Tips on how to encourage a parrot to destroy her toys and not my cabinets

[MasterObli]

I have a Meyer's parrot, Trinity, and my little turdie birdie has decided that my kitchen cabinets make better toys than her toys. All the toys I got her are made of a similar material to this one because in all her 17ish years, she's never even glanced at any other type of toy that I've bought her. Recently even those toys aren't holding her attention and free flight time has her going after my kitchen cabinets. I don't know whether particle board is safe for parrots but I'm sure the paint on it isn't. That doesn't even mention the caulking around the base or even just the fact that I don't want holes in my cabinets. I've come up with a way to keep her away from my dishwasher's control panel but I don't think I'll be able to get a bunch of garbage to stay put all along the base of my cabinets.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to encourage to play with her toys and not my cabinets? I've tried putting the toys around the areas she wants to destroy and where she likes to perch during free flight time but she barely looks at them. I've also tried just picking her up and moving her but the second my back is turned, she's back to going after the cabinets

 

[Emma&pico]

Balsa Smorgasboard Foraging Toy. Fill with Treats and Serve!

Balsa Smorgasboard

www.seriouslynutz.com

Cork Tamale Foot Toy - Seriously Nutz Bird Toys - Fillable Foraging Foot Toy. Cork and birdie bagels. Medium to Large Birds

Cork Tamale

www.seriouslynutz.com

Coconut Toy Box ~ Side Mounted Foraging Bird Toy

Side Mount Foraging Toy Chest for Small Birds

www.seriouslynutz.com

Have you tried toys like this or things for wings own made toys

Like these

is it bottom or top of cupboards she going for @Mizzely I think it was had a good idea of swimming noddles

 

[MasterObli]

Balsa Smorgasboard Foraging Toy. Fill with Treats and Serve!

Balsa Smorgasboard

www.seriouslynutz.com

Cork Tamale Foot Toy - Seriously Nutz Bird Toys - Fillable Foraging Foot Toy. Cork and birdie bagels. Medium to Large Birds

Cork Tamale

www.seriouslynutz.com

Coconut Toy Box ~ Side Mounted Foraging Bird Toy

Side Mount Foraging Toy Chest for Small Birds

www.seriouslynutz.com

Have you tried toys like this or things for wings own made toys
View attachment 467013
Like these

is it bottom or top of cupboards she going for @Mizzely I think it was had a good idea of swimming noddles

She doesn't like foraging toys but it's been a couple years since I've tried one. She also has no interest in foot toys or the thick balsa wood toys. Normally, safe bets for her are toys with thin pieces of balsa wood that she can grab with her foot if she wants but also just hang there or toys with leather strips but I haven't seen one of those for years now. She's going for the bottom and I do still have the foam thing from when I got my new GPU that's made of the same material as pool noodles

 

[Mizzely]

Blocking access with something that is safe for her to chew on is usually my go to. So like shoving untreated pine planks from the hardware store in there. Then she can still chew on them as she wants, but you replace it as she does.

Likely she's interested because of two things: one is that is doesn't move, making it easier to chew, and two is that it's under something (nesty behavior). So you could try to simulate it by making a spot to chew; maybe inside a cardboard box in the bottom of her cage with some chunks of wood, as an example.

 

[flwindsurf]

While I haven't tried this, if Charlie decides to start chewing on my out-of-fashion kitchen cabinets, I'll temporarily drape curtain sheers over the cabinets. When my birds land into window sheers, covering the windows, they're always happy to have me rescue them and it's never become habit forming. Sheers should make the cabinets seem unsafe discouraging the behavior. Hopefully, it'll only take a day or two...

 

[MasterObli]

Blocking access with something that is safe for her to chew on is usually my go to. So like shoving untreated pine planks from the hardware store in there. Then she can still chew on them as she wants, but you replace it as she does.

Likely she's interested because of two things: one is that is doesn't move, making it easier to chew, and two is that it's under something (nesty behavior). So you could try to simulate it by making a spot to chew; maybe inside a cardboard box in the bottom of her cage with some chunks of wood, as an example.

She's definitely interested in nesting but I'm not interested in the possibility of another $400 vet bill for a stuck egg so no nests for her. The untreated wood isn't a bad idea. It'd be prettier than what's there

 

[MasterObli]

While I haven't tried this, if Charlie decides to start chewing on my out-of-fashion kitchen cabinets, I'll temporarily drape curtain sheers over the cabinets. When my birds land into window sheers, covering the windows, they're always happy to have me rescue them and it's never become habit forming. Sheers should make the cabinets seem unsafe discouraging the behavior. Hopefully, it'll only take a day or two...

What are sheers?

 

[rocky'smom]

Curtains that you can almost see thru.
My suggestion would be to go buy wooden paint stir sticks from local hardware store. They are mostly soft pine that has hole drilled in the handle ( great for hanging). If you can find them without painted logo even better.

