How can I stop my cockatoo from destroying all my furniture?
I have a 2 years old umbrella cockatoo. He is great. It’s totally incapable of bitting a human being, he is very carefull as to where he "DROPS" (like he would only go on the floor not on a human or any furniture), and he speaks quiet a few words.
But I cant get him to stop chewing all my furniture. I have had him for 4 months now and he has partially destroyed or damage about 00.00 of furniture, starting with dining room table and chairs, dining room display case, etc…. And now my leather sofas.
If I leave him on the cage he will screams so i can take him out, and when I do, then i have to supervise him at all times because the minute I look away he is bitting something. He knows when I watch him, and 10 seconds after I0 look the other way he starts chewing. Its like a game for him I think. What can i do?
Tagged with: 4 months • dining room table • dining room table and chairs • display case • few words • furniture • game • leather sofas • old umbrella • screams • table and chairs • umbrella cockatoo
Filed under: Your Community Center
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I’m afraid the bird likes to chew, unless you want to cover your entire house in something foul smelling/tasting (or perspex), I suggest a bird playground.
Find a little used area of your home, then decorate with wood, branches, treats, toys, anything you know he likes.
To give you an idea what I mean, here’s a few examples –
https://www.avianlove.com/images/Image/StarBird/Image11.jpg
http://www.birdieplaystands.com/artwork-2007/Gyms/36×36-Gym_Froggy-Herbie/artwork/36×36-Gym-2604-m.jpg
http://www.funtimebirdy.com/images/Tiel7.JPG
http://www.companionparrot.com/LP%20Playgyms.jpg
http://birdtested.com/uploaded_images/enterduck-741484.jpg
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/naturechest/storeallbirds.jpg
I’ve tried to show you a range of different sizes, the important thing is to keep messing with it, change the toys, move stuff about, have fun.
http://www.petco.com/product/7297/Nature-s-Miracle-Best-Behavior-Pet-Training-Aid.aspx
This stuff^^ Worked REALLY great for my dog. Im not 100% sure if it is safe for birds, but I wouldn’t see why not as it directs to all pets.
And this bird really likes to chew! Remember, toys aren’t meant to last forever. They’re meant to get chewed up! So make sure you get ALOT of toys that are easy to take apart. Maybe even one that has a treat inside. That should keep your bird occupied trying to get the treat out. And get it’s attention off of chewing. I hope it works out!
Good Luck!
Unfortunately, cockatoos are international Superstars when it comes to reducing fine furniture to sawdust! They love to chew. There are not many effective ways to prevent it. But here are a couple of suggestions that could ( if you are VERY lucky! ) help.
1. Make some hanging toys of wood and hang them where he will be spending most of his time. Sets of wooden spoons from a discount store can cost as little as a dollar. Make a mobile of several. You can even color them and flavor them with unsweetened Koolaid! With a little luck, maybe he will go for them instead of your furniture.
2. Find some natural wood( hopefully native to your area, and therefore FREE ) and make several toys for him. Apple wood is good, as well as Sycamore, and Eucalyptus. NO OAK!! Make hanging toys or perches( Sycamore makes great perches! ), or other types of toys which your ‘Too can chew on to his hearts content!!
3. As a last resort you can try spraying "Bitters" onto your furniture and wooden item. This is a liquid so bitter that it is supposed to stop feather plucking. It’s safe for birds, and might be worth a shot. If you cannot find it in local stores , try DrsFosterSmith.com . It costs about $4 -$6 plus shipping.
Good Luck
it sounds like your bird is trying to get your attention any way it can, even if it means you’re yelling at him. You’re also teaching him that if he screams you will take him out, you need to let him out only when he’s been quiet for 10 minutes or so, and thereafter take him out only when he’s quiet, not when he’s screaming. You need to reward positive behavior, not negative behavior. When you see he’s chewing furniture do you start screaming, run up to him?-that’s attention to him-and he loves it!
Cockatoos love attention, and will get it by any means necessary, but you need to understand how birds operate, please try to do a little more research on bird behavior.
