Advice on how to get budgie out of the cage

[SquackingBirb]

Good day everyone, I hope you are all well!

I did not know how to title this post, so the title may be slightly misleading. We have two 3-4 month old budgies, Sheo and Lasagna. Sheo is smaller in stature than Lasagna. Lasagna is bonded more to me while Sheo is my partner's. 

Sheo dislikes being touched on his wings/head/back most of the time, but has nuzzled my partner's hand before. He doesn't like stepping up while he is inside his main cage, but will do it willingly if he is already out of the cage and chilling. He will run around the cage and flutter around if we try to get our hands near him when he is inside, but not if he is already outside the cage. He is also more of a scaredy cat than Lasagna, but seemingly more intelligent (he is always showing Lasagna how to preen/clean/eat/follow the leader). Does anyone experience this type of behaviour? Where they are more hand tamed outside of the cage than inside??

Lasagna will step up most of the time, he is generally more chill and won't run around like a headless chicken. He doesn't mind wing pats and being held (he will occasionally nibble if I hold him for too long, as he enjoys perching on my finger rather than being held in my hands).

Thank you for your help!!

[Hezz]

No bird likes to be held onto. Some tolerate it better than others, but they don't like it. It is also a bad idea to touch your bird anywhere else but on the head and around the neck. Everywhere else is considered an erogenous zone and having your birds think that you are interested in mating with them is a bad idea all round. It can lead to very real frustration and aggression.

As the birds are only 3-4 months old, I'm guessing that you have had them for a short time. With getting two budgies, there usually will be one who is more daring, more trusting of humans, less timid, and one who is the opposite. Their personalities can be as different as chalk and cheese, so a little more patience is needed in winning the more timid one over. Their cage is their safe place so it is understandable that either might not be happy with your big predator hand invading their space. Have you tried enticing them to come to your hand in the cage with a treat? A small spray of millet will usually win them over, sooner or later.

[SquackingBirb]

Hi Hezz,

Thanks for your response. We don't tend to hold onto them, but let them perch on our fingers. There are times where they endanger themselves (e.g. flying towards the path of a cat or go under a table or into areas with possible tripping hazards) and we get them to step up or in cases have to catch them. Which they don't like.

I will try the millet or treat idea on the hand with Sheo as Lasagna tends not move away from our hands.

Thanks!

[Hezz]

Please keep them and the cat separate. Cat saliva is toxic to birds. Any cat scratch can kill a budgie.

[SquackingBirb]

No worries. They are always supervised and the cat is actually terrified of them, so she tends to not be around them much. They are in safe hands.