Keeping my lovie occupied while I'm at work...

[andreap]

My lovebird, Scuttle, is just about 9 months old now. He has been very good about handling my time away from him, but I just recently started graduate school (full time) while working (full time), so I only have time to sit with him at night from 7pm-11pm(he's usually snuggled and sleeping under my sweatshirt by 10, though). And of course on weekends he's with me wherever I go in the apartment.

But... I'm wondering - is there something I can do to keep him occupied during the day? I currently leave the radio on for him and I have a few toys that I rearrange from time to time, but it seems that he's been a bit more short tempered with me the last month or so. I'm wondering, aside from quitting school or work, if there is something else I can do for him to keep him occupied while I'm at work.

Would switching out different toys from week to week work? Or maybe leave the TV on, instead of the radio? I realize that all of these things are not human attention during the day, but I'm hoping something will help.

Thank you for any advice!

[nacho135]

Although I have still have a cage on the small side (in the process of getting a bigger flight cage) the bigger cage, the better. Then he has room to exercise while your gone. You said you have toys so thats a good thing. Also, my lovie seems to only bathe while im not home because I find him soaking wet, so a little birdie bath inside the cage might occupy him a little. I move his cage around every 2 or 3 weeks so he explores his cage to find out where things were moved to. As far as the radio & tv I dont leave mine on, but maybe your lovie will end up being addicted to soap operahs :D

[michael]

Sometimes, even if only for a few minutes, a morning stint helps to get birds through the day. While my birds generally get plenty of out of cage time, i've found, despite their protests at having to be returned, they fair better with their morning fix. My Goofy bird for instance, knows I must leave for a couple hours at a time and has become quite used to it..........B.B., fortunately, seems to take this all in stride.

Often, a small mirror helps to stir up their curiosity, and may even help to stave off a little loneliness. Does your bird have a swing?

Hopefully, some others can chirp in some idea's..........:)

[Chickobee]

Changing the toys frequently helps also. I try to do this at least weekly so they have something interesting to occupy them. When the old toys return again after a few weeks the birds act as if they are brand new again.

Forraging toys can occupy a bird for quite a while. There are lots of variations on this theme. I sometimes wrap a nutriberry in paper with the ends twisted like a piece of candy. It can take them a while to get to the nutriberry, and after they get it they still have fun destroying the paper.

A piece of broccoli, carrots, kale, etc. stuck in the cage wires gives them something to do too.

A bowl with little scraps of paper, beads or buttons, bottlecaps, some seeds, and other interesting things that aren't harmful can keep them occupied for quite a while.

My birds love their swings too. It is their very favorite thing to do no matter how many other toys they have.

If you think about this a bit you can come up with other good ideas too.

My birds spend quite a bit of their day napping, so don't think your bird is bored all the time. He may be enjoying himself more than you know! (I like naps too!)

[andreap]

Thank you both for your feedback. I do have a swing, but I think I might get another one for him, so that he can have another place to play around. I also have recently started taking him out of his cage in the mornings when I'm drinking my coffee and getting ready to leave for work. I have noticed that he's been less fussy since I started that, so I'm glad to see that it's the right choice! haha. I'm going to have to do more with Foraging toys and a bowl with scraps of paper (since that is his favorite thing in the world). Thank you again for the great ideas!!