How to redirect cage bar chewing?

[IndySE]

Help, my conure really likes to chew on her cage bars. I normally don't mind her weird antics (I usually encourage them), but it makes me nervous one day she'll chew through the coating or something. I can imagine it's not very good for her beak either. I do inspect her bars regularly for any sign of rust or broken coating.

She has plenty of toys, a large cage, and I try to rotate toys at least every 2 weeks. She spends at minimum 2 hours with her people a day but is usually around someone most hours.

I recognize part of the issue is I have a platform in the cage (made of bars like the rest of the cage). I've been using it to set her water dish on since I like using a ceramic dish -- I've just ordered something that will hopefully replace the platform. I'm hopeful this will cut down bar-chewing, but she still chews other parts of her cage...

Is there something I could provide her that might be more entertaining than chewing on her bars. She likes shredded crinkle paper and I provide plenty of that, but I think she likes the noise. Is there a fun noise making toy that could provide a similar amusement?

Thank you !

 

[GaleriaGila]

OMG... one of my biggest issues!

I have tried all those things, but not to much avail.
Fortunately, the Rb focuses on the grate, so I just buy a new one about once a year.
I have also had luck taking stainless nuts and bolts, and covering existing chews, so that I don't worry ahout metal. i also will sometimes put a perch over a preferred chew-spot.

Good luck. If you get other ideas, I'll be watching!

 

[IndySE]

What's the opinion on bells? I found a really nice one online, but for some reason I recall them being in a similar vein as mirrors. Does it promote that same obsessive behavior?

edit;;
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=22066
Here's the one I found. They look well constructed (made of stainless steel) with no possibility of Kermit breaking it apart.

 

[MonicaMc]

That's definitely the style of bells I'd recommend! Much safer than the tiny bell shaped ones with a tiny clasp!

I suppose you could always try more toys, toys covering the areas she likes to chew on, foraging toys and rewarding *any* behavior you of her interacting with her toys!

 

[BoomBoom]

What kind of cage bar coating do you have? Some birds are tempted by the kind of steel bar with soft flexible plastic / epoxy coating. The types of cage bars that have powdered, embedded coating or even better, stainless steel, will tempt your conure less.

 

[IndySE]

MonicaMc;; I just placed an order for the bell so I hope that suits her interest. Yes, I'm thinking I'll weave lots of little crinkle papers into her bars so she can focus more on taking/chewing the paper than the bars.

BoomBoom;; I'm not too sure. The cage was advertised as wrought iron and it seems like there's a clear coating over the surface. It's the same type of bars as this cage --
https://www.chewy.com/prevue-pet-pr...Z8p4d516H_DxPiDdOKUkWs3eP0Q5hecoaAqRDEALw_wcB

I want to save up someday for a nice stainless steel cage but they're pretty pricey and hard to find in the appropriate dimensions/bar spacing. So that will be farther down the line.

 

[GaleriaGila]

You know, i like that idea of weaving paper into the bars. Now why didn't I think of that??? Thanks!!!

Bells? The RB LOVEZSZSZSZ his. Mr. Wrench gave it to him, and it's his favorite toy! It's a tubular stainless one about 3 inches tall...

 

[BoomBoom]

@Indy, those types of bars you posted are not plastic / epoxy coated so they 'should' already be less tempting. They are similar to the the bars of my conure's cage. To add to GaleriaGila and Monica's suggestions, here's a few more ideas:

- Cover the area with woven sea grass mats or woven rattan.
- Place several clumped together mineral blocks over the area.
- Wrap the bars in strips of bird-safe leather.
- Fold together layers of cardboard large enough to cover the area she's chewing on and tie it tightly against the bars with natural rope.
- Hang a bunch of toys over any cage bar she starts to chew on. Every time she changes location, add toys there too until she gets the idea or redirects to the toys.

Hope this helps some. Let us know how it goes

 

[IndySE]

So far my efforts to redirect the behavior are meeting some success. I put lots of crinkle paper just above the place she likes to chew. She enjoys pulling the papers down. I've laid out lots of fun chewable things on the platform she normally chews. I'm hopeful to get the new bowls in soon so I can replace the platform entirely and minimize problem areas a lot.

@GaleriaGila;; I hope the crinkle paper idea works for you. I'll let you know what Kermit makes of the bell, but given it is loud and annoying I'm sure she'll love it.

BoomBoom;; Thank you, I'll be sure to give some of these ideas a go ! I don't know much about the bars of her cage -- I think they're relatively safe, but I assume I'm correct to be nervous about any chips in the coating?

 

[DiscoDuck]

it makes me nervous one day she'll chew through the coating or something. I can imagine it's not very good for her beak either.

LOL OMG.. NEWS FLASH!!! A beak is made of Keratin.

How long are your nails or hair?

 

[IndySE]

LOL OMG.. NEWS FLASH!!! A beak is made of Keratin.

How long are your nails or hair?

Could you please elaborate on this? Yes beaks are made of keratin, as are horses hooves which can sustain massive amounts of weight. Bird-beaks are a good deal thicker than my hair or finger nails. I get a little nervous that such a beak could chip at the coating of a cage if she focussed on a spot for too long or create unnatural wear patterns. I have no idea if their beaks are capable of chipping the bar coating, however, so I wouldn't mind more detail from your experiences It would certainly put my mind at ease!

 

[BoomBoom]

BoomBoom;; Thank you, I'll be sure to give some of these ideas a go ! I don't know much about the bars of her cage -- I think they're relatively safe, but I assume I'm correct to be nervous about any chips in the coating?

If there is chip to the coating, especially if the bird continues to chew on it, I'd be concerned of the possibility of paint / coating / rust ingestion. The metal would eventually rust if it's not HQ stainless steel (mine is not s/s but coated like yours) and rust is a big no-no. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to work around this, one of which is to wrap the chipped area very well with bird safe tough materials like natural rope, untreated leather, or covering it with 'obstacles' (i.e. toys, mineral chews, cardboard layers, etc.).