Potty training is difficult even for the most talented parents, whether children or feathered babies. Overcoming this unique milestone in the growing process is fascinating to behold, but achieving the desired results requires a lot of patience, understanding, and dedication.
Assuming that is your goal, you will want to first understand a few key concepts to expedite the process. One such concept is reviewing how often your parrot goes.
Hence, you know its timing and what it is about to go (think physical displays and actions or minor quirks that indicate it might be straining). Finally, you’ll want to combine finding a suitable location with ensuring they get there in time.
This article discusses if potty training your quaker parrot is doable. If so, what are the best ways to do this, and what do you need to know beforehand? We encourage you to continue reading for all there is to know.
Can You Potty Train Quaker Parrots?
Yes, you can train quaker parrots to go to the bathroom in specified locations, and with some luck you can even train your parrot to go to the bathroom on command. Still, this is a more forceful tactic that might leave bad memories in your parrot’s mind, causing it to deviate from your desired behavior.
While navigating the potty training process, you must approach the situation from an understanding and patient perspective. Getting upset, angry, or frustrated will only confuse your bird or make it scared of being near you when it needs to go.
In most cases, you wouldn’t need to say anything to this effect. Still, for everyone’s benefit, we’ll toss it out there, disciplining your parrot by any means if it fails, or makes a mess on yourself, or a location outside of its pooping area is not acceptable; mistakes are bound to occur. As the proverbial saying goes, you’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so be kind, and your bond with your parrot will improve whilst still achieving your goal.
Things to Know While Potty Training Your Quaker Parrot
As noted above, this process has a few key aspects that will help you achieve success, and we’ll break them down in detail below. Take some time to really ingrain the fundamentals of each step in your mind and weave them into your daily routine, as doing so will make it seem less of a chore.
1. Timing Is Essential
To build a potty training method, you’ll need to understand how frequently your bird goes to the bathroom and note where it naturally gravitates when it does feel the need to go. It’s worth noting that not every bird has a designated location it likes to go to when it uses the restroom, so if it chooses seemingly random locations, focus more on the frequency than anything else.
2. Location of Where You Will Do It
After you’ve understood how often your bird is going, you’ll want to examine its surroundings closely and designate a spot where you’d like to establish its bathroom.
Some people prefer them to go directly to their cage. In contrast, others attempt to let them go in a sink or even the toilet (which can be amusing and more cleanly, but this probably shouldn’t be your first choice, as your parrot can slip and fall in, making for a messy and scary experience.
The easiest option for most people would be your parrot’s cage, which will already be a resting point, and you will know where to look when cleaning your parrot’s droppings. However, some birds have more unique behaviors and prefer not to go where they sleep, so you’ll have to accommodate them.
3. Be Mindful of Body Language
While noting how often your bird goes to the restroom, you may have inadvertently observed them making odd movements just before they go. These physical signs and expressive body language displays indicate they are about to go, and it should be your moment to take them to your desired location to relieve themselves.
Usually, your parrot will do a little squat, and its eyes may shift, a head tilt, perhaps a slight wing flutter, but there will be some physical response to show that your parrot is adjusting itself to poop after you’ve seen it a few times, you’ll know precisely what you are looking for, which leads us into your next step.
4. Set a Timer and Intervene
Combining all the steps above, you’ll want to utilize a timer on your watch or phone, which is anything you can access at a glance. Then, move your parrot to your desired location when it is ready to go to the bathroom.
Ideally, you’ll want to do so within the same general time frame as it naturally goes (so if it goes every ten minutes, for example, you’ll want to do it at the ninth minute to ensure there is very little choice in the matter and the droppings occur involuntarily in said location).
As your parrot becomes accustomed to you stepping into the process, you’ll want to try to give them more time to do their business and a little bit of privacy. Taking them in at the seven-minute mark, as opposed to the nine, will let them get comfortable, situate themselves, and understand this is a safe place to go.
5. Use a Verbal Cue
Utilizing a verbal cue can help guide your parrot into what is happening. You can also train them subconsciously by uttering a word or phrase when you see them going, training them to associate the word with going to the bathroom.
