cage. So, I dunno but some birds could be sensitive to that.