Taming Sydney, Part 1

I had my first experience holding Sydney today. Let's just say that I don't think she's ever been held before.

I was faced with the task of moving her to her new cage (more on that later). I had thought about leaving her in her tiny cage until her vet visit, but I want to get it clean before using it as a travel cage. Since she flaps around when I get my hand too close to her, I had no option but to put her in the new cage.

She doesn't want me to touch her and she won't step up onto a perch, so I had to towel her. To say she hated it is an understatement. She was terrified. She could not get out of the towel fast enough. She screamed and screamed. I think before today I had never heard a lovebird really scream. It reminded me of a cockatiel screaming, which I have heard. I think it was just as loud.

As soon as I let her into her new cage, she flew to the farthest corner and stayed there until I left the room. I went back to check on her a while later and she was sitting on a perch that had been in her old cage. I've yet to see her sit on any other perches--it's only that perch and the side of the cage.

There was one good thing that came from today. When she was in her tiny cage, anytime I was in the room with her, she was clinging to one of the upper corners on the back of her cage, as far away from me as she could. But, once she settled into her new cage, she was willing to sit on her perch at the front of the cage while I was in the room. I'm pretty sure she already feels more secure in her big cage.