COCKATOO! The Destroyer!

[Talven]

I'll have to try and teach Opal to say Crom (For those too young to get the reference please google)

So Opal has a lovely new cage but some bright spark thought vertical bars would be a good idea.

It was like watching someone climb a greased pole. Doable but slow and I would assume frustrating. Opal would end up with her tail feathers poking out through the bars because of sliding down the bars. She would then jump backwards and twist to land on the perch to get untangled. Until she missed the perch and hit it with her chest falling to the bottom of the cage.

Bright idea to attach seagrass mats to the back of the cage to make it easier to climb.

We expected a bit of chewing . . . .

Boy did we underestimate how much fun she would have destroying them. Four mats all in more or less the same state of destruction

Now that all you experienced 'too owners have finished laughing at me do you have any suggestions as an alternative to seagrass mats that may last longer?

 

[noodles123]

LOL---not really...that is part of the fun. If they can't destroy them, they don't like em' lol! Seagrass is also a lot safer than alternatives that they could chew...and there is the risk of them getting tangled, so you don't want it being too sturdy.

Maybe others will chime in, but I wouldn't get sisal ropes or anything like that if she will chew them, just because the fibers aren't natural if she is able to get through them. Any sort of netting etc should be supervised to some extent though I suppose...same with boings--just because of their toes etc.

I bet she will get better at climbing the cage...hopefully lol!

Semi-unrelated thought on toys (because originally I missed why you wanted the mat and it was already here):
Mine likes these--pretty cheap but easy to destroy while still providing some beak work (which you want). Your bird is a lot smaller so maybe something like this would be challenging without being too challenging (I find that mine gets some gratification from things that don't take a TON of effort---I think she likes the snap etc lol!) Totally different from a mat, but also looks different from what you have in there.

She doesn't use hers like a bridge-- I just hang it and she takes it apart
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FHQLW4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 $10 isn't bad though--that picture makes it look super small...It's at least a foot long though I would say...She doesn't enjoy her other block toys as much because I think they are too much work haha!

Do you have any rougher perches in there for nail/beak maintenance? Like a pumice perch?

 

[Talven]

Do you have any rougher perches in there for nail/beak maintenance? Like a pumice perch?

The swing in the top left corner is designed for beak and claw maintenance. It's one of her favourite toys at the moment. She seems to wait until all the other birds are quiet and then climbs onto it so she can leap from it onto the perch. This propels it into the side of the cage producing a lovely loud bang.

Everything else is designed to be chewed but apparently the seagrass is more fun.

 

[Betrisher]

You can buy sisal rope pretty cheaply from Sydney Rope Company (among others) and make a purpose-built cargo net to hang on the back of the cage (instructions in the toymaking forum). You can tie (or wire, but be careful) horizontal dowel or thin branches or rope across the bars so Opal can get a better purchase. You can purchase a sheet of stainless steel mesh (2.5cm gauge) to affix to the inside of the cage. Or you can just wait until she works it out. She will, eventually.

 

[LeaKP]

Love your post. My grey must have been raised by cockatoo parents then as he can keep up with the ‘toos!!!! Just following this but had a good laugh reading.


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[Scott]

Many cockatoos are voracious chewers, mine will transform macaw-sized wood toys into toothpicks!

My best solution is to purchase long untreated wood "two by fours" (5cm by 10cm) and cut into one foot (30cm) sections. Drill a hole and hang with stainless steel chain.

 

[Talven]

Many cockatoos are voracious chewers, mine will transform macaw-sized wood toys into toothpicks!

Almost everything in the cage with her is designed to be chewed. Natural branches with bark on, a suspended "log" of yucca, a wood swing with the arch made of little bits of wood to chew, a length of sisal rope and hanging blocks of wood to chew and all she wants to chew is the seagrass mats. Which is fine but they aren't going to last long as a climbing wall.

My best solution is to purchase long untreated wood "two by fours" (5cm by 10cm) and cut into one foot (30cm) sections. Drill a hole and hang with stainless steel chain.

I have the chain I just need the wood. On my "to do" list for certain.

You can buy sisal rope pretty cheaply from Sydney Rope Company (among others) and make a purpose-built cargo net to hang on the back of the cage (instructions in the toymaking forum). You can tie (or wire, but be careful) horizontal dowel or thin branches or rope across the bars so Opal can get a better purchase. You can purchase a sheet of stainless steel mesh (2.5cm gauge) to affix to the inside of the cage. Or you can just wait until she works it out. She will, eventually.

Thanks! Much appreciated Betrisher.

 

[noodles123]

Maybe others will chime in, but I wouldn't get sisal ropes or anything like that if she will chew them, just because the fibers aren't natural if she is able to get through them.

If Betrisher has used that company to order the rope for her birds , that is where I would order it because it is probably safe in terms of fumes etc. Just so you are aware though, not all sisal rope you find at the store is safe--the stuff they sell at hardware stores in the US (lowe's etc) often has a really strong chemical smell, and some leaves almost like a thin bit of oil on your fingers, so just make sure you research or ask around before buying if you decide to shop elsewhere...and if she is a big-time chewer, just keep an eye that she isn't ingesting tiny bits of plastic.

I had a blue sisal rope with some wooden pod things on it, and I ended up taking Noodles to the vet because she appeared to have ingested some of it---she probably just dropped it, but just keep an eye out because when it does start to fray, it creates these very sharp fragments (almost like a powder)...I didn't realize it was happening until I was cleaning the cage and got a sharp bit of blue something lodged under my nail lol. I may have just has a crappy product, but it was designed for birds.

 

[derekdylan7]

Not so eco friendly maybe but our Goffy also loves shredding plastic. Dog pulls are perfect. Needs to be flexible softer variety, but all sizes and colours. To watch him struggling to haul it around the side of the cage, jam it in the bars and set to shredding is a delight. You could always recycle the bits as bean bag filling? They provide hours more fun than wooden toys, too!

 

[Talven]

Well down to the last mat and it's only holding on by a couple of strands. She's having so much fun destroying them I think they'll become a regular feature in her cage for the moment. They aren't expensive and she seems to have a blast. Although once she gets closer to puberty they'll have to go. All the strands of grass would be too likely to prompt nesting.

 

[noodles123]

Well down to the last mat and it's only holding on by a couple of strands. She's having so much fun destroying them I think they'll become a regular feature in her cage for the moment. They aren't expensive and she seems to have a blast. Although once she gets closer to puberty they'll have to go. All the strands of grass would be too likely to prompt nesting.

Took the words out of my mouth!!!
I was going to warn you about the whole nesting potential, but you beat me to it!!!! !!!Glad she is happy! As an adult, mine loves to shred too, but the more you get to know your bird, the more you will (hopefully) see what is hormonal...or COULD become hormonal...
I do allow shredding, but not ALL the time and not when I see Noodles acting super nesty....but a day's worth of shredding can have its place for a bird who is not SUPER hormonal...the biggest thing is to make sure they cannot access what they shred, and then watch how they act during/after the shredding.

It is VERY important to keep them engaged and active, so I totally think that, given your bird's age, those nets are a good diversion etc.