A good example would be combining the steps above during the observation phase and saying, “Did you go potty?” or “Potty time,” every time you see them go. In this case, they will link the word to the action, making the entire thing smoother if it catches on. However, pooping on cue can lead to medical issues. Hence, it’s genuinely worth doing this only at the start.
6. Positive Reinforcement
If your bird successfully goes to the restroom in your designated area, you’ll obviously want to reward that good behavior and compliment them on a job well done. Giving them a treat or some pets and verbally telling them how proud you are will go a long way in fostering a good relationship with your bird and helping them understand the process.
7. Expect Mistakes and Be Patient
As noted above, do not punish your bird for having accidents. First, accidents happen to everyone, and second, the key to making the process easy is keeping it lighthearted and, if possible, enjoyable.
The second it deviates from that experience into something else, you’ll face a much steeper challenge and risk your bird becoming adverse to the idea. The easiest thing you can do if your bird has an accident is to clean it up and act like nothing ever happened.
What Possible Problems Will Occur?
Elaborating on the issue of pooping on command, if your bird gets too used to you using this phrase, it may attempt to please you every time it hears the phrase, and as such, can end up prolapsing itself or causing other cloacal problems.
While you are potty training your bird, it may be a bit flighty when you are attempting to take it to your desired spot. Obviously, if your bird has this behavior, you’ll want to get a little more creative or give it more time to feel as if it was their choice to be there when it became time to go to the bathroom, so moving it every five minutes in lieu of the standard nine.
Finally, when your bird is learning how to be potty trained, you’ll want to avoid feeding it foods that will make its poops more likely to stain. Things like blueberries and raspberries should be heavily avoided until it sufficiently understands where to go if only to make your life easier.
Best Bird Spray Products for Quaker Parrots
As you are likely keenly aware at this point, accidents will happen, and even if your bird does make it on time to the bathroom, you will still need to clean its cage or, at the very least, the surrounding area.
Accomplishing this task can be made much easier by utilizing specific cleaning products that have been proven to be not only more effective at removing parrot droppings but also efficient and safe for you and your beloved bird. Below are a few good options to get those droppings gone and move on with your day.
1. Nature’s Miracle Bird Cage & Surface Cleaner
Cleaning up your bird movements with nature’s miracle will be a breeze, or perhaps a mist is a more appropriate term, as this mixture is guaranteed to get rid of the dropping itself with ease. Plus, it breaks down all the excess bacteria left over but mitigates any lingering odors, making it an easy choice for most households.
2. Poop-Off Bird Poop Remover Sprayer
Being true to its name, Poop-Off not only lives up to what you’d expect it to do, but it can handle a litany of other problems aside from poop, being able to cover spilled food sufficiently, vomited food, walls, carpet, and all food types your bird can ingest. It is easy to see why this might be one of the best choices you can go with regarding cleaning up messes, although it is slightly more pricey than other cleaning products.
As an additional boon, it also boasts the odor-free quality that other cleaners usually mention and bolsters it by being non-toxic and orange oil-free.
3. Absolutely Clean Bird Cage Cleaner and Deodorizer
Now, most cleaners boast of leaving a scentless area afterward, but absolutely clean goes in a slightly different direction. It not only destroys all messes and droppings (both fresh and dried) but also leaves a very pleasant smell afterward, making it ideal for people who enjoy unique fragrances. It has been proven to be enjoyable by most birds, too.
4. Natural Rapport Bird Cage Cleaner
Staying true to friends who enjoy a light scent after cleaning accidents up, this cleaner boasts the title of “The only Bird Cage Cleaner You Need“, which speaks volumes of their confidence in this product.
The product itself is entirely free of alcohol, bleach, and ammonia, making it ideal for cleaning without worrying about your or your bird’s respiratory systems being in danger. It destroys the mess left behind on the floor or in the bird’s cage.
Final Thoughts
Patience is going to be the name of the game when attempting to potty train a quaker or any parrot. Positive reinforcement and an understanding attitude are what truly make the goal achievable in the first place. Just be sure to have some treats nearby when your feathered friend does a good job!
