If you need to toilet train a parrot you need to do it properly. It can be done successfully if it’s done right but it often isn’t. Most parrots learn toilet training very quickly but they are taught to hang on to go to the loo too long and only taught to toilet in one specific place that isn’t always available to them . This can lead to some health problems.
Newspaper is probably the easiest to use for toilet training. You can place newspaper anywhere throughout the home, roll it up and bin it quickly and easily. If you haven’t read todays paper then you may not want to leave it laying around!
Parrots poop approx. every 15 to 30 mins, depending on size. Their colour, consistency, and size depends mainly what they're just eaten. Time your birds poops on several occasions. Then when it is time for them to poop again, have them perch on your finger, over a sheet of newspaper and give a command to go to the loo. The most common commands are “go potty”, “do poo” but it can be any command you like, just make it a simple command. Repeat this command until your bird has pooped. Reward your bird afterwards fro his efforts. Continue to do this until your bird is able to do this on his own over newspaper.
Some parrots also pick up the command and can say the command just before they’re about to poop, or use a command to ask to go to the loo if there isn’t a toilet spot available, but not many people teach their parrots this.
Make sure you always have newspaper available for your bird, wherever he is to avoid future health problems from hanging on.
There are birdie diapers available too. They’re now more commonly known as ‘flight suits’, it sounds better than diaper, but it still is a diaper or nappy. To use them is a personal choice. They should not be used for your own convenience or just to keep your house clean. If you choose to use them don’t have your parrot live in a flight suit or wear them for hours, that is not what they’re made for and it is very unhygienic. Keep the suits clean and keep your parrot clean!
Most parrot owners tend to choose one spot to allow the bird to go to the loo and this is where the problem starts. If your parrot is trained to use the toilet in only one particular spot, then your parrot will hang on until he can get to that spot. A toilet trained parrot will not go to the toilet if they’re not able to access their 'potty', they just keep holding on. They won’t go to the toilet until they see or hear their queue to use the loo. If your bird is toilet trained for only one spot, chances are it won’t be available to the bird all day. If you toilet train your parrot you need to give the bird a few available spots to go to the toilet. They need to be able to access a toilet spot where ever they are in the house at all times.
