Hank vs. Bedsheet

Hank does not seem to like the television. The other night I didn't watch tv; I was studying and listening to records, and Hank just sat on top of his cage quiet as a mouse. He climbed around a little bit, but when he did make a noise, it was at a pretty reasonable level. The possible exception to Hank's dislike for the tube would be the show Royal Pains. He LOVES it, but I think that's only because the main character is also named Hank.

Last night, however, I interrupted my studying for 30 minutes of tv, and Hank sang and whistled at the top of his (tiny) lungs for at least 15 of those 30 minutes. I know you're looking at him thinking, "That little guy? He can't possibly make any loud noises." Oh but he can. When he really starts screeching, he stands up straight and belts out the most ear-splitting noises. It's cute for half a second. Because he is a baby, he can't really control his volume.

I'm trying to teach him that the louder noise is bad. First, I just scolded him, then I yelled at him, next I made a louder noise to get his attention (but that backfired because he just got louder to drown out my noise). Finally I moved on to covering up his cage with a sheet when he gets loud, and uncovering it when he tones it down a bit. I think that's starting to get the point across to him, but it's really making him hate the sheet on his cage.

I mean straight up hate.

Whenever I pull the sheet over the cage or take it off, he looks at it murderously and hisses. If I take it outside to shake it out, he stares at it and hisses angrily until it's gone. Sometimes he attacks it by biting and screeching at the sheet. The other day I saw him contemplating how to possibly get his tiny talons involved. The thing is that the sheet is just so much bigger than Hank.And I don't think he really knows what to make of it. But he is definitely planning something...he does have a good deal of time on his hands (wings?).

If this is war, then the sheet is winning.