Do I stop the cockatiel trying to mate with furniture...?

[Lev]

So. Year-old male cockatiel, JoJo, has been trying to 'mate' with sofa cushions. He's got a 9 month old male cockatiel friend, who hasn't shown signs of masturbation like Jo does.
I cannot get him a mate, nor remove the cushions. Whenever I catch him in the action I distract the boy and tap the cushion until he flies and moves away.
How do I discourage this action? he does it like every other hour. Will it be problematic if he keeps doing so, or will he stop at some point?

 

[macawpower58]

Trying to stop the instinct to reproduce is futile IMO.
It's not problematic unless the actions are causing danger to the bird, or health concerns (like females laying too many eggs).
I'm guessing at some time, age will reduce the urge, but so far I've not seen it happen in my birds.

 

[Tara81]

Place something he hates on the cushion

 

[Lev]

Trying to stop the instinct to reproduce is futile IMO.
It's not problematic unless the actions are causing danger to the bird, or health concerns (like females laying too many eggs).
I'm guessing at some time, age will reduce the urge, but so far I've not seen it happen in my birds.

Thanks for your reply!
Actually I tried allowing him to do it, and the frequency of the behavior kinda decreased. Still, keeping an eye on him to prevent potential danger.

 

[Lev]

Place something he hates on the cushion

didn't work, he still did it XD

 

[Tara81]

Cover the cushion with a white sheet? I guess that counts as hiding?

it might be problematic if he gets aggressive. Birbs will be birbs. You can try your best to curb his hormones with 14 hours of rest, less available treat (fatty) foods, cage/environmental changes , like new toys, cage movement, making him exercise more for his food or to chase you for scratches.. Every day, hide the cushion with a different coloured sheet or blanket.