My husband gave me Dickens on Xmas eve. He does not like to come out of his cage, when we do get him out he screams as though he is terrified. If he can't see the cage he will eventually settle down and sit on my shoulder. He also will not eat any fruit or vegetables accept lettuce. He is quite cranky most of the time and I am afraid he will never learn to talk. Help!
Nora
Nora,
Dickens feels safe while he is in his cage and obviously feels threatened
when taken out. You mention he eventually settles down if he can't see his
cage which should make it easier for you to help him overcome his fears.
Begin by setting aside a time period each day to develop a routine with Dickens. It is best to spend this quality time in a room which has the least amount of distraction, and one that is out of sight of his cage. It's very important to stick with this routine because a safe and pleasant outing will eventually be looked forward to by Dickens. When Dickens senses that leaving his cage will be fun, he will no longer have the "feeling threatened" problem.
Lettuce is mostly water and has little nutritional value and can cause diarrhea. We suggest you not offer any more lettuce and keep offering other, more nutritional veggies or fruits. You'll have to be persistent but we think, eventually he'll find one to his liking that is also good for him.