Bad luck or...

[Kiryon]

With the time Ive been spending with Oz, Ive come to believe that birds are actually quite intelligent, no matter what the people around me say when I talk about my little feather ball. (I swear, every person I've told about Oz goes :Oh... As if a bird isn't a real pet or something =( )


But back on the subject, he's been pooping on me a LOT but I really find it kinda weird because, he always seems to 'go' with the best timing ever for getting it on me.

For example, he used to poop every time I took him away from the cage so I held him above a sheet until he did and then played with him, but these last 2 days he didn't and, of course, when I put him on my shoulder, he let go.

I kept him on my shoulder for 5 mins once as I wrote a message here, he pooped on me 3 times when he usually goes like, once every 10 minutes or so (from what I've seen anyway)

I took him on my finger to examine the tip of his tail feathers because I thought they looked weird, it happened.

Just now, we were in bed together, I held him over his cage until he pooped but he didn't. The minute he was on the bed, bam xD And then I started giving him head scritches for like 8-10 minutes straight (I just can't resist when he makes that little noise and rubs his head against my hand), expecting to find poop on me when I moved him and...Nothing. Of course the moment I pulled my hand away and made to get up, he did it again.


So, I either have terrible luck, or one very mischievous bird on my hands. Either way, the toilet paper and I have been tight for a while now xD

And he HATES the toilet paper. With a passion. What makes me laugh is that when I use it to clean up his mess he gets all 'mad' at it and attacks it, but if I show him toilet paper for no reason, he just backs away.

Yes, I realize it's not likely he's doing this on purpose, it's just that birds go really often. I just thought it was kinda funny that he would have the timing down so perfectly. Please forgive me for boring you with silly stories of my baby, but when I try to talk to my mom or sister about him, I can almost hear them roll their eyes (I don't think they understand why I care about Oz as much as I would a dog) and I need to get it out of my system somehow

 

[henpecked]

I had to go back to the top and check, i assumed you were talking about a GCC. Yeah that's weird, cockatiels are usually pretty good.

 

[weco]

Many of us 'old timers' have learned to change into one of our bird shirts before interacting with our birds...bird shirts are old T-shirts or other shirts that we don't care if a bird poops on or chews holes in.....we just throw them in the laundry & put on a fresh one.....

As to frequency of presentations, it's because birds don't have any built-in storage system to wait 'itl the next rest area or gas station, their system flushes & refills on a very regular basis.....

 

[BillsBirds]

My two cents here is, Only other bird people understand the stories that we tell each other about our fids. That's why we're here. I've spent my life as "the crazy guy with all those birds" to most people. But, to "bird people", they understood. So, tell us all you want.

 

[Kalidasa]

Well he obviously feels like he can let loose with you lol! My parrot goes nuts when I use a paper towel (or whatever) to clean it up also, gets all puffed, hisses and full on attacks the tissue. It's hilarious! must be a bird thing.

 

[lotosha]

Say thank you it's only tiels's poop, not macaw's

 

[LoryLover]

First off, I wholeheartedly agree with you on the high intelligence of birds - including the wild birds. They are fascinating creatures and I feel so priviledged that my little parrot has allowed herself to be our pet and even learned our language!

It really seems to me that your little feathered friend is messing with you, lol... in more ways than one! I have noticed that my parrot will poop more often if she is upset, or excited. For example, our lory will threaten to poop on the floor when I go downstairs to do something.... she will stay up on the landing and chant "Baby! No potty, no potty on the floor!!!"... she'll chant this over and over ... I hurry to finish what I'm doing (laundry or getting something from the kitchen) and go back upstairs expecting to see poop on the floor, but nothing... she was just threatening because she wanted me back upstairs.

But, she knows that she needs to poop before we take her out of her cage. So if she doesn't, then I leave her there until she does it. Or another thing that will get her to poop, is to sit her on my finger and swing her around, then put her back in her cage on a perch and she poops. Maybe you could re-establish this pattern with your Oz. And if you do, make sure you stick with the routine.

Also, if you have a method of holding Oz over something to poop, it is actually better to sit them down to poop (on a perch, paper towel, newspaper, etc) because by letting them go from your hand, then they will just naturally go as they sit high on your shoulder. I learned this with our first bird.

I have a few "bird" towels, and they are useful for things like the bed or your lap if he's sitting there. Personally I wouldn't put a bird that is pooping like crazy, on my shoulder. But that's just me.

 

[Kiryon]

Oh yes, I quickly learned to wear a shirt I don't mind washing often xD

@billsbirds: thanks =)

@ Kalidasa: And loose he lets xD

@ lotosha: I can only imagine

@ lorylover thanks for the great advice =p I'll try to 'potty train' him so he goes before coming out or in specific places. I'm afraid I don't always have a choice in weather I let him on me or not thought. He tends to jump me when I'm in bed and, as of today, at the computer. The scare he gave me when he landed on the chair behind my back this morning xD And if I'm passing by the cage, he'll grip onto my shirt and do that cute/hilarious glorious climbing of the shirt while flapping wildly until he's on my shoulder.

He also seems to loooove doing his wing exercises while hanging off my sleeve.

 

[LoryLover]

Well, he sounds like a very cute little character!! I can just picture him doing the wing exercises while hanging onto your shirt - maybe he's giving you some wind power to move faster, lol

 

[Kiryon]

Well, he's gonna come in handy on really hot days, a personal shoulder fan xD

Oh, I just got some pieces in the mail for his playgym so the structure is all done (well almost, still need some pieces I'll go fetch tomorrow) and if I can get what I'm missing in the mail soon, I'll be finished (minus the accessories but those will come in next week me thinks and I can still use it before getting them)

Problem is, he seems to hate it xD I tried showing him my progress today and he hissed at it until I took it away, poor guy. Buuut if it's anything like that toy I bought him last week, he'll get over pretty quick (that toy is being destroyed. Like, very much)

 

[LoryLover]

Well, he's gonna come in handy on really hot days, a personal shoulder fan xD

Haha! That's true, but once he knows you're benefitting from his flapping, he'll probably quit doing it, lol!

Oh, I just got some pieces in the mail for his playgym so the structure is all done (well almost, still need some pieces I'll go fetch tomorrow) and if I can get what I'm missing in the mail soon, I'll be finished (minus the accessories but those will come in next week me thinks and I can still use it before getting them)

Problem is, he seems to hate it xD I tried showing him my progress today and he hissed at it until I took it away, poor guy. Buuut if it's anything like that toy I bought him last week, he'll get over pretty quick (that toy is being destroyed. Like, very much)

Oh my goodness, that's hysterical ... hopefully he'll love it!!