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Hey all.. for the past 2 weeks or so Lola has been chewing the bars of her cage and ripping the paper in the bottom of her cage to shreds! I put the No Chew bitter apple spray on the bars, but it doesnt do any good. She hasnt done it in the past day or 2..but the shredding of the paper is crazy! She's got a bunch of chew and destroy toys...but she insists on chewing the paper.

Also, she's been doing lunge biting! She hates when she has to go back in the cage. She's the type of bird that would stay out 24/7 if you let her. Like, this morning.. she was out about an hour and a 1/2 and I had to put her back b/c I had to get ready for class. As soon as I put her in, she turns around to bite my hand that is closing the cage door. He eyes pin and she lunges with brute force. I usually give her a deep loud "HEY!" and she stops immediatley.

And sometimes she'll go to lunge bite in the morning when I go to get her up. I reach to open the door and there she goes to lunge at my hand. But right before that she's being all cute like always saying "Hi baby!"

She's weird.. she'll go a few days and be good, then she'll go to lunge bite.

Your description reads like the textbook case of sexual hormones in a female Poor Lola! Remember that she's as confused by it as you and not enjoying it either. The paper gets shredded because it's easier than even the softest wood, so it's the first choice for nest-making. Even when she doesn't realize what a nest is yet! To curtail egg laying, you might want to find a way to block her access to the paper. Does her cage have a grate you could put the paper under? I had to have grates custom-made for a cage last summer to keep my youngest girl from getting carried away.

How old is Lola? Hope this season is a short one. Is it getting cool yet where you are?

Paca

Michelle, I was thinking the same thing as Paca, nesting behavior. Sounds like you need to go into the preventive "egg-laying" mode. Poor Lola! Sorry, poor you, too! I hope that this passes quickly!

ha ha... Great! I was thinking it was nesting behavior, too.

Yes there is a grate...that little booger sticker her legs between the grate and gets the paper.

Lola turned 3 in May so I'm guessing she's at that "age"! and yes it has gotten cool in NJ...still nice out tho, but cool.

Thanks all...

Hi Michelle
I have a rescue bird who likes to shred paper, but I took it off the grate. The 'drawer' below is not close enough to reach in any way, but you might try making or buying toys that are more 'shred and chewable' for Lola.
I have a 'adding machine paper' toy in her cage, always a bunch of rolled up dried corn husks that are used to make tamales, clean pieces of cardboard and/or anything similar. Even if it's a temporary distraction, it can work until her little hormones settle down.
andrea

beakerskyler wrote:Hi Michelle
I have a rescue bird who likes to shred paper, but I took it off the grate. The 'drawer' below is not close enough to reach in any way, but you might try making or buying toys that are more 'shred and chewable' for Lola.
I have a 'adding machine paper' toy in her cage, always a bunch of rolled up dried corn husks that are used to make tamales, clean pieces of cardboard and/or anything similar. Even if it's a temporary distraction, it can work until her little hormones settle down.
andrea

ha ha... but I DO have all sorts of shreddable stuff PLUS I just put back the adding machine tape in her cage. LOL...

Right now she's downstairs chewing on the bars... she only does it when I'm home and not in her presence! lol

Brady has been doing the SAME thing! Well, not quite the same with the biting, although he gets really angry and annoyed when I put him in his cage sometimes, but it's more along the line of keeping a death grip on my hand and not letting go. He has been ripping paper to shreds and rubbing/banging his beak all over his cage bars, too. Is this typical hormonal behavior for males, as well?