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Keeping new GCC stimulated

Parakeet88

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so I've had my GCC for a few weeks now. He loves to be out on his play gym and is pretty good at keeping himself busy but I'm looking for some ideas of things I can do with him to bond with him and to keep him mentally stimulated. He has on and off days with training, sometimes he wants to and sometimes he runs off to do something else instead. So what are some things I can do with him besides training? And keep in mind he is only about 7 months old so he hasn't experienced much yet lol
 

Lesley Yeung

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I occupy Bird sometimes by decorating his "tree" with different things for his to destroy. Like a piece of macaroni on the tip of every branch. He also likes to wrestle with my hand if it's under a towel or blanket. I don't know if he even knows it is my hand, but he knows biting me is not okay. So the towel make it ok for both of us. Bird loves sink baths.
 

Ppoi

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I will be watching this! I could use more ideas too. We have had ours for 3 months, she is 7 months old. My conure likes to play on her playground a lot, we have parakeets and a lovebird that he enjoys being with.

The things I do to interact with her is to have her on my shoulder while doing simple household tasks (folding laundry, tidying up, etc.), playing with toys on the playstand with all the birds, play drop the ball or toy off the play area, and hold her and a toy for her to play on me. I also have taken her outside and for a car ride with a harness. The one thing that she runs to me as fast as she car is when I am eating a banana. She climbs down from her play area and than flies to me extremely fast, so that he can have some of the banana I am eating.
 

DoubleTake

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Unfortunately, my gcc favorite game is fetch. She throws it off the table and I fetch it back
My youngest sun does that too. If I do not go and get the ball after a min, she will sometimes come over lightly grab my finger and then run back to the ledge and look down at the ball.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
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Plenty of foraging opportunities.
 

Parakeet88

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Thanks for the replies!

A lot of people mention foraging but I try to save most of his foraging for when he has to be in his cage. I work night shift so I pack his cage full of foraging things to keep him busy and quiet while I'm sleeping. That's why I'm looking for things we can do while he's out.

I would love to harness train him but I have to get him into training first. He really likes foot toys. He does like to drop them off his play gym but he doesn't really care if I go get them or not.

I can't really have him with me everywhere because I'm renting an apartment so I can't have him pooping all over. I would like to potty train him but again he's still new to training. For now he mostly has to stay near his play gym/ cage where I have the floor covered with towels. I do cover the couch so he can come on the couch if he wants.
 

Mizzely

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I have only rented while having birds for the last 6 years, and in that time they have had to live in 3 (newly 4 as of this weekend) houses/apartments. Never had issues with cleaning and pooping.

And in the wild, they would spend the majority of their awake time searching for food, the rest of the time mating, flying, or preening. So that's why foraging is at the top of the list.
 

Parakeet88

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I have only rented while having birds for the last 6 years, and in that time they have had to live in 3 (newly 4 as of this weekend) houses/apartments. Never had issues with cleaning and pooping.
How did you not have issues with pooping? Were they trained or did you just clean up after them? How did you get poop off the carpet?

I really need to keep the place spotless. It's supposed to be a pet free apartment but my land lord is being very kind allowing me to have the birds here and she's trusting that I will keep it clean. The carpet in here is also brand new and I don't want to ruin it.
 

Mizzely

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They really only poop in their areas. So the more spots I make for them, the more areas they have to poop that aren't on something I dont want them to. Put a towel, chair mat, piece of newspaper under bird area and done. Use Aviclean for any dried on spots on carpet.

Potty training can backfire and cause stress and health issues, so I have never attempted it.
 

Whoviana

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We also rent, although it is pet-friendly. We clean up the poop with baby wipes. It comes off the carpet pretty well with those. The stronger baby wipes are the best, like Huggies or the Walmart brand.
 

Lesley Yeung

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Bird really likes watching musicals. Which is good because I do too. Bird has a squeaky toy he loves to hate also. I put it different places on his perch. (Sorta wedge it in) He goes crazy trying to get it to fall. So he can give it the "one eye".

Bird is very interested in everything I do. But it is not usually convenient or safe to have him help. So I give him similar tasks. When I fold laundry, he gets a ribbon, for example. When i make pasta, he gets a couple raw noodles. And I talk to him constantly. My neighbors must think I am loony.
 

Parakeet88

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I haven't found a particular tv show or movie he likes yet. I love spongebob and my parakeet would go crazy when the theme song played, but none of my current birds have shown any interest in tv or music. I've been playing different music for the conure but haven't found anything he likes.
 
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