How to keep my budgie off the sofa and the ground?

[soundsfun]

I posted this message in another thread I'd started but I think it got lost in the other replies so I hope it's OK that I start a new thread here!

Sometimes, my budgie won't stay away from places that we'd rather he not hang out on. He loves to explore on our sofa, computer keyboards, window sills, and on the ground. The keyboards we can deal with - it's actually kinda cute, and it's not too hard to move him off. Window sills are mostly OK until he starts chewing things he shouldn't, like the gaskets around the glass. The sofa and ground are definitely NOT OK (we just know he'll be squished or stepped on someday if he keeps this up ) and they're the most challenging to shoo him away from because they're such large, open spaces.

Here are some of the things we've tried:

1. Ask him to step up on a finger or perch (he'll hop right off then run away). Note that he's completely hand tame and is not afraid of fingers, hands or perches.
2. Ignore him when he goes to the unsafe spaces. Then, give him treats and lots of attention when he's in one of the appropriate spaces (didn't work - he still finds the unsafe places super appealing!)
3. Use targeting (he ignores the target stick)
4. Lure him with treats (works most of the time, but not always)

Is there anything else we can try, or can we improve on anything we're already doing? Or, is this something he'll eventually grow out of when he's more mature and less rambunctious, easily distracted and curious (he's only 3 months old)?

 

[donutweall]

Struggling with this too, but a bit less challenging with my own budgie since it's just the blinds I have to shoo him off of.

He's gotten a lot better with repetition. Every time he goes on, move him off. At first doesn't feel like it does anything, and that he tries even harder to go after them, but eventually he's been going from them less and less. I only have to extract him every week or so instead of multiple times a day.

Oh! Also make the non-forbidden areas interesting. In my room I've got three separate perch/playstands set up, so he's got more things to explore and fly between.

 

[soundsfun]

Hi @donutweall - love your username! Thanks for commiserating and sharing your experience - it gives me hope! Do you have any tips for getting my little guy off the sofa and the ground? He just keeps running/flying away from me so it becomes cat and mouse, which isn't safe at all - I've stopped doing it because I am so scared of squishing him.

I've been trying to find ways to make his safe spots more appealing but he isn't attracted to toys (yet) and when he finishes any treats I leave for him, he goes back to his favoured forbidden spots!!

I'm hoping it's because he's still very young and that he'll become more settled as he gets older?

 

[FeatheredM]

I had trouble too, but I just put a blanket on the ground because I don't like them getting sick from dropped seeds full of germs, for the window sill I just put my pajama pants on it so they can't chew anything

 

[Lori D Pert]

It would seem that you must safeguard every place he is allowed to go. If there are unsafe places he seems to love I'm wondering why he is allowed out there? Is there a smaller space where he can be safely let out in? Or can you make his spaces safe? His "safe" forbidden spots are obviously "safe" for a reason. Let him out where there is no danger. Is there any landing spots (budgie perches) other than the sofa? You can make over-the-door or hanging spots to peak his interest. Rope perches, hanging perches etc. with treats attached to draw him there. Landing on the floor to me seems that he has no other place of interest to land?

 

[soundsfun]

@Feathered thanks for the tips. Do you just watch where you step when your birds end up on the ground? I'm going to do the same as you and just put something over the parts of the window that he likes to chew.

Hi again @Lori D Pert! (Thanks again for replying to my other thread). Our family room is his "bird room" because it's the most bird-safe room in the house where he can also be with or close to one of us for most of the day. The smaller bird-safe rooms we have are much less frequented by me and my family, so it would be pretty lonely for him in those rooms.

He likes wandering on the sofa when we're sitting there. He does have a couple budgie perches and a play gym to go to. Toys don't hold his interest at all. And once he's done foraging for all the treats we hide for him, he goes back to the ground (to forage for dropped food).

I've been working at training him to play with toys but I've had very little success. And I worry that providing enough treats to keep him at his landing spots would be unhealthy (he's been making good progress with eating more pellets so we don't want him filling up too much on treats).

 

[FeatheredM]

@Feathered thanks for the tips. Do you just watch where you step when your birds end up on the ground? I'm going to do the same as you and just put something over the parts of the window that he likes to chew.

