# Excessive Chewing



## TheRubixHorse (Jun 14, 2010)

I've had my female 'tiel for many years now, and my male for almost a year. I love them both to death, but Ira (my male), has a horrible obsession with chewing on computer wires.

Now before everyone gives me the standard response of "keep the wires away from him," let me say this.

I am a graphic designer and so I am required to work long hours on my computer. During this time, I like to have the birds out because they enjoy sitting with me and being out of their cage. If I don't let them out, they run back and forth repeatedly until I let them out. Cade is very laid back and is fairly content to just sleep on my shoulder or a shelf most of the day, but Ira, being younger, has to be singing, crawling around, pecking things, or, much to my dismay, finding wires to attack. He will also pull paint off the walls.

I have tried very adamantly to keep him away from the wires, but it usually results in me having to lock him in the cage. If I am not watching him for even 30 seconds he will have found a wire to chew on. I have tried providing him with toys to shred, and he does show interest in these, but in the end he always wants the wires over the toys. So far I've had to replace two ipod cables, an $80 power adapter for my laptop, two keyboards, and a VGA cable. I have a wireless mouse and keyboard now, but since I bought them, he's taken to pulling keys off the keyboard.

Basically, at this point, I cannot have him out of the cage while I am in front of the computer because he will be persistently trying to reach the cables, but since I am usually working, I want to have them out to ensure they have enough time out of the cage. I spent one day putting him back on my shoulder every time he began to crawl down it and I finally gave up after attempt 53 and put him in the cage.

Basically, I'm asking how I can deter him from the wires so that he either won't WANT to chew on them, or what can I buy that might trick him into thinking he's chewing on wires but which would be safe and not so costly for me? Does anyone have any suggestions for play tops or certain toys that their cockatiels really like? I am moving into an apartment in a few weeks and everything will be consolidated to one room and I will be able to take the birds out elsewhere, but there will always be cables in the house since I can't afford to buy EVERYTHING wireless. Ira just needs stuff to play with that will actually hold his attention--everything I give him now only works for about a minute and a half. Please let me know your thoughts and advice!


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## Boshia (Jul 3, 2011)

People usually use bitter apple spray to keep their tiels from chewing on stuff, but you would have to be very careful where you spray it. You could also blow on him every time he starts chewing. Ares will try to chew on my mouse and keyboard cables, but every time he does that I say "No!" and blow on him. What about buying some hemp rope for him? He may enjoy that. Some other toys that are pretty popular with tiels are those finger trap things that you can buy at a party favor store, straws(I can keep Ares occupied with straws for hours on end ), straws with pony beads strung on them, etc. Try to find the most inexpensive, simplest, safest 'toy' hanging around, like a QTip. I can go buy expensive toys for Ares, but the oddest, cheapest things can keep him occupied. Good luck!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I usually wriggle my fingers next to their beaks and then move them away


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## This'll Do (Jun 24, 2011)

I'm in the same boat: if my bird can't be with me when I'm on the computer, then he won't get much contact time at all. 
I found a keyboard cover-- had to order a custom one so it took a long time-- and it's working well. Doodle didn't pull up my keys, but he was constantly dropping bits of food and shredded toys into the keyboard. I covered it with cling wrap until the cover arrived.

I bought vinyl tubing from Ace hardware and covered all my cables. I split it all down the length, spread it open and then put it over the cables. It closes back up around the cable and protects it. These pics are old; my mouse cable has two layers of tubing now and Doodle cannot possibly bite through that.

http://talkcockatiels.com/images/at...tp://talkcockatiels.com/images/attach/jpg.gif


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

This'll Do said:


> I bought vinyl tubing from Ace hardware and covered all my cables. I split it all down the length, spread it open and then put it over the cables. It closes back up around the cable and protects it. These pics are old; my mouse cable has two layers of tubing now and Doodle cannot possibly bite through that.


I like that idea  I was going to suggest giving him his own keyboard to play with, you can get one for really cheap at a place like Big Lots or some other surplus/clearance type of store. Or even give him straws to chew on.


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## TheRubixHorse (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks everyone =] I really like the vinyl tubing idea!! I couldn't think of anything to cover the wires with cause they're so small. Also, I seem to have found a solution for the most part--I filled up an old clementine box with toys they don't have in their cage, and they are content to shred the cardboard stapled to the box, and the wood of the box itself is very soft so they enjoy shredding that too. AND it fits in front of the spot on the wall where they've been pulling the paint off, so woohoo!! But I am definitely gonna get me some of that tubing too =D


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