These are from Amazon $5.99 for 25 sticks

https://www.amazon.com/Sticks-Wooden-Stirrers-Library-Markers/dp/B0BW885H6X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=P4XPWBVFX7HY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gFgU-SuufDsd_u9chV8T_1xlZdfhG4K_d9ObepfyYKMO3_WtgVbF_zDUaaRPA4zWhqW_Pkqskw_dXaRKISVQ_rdiISkp1DgXsiaWi3oHe-Tet3kyVK3YdXm7owkqoz6swwO4Kl-EiwIK6cgYc3p2OK6KP7VHXqTYdbMR5Lgq43C_jSoj67wPuPVIvUsDFA4w2WOVoyQtjDcsgkWRSk4OMQ.HzR73wPHV5Nmi2v88Tnj33AvBWZ-o5TG1L7LxDgHQUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=wooden+paint+stir+sticks+with+holes&qid=1771643491&sprefix=wooden+paint+stir+sticks+with+holes%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-3

 

[MasterObli]

Curtains that you can almost see thru.
My suggestion would be to go buy wooden paint stir sticks from local hardware store. They are mostly soft pine that has hole drilled in the handle ( great for hanging). If you can find them without painted logo even better.
View attachment 467019
These are from Amazon $5.99 for 25 sticks

https://www.amazon.com/Sticks-Wooden-Stirrers-Library-Markers/dp/B0BW885H6X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=P4XPWBVFX7HY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gFgU-SuufDsd_u9chV8T_1xlZdfhG4K_d9ObepfyYKMO3_WtgVbF_zDUaaRPA4zWhqW_Pkqskw_dXaRKISVQ_rdiISkp1DgXsiaWi3oHe-Tet3kyVK3YdXm7owkqoz6swwO4Kl-EiwIK6cgYc3p2OK6KP7VHXqTYdbMR5Lgq43C_jSoj67wPuPVIvUsDFA4w2WOVoyQtjDcsgkWRSk4OMQ.HzR73wPHV5Nmi2v88Tnj33AvBWZ-o5TG1L7LxDgHQUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=wooden+paint+stir+sticks+with+holes&qid=1771643491&sprefix=wooden+paint+stir+sticks+with+holes%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-3

That's a good idea! She'll probably love that

 

[Linwood]

Re foraging toys:

My amazon has only one foraging toy that seems to provide any long term interest, it's this one. I get very brief interest in toys where I can push a seed into something like rope or brush, but she just pulls the seed out. This one she chews on and at even when no seeds are loaded. If I drop a few slivers of almond in she digs until they are all gone (a lot drop but some get eaten).

https://www.chewy.com/super-bird-creations-4-way-forager/dp/864902

She has other toys she will tear up sometimes, but this one has worked the best, and I'm convinced it is the visibility of the seeds. I've tried a number of other toys, flat, hidden under plugs, etc. that were completely uninteresting.

I hung it so the white pipe is a level with a perch on each side, so she can bend down and almost reach the little shot glasses but eventually figured how to haul them up.

 

[Mizzely]

Re foraging toys:

My amazon has only one foraging toy that seems to provide any long term interest, it's this one. I get very brief interest in toys where I can push a seed into something like rope or brush, but she just pulls the seed out. This one she chews on and at even when no seeds are loaded. If I drop a few slivers of almond in she digs until they are all gone (a lot drop but some get eaten).

https://www.chewy.com/super-bird-creations-4-way-forager/dp/864902

She has other toys she will tear up sometimes, but this one has worked the best, and I'm convinced it is the visibility of the seeds. I've tried a number of other toys, flat, hidden under plugs, etc. that were completely uninteresting.

I hung it so the white pipe is a level with a perch on each side, so she can bend down and almost reach the little shot glasses but eventually figured how to haul them up.

This is one of the favorites across several species at my house over the years (Jardine's, quakers, Hahns, green cheek)! And it is easy to clean and load, so I like it too

 

[Emma&pico]

Re foraging toys:

My amazon has only one foraging toy that seems to provide any long term interest, it's this one. I get very brief interest in toys where I can push a seed into something like rope or brush, but she just pulls the seed out. This one she chews on and at even when no seeds are loaded. If I drop a few slivers of almond in she digs until they are all gone (a lot drop but some get eaten).

https://www.chewy.com/super-bird-creations-4-way-forager/dp/864902

She has other toys she will tear up sometimes, but this one has worked the best, and I'm convinced it is the visibility of the seeds. I've tried a number of other toys, flat, hidden under plugs, etc. that were completely uninteresting.

I hung it so the white pipe is a level with a perch on each side, so she can bend down and almost reach the little shot glasses but eventually figured how to haul them up.

Absolutely favourite in my house although posie likes ripping plastic circles to pieces