Get him some chew toys for his cage!!! Give him at least 1 hour of undivided attention per day, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies to eat. Chew toys are meant to be destroyed, so be prepared with extras.
Try this
Drs. Foster & Smith
they have a web site and a catalog you can order from
Good Luck
I have repaired alot of animal damage on leather, including brid chews. One thing that works for other animals to keep them off once the furniture is back to like new is essentially a training program to deter them- but birds may well be smarter than other pets, i dont know. I saw commerically available pads with little nubs that the pet jumps up on and doesnt like the feel so soon learn to stay off- but these pads were quite expensive, especially if you had alot of pieces. I thought about it, and if you buy cheap carpet runners ( the clear plastic ones with gripper spikes) it would be the same thing and you could cut to shape for your needs- alot cheaper.
Regarding the leather all is not lost- it can be repaired.
Hope this helps
Newsflash…. Birds CHEW. If you dont want him to ruin your furniture, dont allow him on it. Buy him a large playstand and cover it with toys that will keep him occupied. You dont want to leave him in his cage because he may start plucking and the constant screaming will drive anyone insane.
Cockatoos are chewers, you need to invest in lots of toys
Birds are smarter then we give them credit for being. Your bird can learn what the word NO means if you tell it NO NO NO NO BITE! then simply pick up a wooden perch and move it towards the bird and the spot you do not want it biting on, tap the spot telling the bird NO NO NO NO BITE! Do this Everytime it bites on something it is not suposed to. This is how I taught my blue and gold macaw. I would tell him NO NO NO BITE! and pick up my perch stick and slowly move it towards the bird then tapping on the wood saying NONONO BITE! Now when I tell him no, he knows I’ll pick up that stick and tap on the biten area and he moves away knowing I restricted that wood or item from him bitting on it. I have no problem trusting my bird now to keep his mouth off of the cabinets, pictures and mirrors. I also help his desires by buying those twisted rope perches too. He can chew on that all day long without being scolded. And I also furnish my big bird huge plastic made baby toys with moving parts, they are really cheap at thrift store and yard sales but my bird loves fighting with them and taking all his frustrations out on his own toys. Never hit your bird or move the stick in a fast way around it scareing the bird, but tapping NO NO NO BITE areas will set the rules. Right now, YOU have to be the super nanny to your bird and TEACH it HOW to behave and what it can and can’t chew on. With discepline and repetition(repeat scolding of no bite areas) your bird will become a pleasure instead of a problem {:O) This goes for ALL parrots.
Your first mistake was allowing him to chew ANY furniture.
U2′s should never be left alone unsupervised, they are chewing machines and besude’s wood furniture they will chew through electrical cords and get shocked and die, pull cords and knock over lamps, get my drift.
You have not spent the time or effort to properly train this bird.
Isn’t his fault he is being a bird.
Will be harder now to un-do his habits, but it can be done IF
you are persistant and work with him several times a day every day until he learns to stay put on the stand or cage or where ever you sit him down.
Birds Do Not understand punishment, so don’t get mad and don’t yell at him, ever. You can and should tell me calmly, nooooooooo when he climbs down to the floor, then pick him up and place back on the stand and tell Stay as you hold up your hand showing him the palm side. This is a verbal cue and a voice command, together they work to let the bird what you want him to do.
Now, the second and do this every single time, the instant he does what you tell him, Praise the heck out of him. Good Boy or what ever, say it with emotion. Some give treats for good behavior’s, you can do that of course. I don’t because I don’t carry treats around all day, voice commands are used with my two Umbrella TOO’s and two Amazons and One Afrian Grey…all re-homed birds that had bad behavior habits.
You can go to the stand every so often and spend time with him, do give him lots of wood and other type toys on the stand to play and chew up so he isn’t bored. Maybe place the stand near a window so he can watch outside.
Main thing is stick with it and don’t let him get down and wander around.
Also important is you continue to spend one on one time with him too.
Remember, Umbrella Cockatoo’s have the IQ of a five year old human child, but the emotions of a two year old human child. Fact.