Yet another Potty Training post

[Devon Tarrant]

Hey all! We have a lil’ White Bellied Caique named Rickie

He’s nearly a year old, we have had him for about 7 months... anyways, when we got him I jumped on what I felt was a smart method of potty training for both us and the birb.

Basically, with alot of work & patience he goes potty on command. BUT WAIT!!!

After tons of reinforcement of the habit. Rickie does not ‘hold’ his poops until he is commanded but rather, each time I open the cage when he wants to come out, I tell him “go potty”. If he goes, he comes out! If he makes the motion and doesnt have anything to poop, he comes out. I don’t hold him at gunpoint forcing him to strain.

Every 20-30 minutes if we are still out playing or cuddling or whatever i’ll take him back, put him inside and repeat.
This keeps him from ever having accidents which is great.

Now i’ve read a million posts about how birds will hold it in until given the command but this is NOT the case. If he’s in his cage for long periods he still goes whenever he pleases.. so he’s not getting sick by holding it in. He will go anywhere outside his cage as well if I leave him long enough he isnt trained to ONLY go in his cage.

Curious of all your thoughts! I think we have the perfect system that allows him free will to go whenever/wherever, but also he will go on command before coming out so we dont get surprises

 

[Zara]

I don´t think anything will ever make me change my opinion on this.

I let my birds poop wherever and whenever. 5 minutes with a wet cloth and it´s all clean - no big deal. That is truly a perfect system which allows my birds free will to go whenever/wherever they want.

 

[BeanieofJustice]

I was under the impression that the strain from attempting to poo when asked without having to was half of the issue and what worries most people. But I'm sure there are people more knowledgeable about this that will reply. I just put towels/paper/blankets down whenever Sam comes out, or he runs around on the non-carpet floor and it's a quick wipe up. Works for us.

 

[Kodigirl210]

If you read the other longer thread, someone with a vet connection said that the vets said that the “strain til they hurt themselves” is almost impossible to next to never going to happen.

That being said, everyone should do what they feel works for them. We are potty training our birds but neither do we go crazy if they poop where we would rather they not. And honestly it amounts to “just don’t poop on me!” LoL. So once that is learned I consider it mission accomplished

 

[Rain Bow]

My guy is potty trained but by location or placement. He knows where he needs to be when he has to go & accomplishes it about 97% of the time. He will go for us when asked, if time has passed. We're all good to judge that 20-30-40 minute timeframes when he's gotten distracted. I watched & timed him for couple of months. That's why he has a good high %. I wasn't actually trying to "train" him to do it. He either was trained by my Dad & I wasn't aware, or he trained himself by me saying Dukey every time he pooped. Sort of just happened...

I'm glad it did. I'm not sure I'd let him live on me if he wasn't.

Now, I agree to what was said that you need to do what is right for you & your Fid. Unless you are concerned for harm reasons. My kid & I told my vet Buddy was potty trained & she didn't freak out, so, I became less fearful after that.

I've read similar concerns that you mentioned have you talked to your vet about it?

&

 

[Devon Tarrant]

My guy is potty trained but by location or placement. He knows where he needs to be when he has to go & accomplishes it about 97% of the time. He will go for us when asked, if time has passed. We're all good to judge that 20-30-40 minute timeframes when he's gotten distracted. I watched & timed him for couple of months. That's why he has a good high %. I wasn't actually trying to "train" him to do it. He either was trained by my Dad & I wasn't aware, or he trained himself by me saying Dukey every time he pooped. Sort of just happened...

I'm glad it did. I'm not sure I'd let him live on me if he wasn't.

Now, I agree to what was said that you need to do what is right for you & your Fid. Unless you are concerned for harm reasons. My kid & I told my vet Buddy was potty trained & she didn't freak out, so, I became less fearful after that.

I've read similar concerns that you mentioned have you talked to your vet about it?

&

In fact, we did mention it to our vet because once when we took him in for a minor concern the vet said it would be great to do a stool test just in case, and i said well our bird will go if youd like him to, and we asked him to go and he did, and the vet said nothing but “wow awesome”

Same as you we are food at keeping track of 30 minute intervals and thats when we ask him to go