Can Parrots Be Potty Trained?

Parrots are adorable and highly friendly birds but notorious for pooping everywhere unless they are potty trained.

But the question is – Can parrots be potty trained?

They are genius birds and tend to learn new things quite quickly.

You can actually teach them to say things too

For example have a read of my article – 7 funny things to teach your parrot to say

They can be potty trained, but you must first prepare yourself to teach your cute feathered friend.

You will need to invest time and pay attention to how frequently your parrot poops.

The frequency depends on the size of your parrot; the smaller the bird, the more frequently it poops.

Have a read of my article – How often to parrotlet poops?

Let’s get into more detail in this article on how you can potty train a parrot

Carry on reading

How To Toilet Train Your Parrot?

In the wild, parrots develop a habit of defecating anywhere, but you can’t afford their practice in your household.

You will need to train your birds to control and change their routine and follow your instructions.

Below are some valuable tips for getting your parrot trained to control poop and change their habit.

  1. When you’ve learned your bird’s time, you can utter a word or phrase such as “Good potty” or anything that you feel is more appropriate. Your parrot will get the idea that your term is related to its action.
  2. The next step is to take a piece of tissue paper and hold it under your bird and utter the exact phrase at the same time it is expected to poop; most probably it will relieve itself on a tissue paper. By repeating the same process for a few days, they will understand what you are expecting from them.
  3. Try to stick with the exact phrase and the piece of tissue paper/cage liner/garbage can every time you interact with your bird for this purpose. Changing the method or term will confuse your parrot, and the training process will get prolonged.
  4. If they do not cooperate initially, leave them for a few minutes and then try again. Make sure to encourage them positively by offering their favourite treats when they start following your instructions. They will get an idea that pooping on the piece of paper and following your instructions will yield rewards.
  5. If the bird has already defecated outside the cage, under no circumstances should you yell, punish or reprimand your bird for such an accident. It will only make the training process even more difficult. Don’t lose hope and try again next time. Parrots are brilliant; they will surely start to learn very soon.

Can You Train a Parrot To Poop In One Spot?

Parrots are used to defecating anywhere in the wild environment, and they don’t find it disgusting at all, but when domesticated, this nature is not bearable.

You will need to potty train your bird if you want to enjoy a close relationship with your playful parrot.

Some bird owners say it is harmful to potty train a parrot because, as a result, it may hold its droppings till death, but there is no evidence for this .

Parrots are pretty smart and can be tamed the way you want them to be.

It can take up to 72 hours if you’re dedicated to your bird.

But bear in mind that it can take a little longer depending on the species of the birds.

But there is no ambiguity in this; they do learn for sure.

Can Birds Get Potty Trained?

Parrots are wild in nature and woodlands; they don’t bother about pooping anywhere.

But in a domestic environment, all this can cause quite a lot of trouble.

Suppose you’re worried about your parrot creating a mess everywhere out of the cage and tired of cleaning the furniture and couches every often.

In that case, you must consider training your bird to control bowel movements and make them relieve themselves in a specific area.

They are human-friendly and will love to sit on your shoulder and interact with other family members.

So they will start understanding your instructions about pooping in a specific area or on a piece of tissue paper that is easy to dispose of.

Do Parrots Poop Everywhere?

Parrots have been observed pooping everywhere because they are wild by nature, and they don’t think it wrong if they are pooping anywhere and everywhere 

If your parrot stays within the cage mostly, it will poop in the cage, and you don’t need to bother about it because, in normal health conditions, their droppings are odourless.

But it is necessary to take your bird out of the cage for some time and let them roam around the house and also give them the chacnce to interact with family members to keep them healthy and pleasant.

In this case, it could be a good idea to potty train your parrot

Here’s a question – Can birds actually control when they poop?

Let’s find out

Can Birds Control When They Poop?

The answer to this question is “Yes”, they can control themselves if trained properly 

But it will take a little longer to teach the concept of controlling the bowel movement and hold until it’s appropriate.

However, they will start understating to follow your command and poop where you want them to do.

Here’s the thing, you need to dedicate some time to learning their dropping schedule.

You need to understand your bird’s body language and take action when they are done.

For example, if your bird’s resting interval is 10 minutes, start your action plan at seven or 8 minutes and try to make them follow.

Not a big deal if they don’t at first, you just got to be consistent.

Wrapping Up

Parrots are first and foremost choice amongst pet birds for bird lovers.

They are infamous for creating a mess outside of the cage because parrots are instinctively wild, and they have adapted to poop anywhere in the wild.

To make them suitable for your household, maintain the hygiene and make them safe for your kids, you can train them to defecate in a designated place or a piece of newspaper/tissue paper/ dustbin etc.

Parrots are brilliant learners and learn new tactics quickly.

Because they love the interaction with humans, they would never like to be inappreciable birds for their human friends. 

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