Of course you always want to hold your parrot, but something can prevent you from giving your bird the attention he deserves – the risk of him eliminating his waste on you! Luckily for bird owners everywhere, it is actually possible to train your pet parrot to not use YOU as the restroom. What you will do is recognize a signal from your bird that he needs to go to the bathroom, which will allow you the time to get him back into his cage in order to use his cage as his restroom. Once you understand the cues that your pet bird displays, he will always go to the bathroom in his cage!
Now you have to start training your bird. Whenever you see your bird shifting his weight or squatting (which are usually signals he is getting ready to relive himself), you will give him a verbal command. It is very important that you identify the specific behavior your bird exhibits when he needs to go to the bathroom as it may be different for every bird. You will need to consistently give the “go potty” command every time your bird begins to relieve themselves, so you need to have a large block of time devoted to training your bird. The command you use is up to you, but usually something along the lines of “go potty” works well. Also keep in mind that every bird has a different potty schedule. Sometimes parrots can go to the bathroom every 20 minutes.
Once your bird makes the association between your command and his going to the bathroom, you can practice the command once he is out of the cage. Play with your bird out of the cage and pay attention to when he exhibits his potty behavior. When you see this behavior, put your bird back into his cage and give him your special command (“go potty”). When your parrot goes to the bathroom in his cage, praise him and reward him with his favorite treat. Repeat this process many times in a row, to really get your bird to understand his new trick. Once your bird has consistently relieved himself in his cage instead of on you, you will have officially trained your parrot!
Now you will need some yummy pet bird treats. Parrots love the Extreme Fruit and Nut Big Bites Bird Treats, pictured above. There is a variety of nuts as well as fruits in this mix that your parrot will love. The Extreme Fruit and Nut Big Bites Bird Treats is the perfect “special treat” food. If your bird does not like nuts, try the Fiesta Yogurt Dip – Parrot 3.5 oz treat. The Fiesta Yogurt Dip – Parrot 3.5 oz has real fruit pieces that are covered in yogurt. Delicious!