I’m trying so hard

[MissEdie]

I’m trying so hard to preoccupy my cockatoo.
I can’t seem to stop her from breaking pound and feeding the carpet AND trying to re-eat it herself. I pick her up and tell her no and put her back in her cage. But it’s instantly, when ever I get her out and try to let her play. I show her toys and play with them but no interest. I try giving them to her, right up to her beak to show her she can play too.
her previous owner says
Ohhh but she’s always done that.
to me that doesn’t make it right.
Is she doomed to do those things because of a bad previous owner? Or is it just hard to charge a long time behavior?

 

[Birdie Mama]

She sounds hormonal….

@cassiesdad @sunnysmom @JLcribber

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm not sure I understand- breaking pound? She may be hormonal. Have you tried getting her to forage? It can be as simple as small box filled with foot toys, paper, etc with a favorite treat in it- like an almond in the shell. I know of one person who had a bird that regurgitated a lot that fed almost exclusively through foraging- they have different foraging toys with wheels, drawers, etc to make the bird work for the food and keep them occupied. You can even put chunks of vegetables on a skewer. If she doesn't know how to forage, you of course, don't want to not give her food at all in a dish but you can build up to it maybe and see if that helps? Cockatoos are super smart and I think when they're not kept mentally stimulated it leads to problematic behavior. It sounds like she never learned independent play which I think happens a lot with 'toos unfortunately. Also, with my 'too, he lives for praise. So you want to praise the good behavior. Also, by picking her up when she does regurgitate, you may be unintentionally reinforcing the behavior because you're giving her attention. So I would try ignoring the behavior instead and paying attention to her when she is not doing it. Just my thoughts....

 

[cassiesdad]

Sounds like a hormonal type of thing...eating then trying to feed things.
A lot of birds also do that type of thing to humans...unfortunately, they see humans as "mates".
Best if you try to separate her from whatever she's eating (carefully, of course) and try redirection...

 

[faislaq]

Until you can get her to redirect her behavior, you might try putting a one of those plastic chair mats over her favorite spot on the carpet to make it easier for you to clean.



When our first macaw came to live with us he would regurgitate on his own wing. I tried distracting him by offering different toys & eventually he started regurgitating on a red, plastic dog toy I'd hung on a chain. It wasn't what I was hoping for but it was better than doing it on his wing; he was losing feathers in that spot. So I made sure to keep that toy available & just thank my stars it was dishwasher safe. They're coming up on 5 years together and he still feeds "her" daily.

Thank you again to @Peachfaced for my favorite version of this picture. I need to frame it!

 

[Birdie Mama]

Framing that is a must!!!!

 

[macawpower58]

My cockatoo, my macaw, and my amazon, are all hormonal 24/7.
They do it where ever. Perches, toys, etc.

IMO scolding her will do nothing but cause frustration.
It's almost impossible to best mother nature, and that is what is driving her.

I agree with trying some foraging.

Perhaps try laying a few soft toys where she normally goes on the carpet and see if she'll transfer her 'love' to one of them. My macaw loves a small soft dishtowel, he'll drag it all over, feed it, and nuck nuck to it.
It's also only allowed when he's outside the cage.

I allow this as he's going to do his 'thing' one way or another, and better the towel than me.

It's completely normal, but you can try and shape it too a degree.
And make sure whatever she does is safe for her.

 

[Toy]

JaJaBinks (B&G Macaw) used to fed her feet, toys, dishes, anything, including me. I'd just walk away & ignore her.

 

[JLcribber]

I’m trying so hard to preoccupy my cockatoo.
I can’t seem to stop her from breaking pound and feeding the carpet AND trying to re-eat it herself. I pick her up and tell her no and put her back in her cage. But it’s instantly, when ever I get her out and try to let her play. I show her toys and play with them but no interest. I try giving them to her, right up to her beak to show her she can play too.
her previous owner says
Ohhh but she’s always done that.
to me that doesn’t make it right.
Is she doomed to do those things because of a bad previous owner? Or is it just hard to charge a long time behavior?

It’s a natural behaviour but your bird has also turned into a learned behaviour (habit).

All cockatoos come with baggage. Some more than others. This is a minor probb by ken but not dangerous. It can/will take years to “undo” a lot of the past and there’s no quick or easy answer. Patience is key.

Distraction. Mental stimulation. Physical fitness. All great tools.

This is a very insightful read. I recommend absorbing it.

Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Mizzely]

Does she have a place besides her cage she is able to go easily? Particularly a playpen or similar? My Jardine's is a horn dog and I have found that lots of vertical space saves my baseboards which he loves to destroy. You could also try preventing access to the floor using acrylic sheets or similar.