how do you deal with all the poops while cuddling the bird

[jacquie]

Hi there everyone. This is a practical matter I am hoping others will have suggestions for. I've had Sunny the sennie for 3 weeks now. She is just starting to get used to being out of her cage for an hour or two a day (she is learning to trust our home/family very slowly).

I am going through a lot of shirt/top changes and tea towels since she poops quite a lot while hanging out on my arm, chest or shoulder. She is nowhere near settled enough to do house training with right now. Are there suggestions out there? Should I have a couple of smocks or scrubs tops to put over my tops to catch the poops? Of course, she seems to miss the tea towel I have drapped over my shoulder and arm and I end up with a warm, wet surprise down my top instead - hee hee!

Any words of wisdom, please? I can't keep up with the laundry!

Thanks,
Jacquie

[Polarn]

I know my mother always walked around with a "cape" a kitchentowel with some threads added to it from the corners then she tied it under her arms kinda to secure it so it didnt fall off, she had 2 or 3 of these sewn, but that only protects you when the bird is on your shoulders. personally im lucky, Polarn for some reason only spill when in his cage or on the cagedoor (where he spends most of his time) so a newspaper on the floor outside the cage saves me tons of scrubbing...

[laducockatiel]

With Ladu, my cockatiel, he fluffs up right before he poops, so what I did was, whenever I saw that he was gonna poop, I took him off me and he could poop somewhere else, eg his cage. Keep an eye on your bird and watch what it does right before it poops. Now, whenever Ladu wants to poop, he jumps off me and then poops. It's not quite potty trained but it's close.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Laducockatiel

[liz]

You are a good dad and your close attention to your baby Ladu is heart warming.

I am lucky with Myrtle. She holds it when she flies or sets on my shoulder. Rambo is another matter. I follow him with a tissue. He has absolutly no control and leaves a trail.

[gabbagabbawill]

Jello is potty trained and I always keep a newspaper nearby to play him over and give him the cue "go poopie" he will go on the paper. If I don't give him the opportunity to often enough, he might go on me or wherever he is hanging out. He has a squatting motion that I can usually catch him time if he's on my hand. This is how I trained him, as he pooped, I would just say "go poopie" each time he started to squat and reward him afterwards if we made it to the paper.

[Michael]

Don't cuddle for too long. Pick up the bird right after its pooped, hold for about five minutes, then put back down until it has pooped before picking up again.

Here's an article about dealing with this and potty training.

[laducockatiel]

You are a good dad and your close attention to your baby Ladu is heart warming.

I am lucky with Myrtle. She holds it when she flies or sets on my shoulder. Rambo is another matter. I follow him with a tissue. He has absolutly no control and leaves a trail.

Thanks.

[jacquie]

Thank you very much for the great suggestions. I've been much more diligent tonight and have caught her before she has pooped and put her on top of her cage to go before picking her up again. I'll start with that and see how we do.

Bye for now (until my next question)!

Jacquie

[retdpd]

I can tell when Elmo is about to let loose its back to the cage..

But, I also went to a Salvation Army store and bought some 3X short sleeve shirts to wear. The cost was about a dollar for about 4 shirts.

These shirts are some real fashion statements.

Elmo seems to know when I put on a shirt we are going exploring around the house

It just makes it easier if I'm walking around with him on my chest or shoulder.

[MeanDonnaJean]

Pick up the bird right after its pooped, hold for about five minutes, then put back down until it has pooped before picking up again.

Awwwww, but one ya've got 'em in yer arms its SOOO darn hard puttin' 'em back down again

Ahhh, what's a lil' poop anyway