• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Wallpaper shredding spree

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
For the past two weeks, I started to notice one of my lovebird mango who I assumed was a male but turned out to be a female. Started to focus mainly on a wallpaper shredding spree. I’m getting frustrated with her & unsure how to stop her.

I don’t want my other lovebird lucky to mimic her actions. Both of them are females, building nests. They have plenty of toys everywhere inside & outside the cage. They have their cage & not together. I usually let them outside for 4-5 hours daily.

Mango completely NOT interested & focuses on shredding wallpaper. Any help would be appreciated thank you
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,965
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
Where it the wallpaper located that she is shredding? Can you cover it with anything? For instance, some sort of removable vinyl wall sticker, or a hanging clear shower curtain, or some other means?
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
I would use any object to prevent her from going back. The latest one top of the door frame. I marked in red the ones she keeps going back to shred. Would take her less than an hour :arghh: running out of wallpaper rolls.

It’s so strange one lovebird would ignore all the toys & papers. Only focuses on the wallpaper.. I worry for the harmful damage it could do to her.
 

Attachments

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,965
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
There is definitely something she likes about that! Maybe try to give her a large cardboard box? See if that distracts her?

In the meantime, definitely block access with anything you can. If she is super motivated to get there, you may need to put up a piece of acrylic or something similar that she will not have the ability to destroy.
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
Oh thank you I must try the acrylic!

Sadly with mango zero interest with the card box which is weird! Mango only loves shredding wallpapers & chasing toy balls bigger than her size. I tend to wonder if she’s a normal lovebird lol.
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
Destroying stuff and chasing things bigger than them? Defo a lovebird! :lol:
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
I’m so miserable & exhausted with Mango she wouldn’t stop shredding my wallpaper. I would put objects that would scare her or prevent her from trying.

Locking her in a cage is something I don’t want to do but she’s at point of shredding my family room as well.
My bedroom
Siblings room
Sitting area

I would offer her papers to shred she would ignore it & focus ONLY wallpaper. I don’t want to clip her wings since I have cats. I really don’t know what to do. I moved her next to my African grey & looked so depressed. I really hate this situation.

Edit:
She was able to bypass the acrylic sheet. I even bought snake toy she destroyed it.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,965
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
How did you mount the acrylic that she could get around it? I'm sorry you're dealing with this.
 

Pat H

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/27/19
Messages
2,396
Location
Apple River, IL
Real Name
Pat
Oh, so chewing wallpaper in more than one area... bummer. Was going to suggest taking up a hanging CD disk that would reflect bouncing light to keep her away from that area... Still wonder if this would work...
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
How did you mount the acrylic that she could get around it? I'm sorry you're dealing with this.
With acrylic and other objects she would pick another location & start with her shredding spree. Top of the door frame & bottom. I ended up moving her to an open area next to my African grey cage.
 

Attachments

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
Oh, so chewing wallpaper in more than one area... bummer. Was going to suggest taking up a hanging CD disk that would reflect bouncing light to keep her away from that area... Still wonder if this would work...
It’s so hectic really frustrating I don’t want to lock her permanently. Nothing scares mango she wouldn’t care & willing to take risk just to shred more wallpaper.
 

soundsfun

Walking the driveway
Joined
7/15/21
Messages
178
Location
Canada
Do you have any rooms you can let her out in that don’t have wallpaper? If not, perhaps you can attach large sheets of paper to the walls that she can shred instead? You’d have to keep attaching new sheets as she rips through them. Or hang lightweight fabric/curtains on the walls so she can’t get to the wallpaper?
 

T c

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
12/6/21
Messages
15
Real Name
T c
Random suggestion but I would try taping newspaper over it or some other thing that would be okay for her to shred. Hope it all works out :)
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
I feel so miserable with Mango shredding spree again. I moved to a temporary house similar to Airbnb.(ongoing house renovation)

Mango started shredding wallpapers where I cannot reach him or put any blockage anything to scare him off.
I payed over 1500$ to fix all the damage… destroyed 3 rooms so far. I will attach a photo so you guys can see what I’m talking about.

My other lovebird Lucky is different she doesn’t do that thank god. I trust her to fly freely with my conure inside my room & living room. Peaceful & just wants her daily scratches.

I seriously want to cry with Mango situation I don’t want to lock him permanently but what can I do in this situation.
 

Attachments

Pat H

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/27/19
Messages
2,396
Location
Apple River, IL
Real Name
Pat
I wonder if a CAREFULLY PLACED hanging CD would 'scare' him away from his favorite spots. Be careful he can't entangle in the string. [ie: just something that reflects...]
Have you provided other 'nesting' materials/ paper chewing opportunities?
Guess there's one good reason for a wing clip!
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
try taping newspaper over it
Maybe taping cardboard over it?
As well as supervising her when she is out of her cage to direct her away from areas you don´t want shredded.

When lovebird hens get nesty, they will stop at nothing to destroy something in order to pull nesting material from it. The problem is, offering it will only encourage nesting, and make the problem worse, on the other hand, denying it will make her more desperate. It is a difficult position to be in.
You can try things like moving the cage somewhere else or rotating it, rearranging inside the cage, all of the bowls, perches, toys etc And moving some things around in the room.

Offer toys she can destroy, but choose things like balsa, sola, cork, mahogany pods or chippy pine that can´t be used as nesting material after it´s bitten off the toy.
A foraging tray can be fun and occupy her, but be very cautious of what you put in it, instead of crinkle paper, use plastic beads or glass marbles as the filler and then mix in pellets and a couple of treats for her to find. You can also use plastic reusable foraging toys for her to solve the puzzle to get the treat. Hand in hand with this, reduce how much food is in the food bowl so it´s not abundant - have food available all the time, but just a small amount.
Avoid paper, popsicle sticks and other things she can tuck into her rump.

You can also put her on a 10/14 sleep pattern. 10 hours daylight - be sure the light isn´t dim, it has to be nice and bright like a summer day. And 14 hours undisturbed sleep (covered in her cage).
 

Muna

Strolling the yard
Joined
3/18/21
Messages
138
Real Name
Muna
Guess there's one good reason for a wing clip!
:(I don’t clip my birds since I have cats roaming around. When I got mango he was clipped & locked inside the cage for a year+. Took me a while to get him to trust me. I would consider clipping if he was suffering with major health problem.

You can try things like moving the cage somewhere else or rotating it, rearranging inside the cage, all of the bowls, perches, toys etc And moving some things around in the room.

Offer toys she can destroy, but choose things like balsa, sola, cork, mahogany pods or chippy pine that can´t be used as nesting material after it´s bitten off the toy.
Thank you Zara.I will get him a bigger cage & the toys you have listed. The current toys he have all of them are used for nest materials. Parrotjoy
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
Have a look into the foraging toys too. I have a couple of really nice ones from @Matto ( Search: 10 results found for "foraging" ). I also have some mug foragers from @Love My Zons ( Welcome to Kazoo Bird and Company - Our products are Fid tested and Mother approved! ). I rotate them in and out, sometimes I put treats in, other times plastic beads.

You can offer the dried palm toys (like Plante pleasure type toys), but observe to be sure your bird isn´t taking the material to make a nest. If she is just destroying it and letting the debris drop then that´s ok.
 
Top