Skittles and Elvis

[TheOddFlock]

I made the very stupid decision to put Skittles and Elvis in the same cage today. I ran out of seed, and Skittles wasn't eating pellets yet, so I hoped that if she saw Elvis eating pellets, she would too. I placed them together, they got along great and started preening. I left them for a couple hours while I did my chores, I come back and she was eating pellets, so I thought I should put her back in her cage. I didn't even touch the cage when she lunged at me without warning. I was a little startled, but I opened the cage anyway (another dumb decision) and she got me good. She bit me harder than Jordan bites, I was surprised she didn't break my finger. I closed the cage door and slowly walked away from the cage. I've been waiting for about 2 hours now. I've been watching, she preens Elvis and he preens her, she's not aggressive toward him, just me. I have 2 choices, find a way to get her back into her cage, Or leave her in the cage with Elvis. Maybe I should have left them both out of their cages and allow them free range of the kitchen. Might have been easier to get her back to her cage.

What do I do?

My guess is that they bonded and Skittles doesn't want to be put back in her cage away from Elvis. She hasn't seen another of her kind for some time, if ever.

 

[datlamb]

if you have the time for it. try making her step up by giving her a treat than placing her back in elvis' cage. so that she doesn't associate you picking her up from elvis' cage with being put away from him. have her step up and put her in various places after that, all the while giving her treats, only than put her in her own cage. so that she doesn't think that every time you reach to get her from elvis' cage that it'll be a "bad" thing.

if you don't have time use a perch to have her step up and put her in her own cage. or bribe her into it with a treat.

 

[Monica]

If you want to separate now, I'd try allowing them to come out of their cages for some time, then putting them back in separate cages, although you could put the cages near each other so they aren't really separated.

 

[blewin]

They are in the kitchen? I probably wouldn't let them go free-flying in there unless you absolutely know that no cooking is going to happen until you can sort them out and secure them.

Not a criticism, just a concern. We had a neighbor whose 'keet deep fried herself in their apartment (it was open concept, like ours at the time). When we were just a one-animal household (before the dogs and the mother in law), Buddy used to have full access to everywhere (she refused to fly anywhere, but walked EVERYWHERE) in the place, but when cooking started, she was confined to quarters.

At least you know Skittles likes Elvis. If you interact with Elvis around her, she might now start easing up on the hate mode.

 

[TheOddFlock]

They are in the kitchen? I probably wouldn't let them go free-flying in there unless you absolutely know that no cooking is going to happen until you can sort them out and secure them.

Not a criticism, just a concern. We had a neighbor whose 'keet deep fried herself in their apartment (it was open concept, like ours at the time). When we were just a one-animal household (before the dogs and the mother in law), Buddy used to have full access to everywhere (she refused to fly anywhere, but walked EVERYWHERE) in the place, but when cooking started, she was confined to quarters.

At least you know Skittles likes Elvis. If you interact with Elvis around her, she might now start easing up on the hate mode.

There is nothing in the kitchen to cook with other then a microwave. I'm in the in law apartment, I've got a refrigerator, a mini fridge, a sink, and a microwave.

I couldn't get her out last night, so this morning when I got up I opened the cage door while they were sleeping. They just got up and hopefully they will come out.

 

[blewin]

Well, hopefully she'll return to her cage, if not, I'm not sure what the best solution would be, other than letting them be roomies...