It is obvious that a parrot will not know where to poop unless you train them. But seeing unsightly, colorful poop spots scattered throughout the house can be overwhelming for anyone.
Compared to other pets, parrots have a pooping tendency that requires owners to be prepared for frequent clean-ups.
Parrots have very frequent bowel movements. In fact, it’s normal for parrots to poop every 10-15 minutes. So if you let your parrot out of the cage, it will likely poop all around the house.
However, that isn’t to say, you cannot let your parrot out of its cage. My parrots spend most of their time outside but that doesn’t mean my house is littered with their poop. There are ways to go around this and in this article, I’m going to be sharing those tips with you.
How Often Do Parrots Poop?
In general, parrots poop every 15-30 minutes. However, the actual number of times a parrot relieves itself depends on a number of factors, such as their species, size, diet, activity level, and age. Small parrots such as budgies, finches, and lovebirds may poop every 15 to 30 minutes, while larger ones may poop every 20 to 30 minutes.
Nonetheless, it is an awful lot to manage if you go about cleaning it. Fortunately, parrots can hold their poop for extended periods, particularly during the night when they are sleeping. So you don’t have to worry about waking up to a room that is scattered with bird poop.
Why Do Parrots Poop So Much?
There are a few reasons why parrots tend to poop more frequently than mammals. Firstly, parrots have a faster metabolism compared to mammals, which means they process food more quickly and efficiently.
As a result, they need to go about their business more frequently to eliminate that waste being produced rapidly.
Moreover, parrots also lack a urinary bladder, which means they excrete both urine and feces simultaneously, making it seem like they poop more often.
Besides this, parrots also have a highly efficient respiratory system that allows them to extract oxygen more efficiently from the air, which results in the production of more waste products that need to be eliminated.
Parrots also need to stay light in order to fly, so they have evolved to eliminate waste more frequently to maintain a lower body weight.
Along with this, parrots also have a tendency to poop right about before taking flight, which helps to reduce their weight for efficient flying.
Therefore, the need to eliminate waste more frequently is a natural and necessary adaptation for parrots. So basically you can’t blame them pooping all over the house because this is just natural for them.
Can You Potty Train A Parrot?
A floor littered with ugly colored poop bombs is the last thing anyone would want to see after coming home from a long day. And while many people would like to tell you that the only thing you could do, is be prepared for more cleaning, the truth is far from it.
Parrots can actually be potty trained. Although it can take time. Now, that isn’t to say that accidents cannot happen. Since parrots are wild animals with a hyperactive bowel, occasionally you may see droppings here and there.
Potty training a parrot is very different from teaching them tricks. You cannot train them to control their bowel movement. This could cause the parrots to hold it in which can lead to various digestive problems. The right way to potty train a parrot is to encourage it to use a designated spot.
How To Keep Your Parrot From Pooping Everywhere?
In order to keep your parrot from pooping everywhere, it is essential that you create a designated area for them. However, it should be kept in mind that you cannot restrict a bird’s pooping behaviors to a certain spot.
You can train them to not poop around the house but it is important to understand that it may not always be possible for them. Follow these steps to potty train your parrot:
Observe your parrot
Monitor your parrot’s pooping habits closely to determine how often it goes to the bathroom. This will allow you to identify the correct intervals when your parrot goes to do its business.
All parrots are different and have different poop timings In general the smaller ones have more frequent bowel movements compared to the larger ones. However, you should determine the exact time your parrot goes for pooping.
Use A Praise Word
After you know how often your bird goes to the potty, wait for them to go about their business again. Recognize it as positive behavior with an emphatic verbal response like “good boy”. After that, pick up your parrot and spend some time with it.
Once you feel that your parrot is about to go for another poop, keep it down near its pooping spot. Choose a word or phrase such as “poop” or “go potty”. It will signal your parrot when it’s time to go to the designated potty spot.
Establish A Pooping Area
Ideally, you want to train your parrot near a designated spot since you want to prevent it from pooping all around the house.
Because you know when your parrot gets its pooping urges, you can praise the correct habits every time your parrot poops in the established pooping area.
When you do this repeatedly, your parrot will learn where it needs to poop and that it will be picked up after it poops in that particular area.
Most importantly, it is crucial that you stay consistent. Most parrots will start to recognize the potty spot within a few weeks though some may be quicker than others. As your parrot recognizes the phrase when it poops at the spot, it will become more accustomed to going to the designated potty spot.
Conclusion
Whether it’s the sofa, a cushion, or someone’s shoulder, parrots have a knack for picking the most inappropriate area to relieve themselves. It’s a simple fact that you cannot always control when and where your parrot goes to poop around the house.
It is something that is a part of living with a pet, one that has a hyperactive bowel movement. However, with proper potty training, you can actually simplify your daily routine while also deepening your bond with your bird.
