IRN biting holes in my clothes.

Tracy · Post by **Tracy** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:27 pm

I have an IRN who has recently decided she wants to chew on the collar of my shirts. She also likes to bite my clothes which puts little holes in them. I was hoping someone could give me some advice on how to get her to stop doing this. I've tried to go put her on her cage when she does it but that isn't getting the point across, obviously. In fact, I just went and put her on her cage a couple of minutes ago and she's back on my shoulder right this second, chewing on my collar. Please help me, I'd like to be able to wear decent clothes without worrying about them being destroyed.

SkyBaby · Post by **SkyBaby** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:35 pm

The reason why putting her in her cage isn't "getting the point across" is because her mind is in somewhere else and you're just disciplining her for whatever she's doing that second.

I think what you should do is get a few toys you can hold that are much brighter colored and cooler than you shirt. Maybe that will distract her. Some parrot behaviors can't be effectively disciplined, so the best thing to do is redirect (redirect to the toy instead of your shirt) her behavior in those situations.

Some people don't really use "discipline". They just ignore the bad stuff and only praise and reward the good stuff. They call that positive reinforcement. I use a mix of both myself. I find IRNs to be very food-motivated by the way. Skye loves bananas and will do anything for them. Find a favorite food of hers and when she ignores your shirt and goes for the toy, give her a nibble. Do it every time you take her out for a cuddle. She'll learn. Be consistent! That's very important!!

Sorry for the long reply.. hope I helped! Good luck and let me know how it all goes!

Post by **kyria** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:37 am

You know what I say .. "Get use to it" .. Pick an old pair of clothes and wear these around the house when you have your fids playing on you .. LOL I am serious.

They will do this particularly after eating, the like the material to chew on to clean the upper part of their beak, the material gets in to the ridges and cleans out the bits stuck up there.

You can of course have other things for them to chew on but unless you have these things hanging on you, and even if you did, they are still going to bite your clothes, no matter what you do.

I have reduced my fids biting my clothes, simply by saying NO rather loudly and shaking my shoulder or knee or whatever they are perched on when they are biting, unbalancing them and making them stop. But none the less, by the time I have noticed they are biting and do the process, they have already punched a few holes into the material .. Therefore my suggestion of .. "get an old set of clothes !"

Good luck

sheyd · Post by **sheyd** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:04 am

^^^I agree with everything Kyria said.

jobo2mi · Post by **jobo2mi** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:37 am

Yup! Old clothes is the best answer!

Also, if you DO have her on you just before you are leaving the house, have someone do a 'poop check' for you ... you may get to the grocery store and someone will point out the fact that you have bird poo down the back of your shirt! LOL (guess how I know that!! :

)

But old clothes or a cover up that she CAN chew on is probably the easiest thing to do to keep your clothing in one piece.

U.S Marine · Post by **U.S Marine** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:48 am

Why is this thread looking weird..?

jobo2mi · Post by **jobo2mi** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:51 am

sorry, my pic is too big! I'll delete it......... sorry i have to resize it

jobo2mi · Post by **jobo2mi** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:57 am

there....that's better........sorry

Post by **kyria** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:53 pm

jobo2mi wrote:Yup! Old clothes is the best answer! Also, if you DO have her on you just before you are leaving the house, have someone do a 'poop check' for you ... you may get to the grocery store and someone will point out the fact that you have bird poo down the back of your shirt! LOL (guess how I know that!! : )

But old clothes or a cover up that she CAN chew on is probably the easiest thing to do to keep your clothing in one piece.

lmfao omg yes .. I usually get told by my hubby or children, once i have returned, to realise I have spent the whole afternoon at numerous stores with a nice white strip down my back ..

hahaha! (nobody said a thing)

wishkah lady · Post by **wishkah lady** » Wed May 27, 2009 5:05 pm

I was going to ask that very question because my IRN Indiana has started to chew holes in my clothes. He is just over a year old and I know he loves to feel the different textures. That makes perfect sense. But he has gone that next step to be more destructive and this isn't a good behavior trait.

I have done the old clothes route but since he is with me all the time when I go out, I would like to wear some better clothes.

Any other solutions would be appreciated... thanks!!!

SarahandEco · Post by **SarahandEco** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:40 pm

I have made a toy by tying strips of old t-shirts together to make a ball. My birdie loves it and leaves my shirt alone for the most part.