Budgie perch pecks worry
Q
My much loved, talkative two-year-old male budgie has recently begun to peck at his perch. He even climbs round the outside of the cage to peck the outer edge of the perch. Is this normal or dangerous, due to splinters for example?
A
There are a variety of reasons why budgies peck or tap their perches, and most of these are quite normal.
Budgies communicate in many ways, not just by talking and whistling. Perch tapping is one of these and in the wild serves as a means of socialising with others. If he does it when you are around he may be trying to get your attention, especially if he is bored. Continuous monotonous pecking may be suggestive of boredom.
On the other hand it may just be something he has learned to enjoy – a form of self-entertainment.
Budgies may also tap their perches when feeling insecure, if moved to a new cage for example, or otherwise stressed.
What’s more, they use their perches to clean their beaks after eating and to keep the beak trim, and pecking is an extension of this.
Beaks grow throughout life and in the wild budgies trim them by foraging and pecking at trees.
By watching and noting the times that your budgie pecks at the perch you may get an idea of any particular reason.
In the meantime you could ensure that he has enough toys and plenty of time interacting with you.
A vet consultation checking whether the beak needs trimming would be sensible. I think splinters from the perches are unlikely.
Q
We have a rescue Westie that was previously used for breeding and she refuses to walk out of our bungalow. She’s fine if we pick her up or drive her out in the car – then she will walk with our other Westie. How can we make her happy to leave our home?
A
This is a common problem with dogs that haven’t benefited from normal socialisation.
With her previous owners she may have been content to stay in the home without being walked.
You are in a more fortunate position than others with this problem, in that she can be picked up and is fine walking with your other dog once away from home. However, picking her up will not give her the confidence she needs to leave the bungalow. This behaviour can also be initiated by a fright when going outside, such as fireworks or an aggressive dog on just one occasion.
If so, you might notice her looking away, licking her lips and yawning with her ears back – all signs of fear.
You could try leaving her just inside the front door, on a flexi lead in case she panics, with you sitting outside a few feet away. Tempt her to come to you with treats. If she does, shower her with plenty of praise, but don’t force her.
Very slowly increase the distance each day and be patient until she is confident walking outside the bungalow.
If these simple measures don’t work a behaviourist would be the next step, hopefully that’s less likely in your case.