For the ground I just sit with them, the blanket also helps keep them off as it covers all the seed hulls and there is nothing to look for, glad you found my response helpful

 

[soundsfun]

@Feathered When you sit on the ground with them, do you try to minimize how much you move around to avoid accidents? I also tried the blanket idea and it worked! He still found his way to some corners of the room that we couldn't cover but for the most part he wasn't as attracted to the floor.

 

[FeatheredM]

I'm glad you found a solutioni just watch them as I'm on the ground and try to get them to step up while they are there, if your watching them closely then it is easy to avoid mistakes, it is easy to see them after a while with there little tails waddling everywhere, also I would love it if you gave us some pictures of your lovely bird

 

[Fergus Mom]

@soundsfun - Welcome to the group! Is your little guy fully flighted, or are his wings clipped in any way? Some of the pet stores clip their wings before they go home.

 

[soundsfun]

@Feathered and @Fergus Mom I’m so sorry I didn’t see your replies until now!

Feathered, ha ha, yes, their little waddling tails do help make them easier to spot! I read the forums on my laptop so I don’t have easy access to my photos but I’ll try to post some soon!

Ferguson Mom, thanks for the welcome! My budgie came to me partially clipped but he has pretty much full flight. He flies quite well - he seems quite able to get anywhere he wants.

 

[soundsfun]

A small update: we’ve found that he enjoys looking out the window, so he’s willing to stay at the perches by the window longer than before. He’s a little more interested in toys now, but they still don’t engage him for very long. Thankfully, he’s mostly willing to step up off the ground when asked to now.

I’m considering putting some pellets out at his play stands, hoping that will encourage him to hang out at his play stands longer.

 

[The_Mayor]

Something else that might help - my birds are ground feeders by nature, but I discovered that as long as they have flat surfaces to run and forage around on, they don't have any particular interest in exploring the actual floor. For mine, they have a flat "table" where their food goes and I also have paper on top of the two cages in their aviary. Those are particularly popular spots for them to hang out because they're high up and provide someplace for them to run around.

 

[soundsfun]

Thanks @The_Mayor! Great suggestion! I can see that my budgie seems to have this strong urge to ground forage! He just loves to forage on flat surfaces! Just today, my kids happened to leave a mess of millet all over our window sill, which our budgie happily flew to, to do some foraging. I’ve only tried putting out treats (millet and other seeds he loves) among his play areas, which limits how much I can put out, as I don’t want him eating too much seed. I’m going to try putting his pellets out instead, and see if that does the trick!

 

[Pat H]

My husband strung a wire from the ceiling, hanging it in loops... loved to see our Lovebird making a beeline for that to follow us around the house.

 

[soundsfun]

How adorable @Pat H! And what a wonderful parront your husband is for setting that wire up for your little lovie. I’ll see if I can convince mine to do something similar!

 

[javi]

I agree with offering a flat foraging area at a safer level. Budgies are natural ground feeders so that is a fun place for them. Maybe making a foraging tray or table cloth on the coffee table. When they see that with foot toys or chewing things and some food mixed in that will become the favorite spot.

 

[soundsfun]

Thanks @javi! I can tell that ground foraging is definitely hardwired into my little guy, and that it would be a losing battle to try to make him stop! I’ve already taken your and The_Mayor’s suggestion and quickly put together a small foraging tray for him. I was delightfully shocked how long it kept him engaged! I’m going to put together more and larger ones for him to keep busy at - seems like just the trick to coaxing him to spend less time on the ground.

 

[Pat H]

I agree with offering a flat foraging area at a safer level. Budgies are natural ground feeders so that is a fun place for them. Maybe making a foraging tray or table cloth on the coffee table. When they see that with foot toys or chewing things and some food mixed in that will become the favorite spot.

You made me start thinking -- how long have I had birds in my life... about 40yrs now! Surely would NOT want to be without! Didn't think I'd ever be w/o a Lovebird either-- Steve says 'No' for now, but we've still got the ceiling wire... waiting.... waiting...

 

[The_Mayor]

Thanks @javi! I can tell that ground foraging is definitely hardwired into my little guy, and that it would be a losing battle to try to make him stop! I’ve already taken your and The_Mayor’s suggestion and quickly put together a small foraging tray for him. I was delightfully shocked how long it kept him engaged! I’m going to put together more and larger ones for him to keep busy at - seems like just the trick to coaxing him to spend less time on the ground.

Also, mine are covered with paper, and I love the little running dinosaur sounds. Mustrum strolls from place to place at times, but Esmerelda's busy busy and runs everywhere.