Suggestions please!

[Megglesaurs]

Hi everyone
this is my first time posting on here but I needn’t some suggestions... after doing what seemed like endless research I decided it was time I got myself a little 3 month old green cheek conure that I named Waddles! I’ve had him for about month now(first vet visit went great and he is definitely a boy) and things are going swimmingly! He lives with me in my room until I buy him a sturdier cage for downstairs as the one I have now works but I want him comfortable for when he moves!

We have a good routine going on, I play with him everyday and the little guy just loves head scratches and beging sung to! Sleeping very, well eating very well, poop is normal and bathing everyday... I let him out of his cage only while I am in the room, and he only goes back in when I leave to have a smoke . I wash my hands after each time as I know nicotine and birds=no good!( or he’s being naughty and goes into time out)he sits on on his play gym that’s on my bed which right next to me as I sit in a chair on and will watch tv with me and while I play games on my PlayStation. He’ll munch away happily on some seeds i put out for him while he is on the gym for a time.

Sounds all great!

However...

It’s fine for when we watch tv as I can give him my undivided attention but he’s gotten into the habit of trying to chew on my joypads of the controller or my phone case while I’m playing games! Both are made of silcone, and I know he loves to Chew on those types of things cause he’s been doing it since I got him. I have bird toys made of the same material but he needs Could care less about them! I’ve tried all kinds of toys but nothing seems to work. I know he likes to play and I’ve already found some of his favorite toys for while I’m away and try to duplicate those when he is outside it.

I figure that he wants my attention And I love that he wants to be by my side so often but my phone case and joypads can’t handle it, plus I really do not want him getting sick from any germs he may ingest by doing so!i work at Petco and I’m around all kinds of animals all day long so I worry

Any tips on how I can keep Waddles busy or interested with something else without putting him away while I play my games? He isn’t doing anything wrong and I dont want to associate me putting him away when all he wants his love!

 

[Caitnah]

This may not help, but does your pad and case have color? When I have my pineapple with me in the chair he heads straight for the tv remote. He loves to chew on the buttons. First the colored ones, then plain.
I let him have his fun for only about 10 seconds before taking it away. Your GCC is going to want EVERYTHING you have or are using. Since he is so young it may be too early to train him to stay in his gym...and even if you do, he will still want to be with you.

My GCC is 7 months old and when out of his cage, he wants to be with me all the time. He refuses to even play/stay on his playground.

 

[bingbing]

My GCC loves jingle balls our cat's had a bunch and he loves them. I also play ball with him when he is out. I also use the ones made from limbs and twigs that I found in the hamster/gerbil area of the pet store. He tosses them off my desk while we watch tv and stuff. I have attached a couple of them to various things in his cage. They are a little plastic ball with a bell in the middle. The bell is actually plastic as well he doesn't chew on things so I feel safe in him playing with them.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Yeah... agreeing... toys, food, stuff and more stuff...

Oh, and... constant vigilance!

Time-outs can help, yeah: chew certain stuff and it's back into the cage! Doesn't work here because my guy is flighted and... fast!

Welcome to the site, Megglassss... uh... ummm... megalosaurs?

 

[Flboy]

This should make everything easier!
Rules parrots live by!
https://www.parrotfunzone.com/explore-parrots/parrotphernalia/rules-parrots-live-by

 

[LordTriggs]

He's just trying to help!

I am aware of your pain! (gaming on a light up mechanical keyboard for PC is a trial) I never fully nipped it in the bud because to be fair they want to join in playing with you! What I did was offered treats in locations that are away from the controllers and such, also whenever they do land or get on the controller try immediately getting them to step up and place them elsewhere (preferably with toys around to keep interest) the best you can do is try to make as little a fuss as you can so going near the controller isn't exactly fun or a good way to get you to become entertaining

 

[Classy]

This should make everything easier!
Rules parrots live by!
https://www.parrotfunzone.com/explore-parrots/parrotphernalia/rules-parrots-live-by

That is so true and funny.

 

[SassiBird]

They are going to love the things you play with, so play with the things you want them to love.

Here's what we did. Get a $20 microphone stand and zip tie a branch to the top and hang toys on it.

 

[Classy]

They are going to love the things you play with, so play with the things you want them to love.

Here's what we did. Get a $20 microphone stand and zip tie a branch to the top and hang toys on it.

Sounds cool. Could you post a picture of it if you don’t mind?

 

[SassiBird]

They are going to love the things you play with, so play with the things you want them to love.

Here's what we did. Get a $20 microphone stand and zip tie a branch to the top and hang toys on it.

Sounds cool. Could you post a picture of it if you don’t mind?

Ours has a training perch attached that we zipped tied to. You would have to do something to add a horizontal attachment. The plain stand has a screw thread on top so a little bit of cobbling would be required. The stand has a nice weighted base. Our birds don't use the cargo net, but I leave it there because it stops them from flying into the window.

P.S. The curtains are tied up because our cockers are 18 years old and unreliable. (TMI?)

 

[Squeekmouse]

Yup, like everyone else said, if you are paying attention to it, he will want to chew on it. My Yoda has pulled a few keys off of my keyboard before I learned to be more vigilant. If he wants to chew on something, give him something he can chew on. Things that make noise (like the little plastic balls with a bell in them, or even an empty pill bottle with something in it to rattle) work best to attract Yoda's attention.



Other times when Yoda is trying to chew on what I am paying attention to, he's just trying to tell me to pay attention to HIM instead. I've learned to do most things with one hand so that Yoda gets one hand, and I get the other.