Fuji Obsessed With TV Wires - HELP

LauraC

New member
Aug 27, 2017
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1
Southern California
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Fuji - Moustache Parakeet 6 yrs Old
I need help! Fuji is obsessed with the TV wires. His wings are not clipped so he flies in the house. He has discovered the TV and more importantly the TV wires. I cannot move the TV as it needs to be on the stand in our family room, our main room for,watching TV.

Every night when I let him out he flies right over there. I tried to wrap the wires so they would be less accessible to him but he keeps figuring out how to get to the wires. When he lands there I go right over and pick him up and bring him to the couch with me. He sits for a minute and then flies back to the TV. After a few times of this, I end up putting him in a time out in his cage.

I hate that I can’t break him of this habit. I thought he would learn that if he flies to the TV he gets a time out. But nothing is working.

Any ideas how to break him of this habit would be greatly appreciated.
 

Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
They sure can be stubborn, especially when they know something is off-limits!

Best method other than restricting flying is to either disguise the wires or use a hard plastic flexible conduit to protect them. The latter option is likely the only viable choice. We've had members post images of protected wires, suggest using the forum search engine.
 

LordTriggs

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May 11, 2017
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Rio (Yellow sided conure) sadly no longer with us
yes as Scott said my first through is to get a tube "Cable Tidy" It's essentially a piece of flexible plastic pipe with a slit on it which you stick the wires in. Handy and also a good way to keep and wire mess out of sight
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
They sell wire covers that people often use for cats----I bought them just in case mine had issues with this (she doesn't)--I don't know that you really would want your bird chewing on this either, but it is better than electrocution (assuming you still keep an eye on him/her)


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071JH14WZ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The first review on there says :

"This product is exactly what i was looking for. My outside cat is stuck inside during the winter and gets very bored and decided to start chewing on all of my cords. He has ruined 5 of my them but now that I have this I have had no more problems. He has given up trying to chew through them cuz it's impossible."
 

GaleriaGila

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May 14, 2016
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The price for a flighted bird is eternal vigilance, alright. :)
There are certain things the Rb faithfully and feverishly desires... the TV remote... the cord to the drapes... the fringe on the rug...
He is also fully flighted and fearless, and I must be prepared to leap into action at any time.
I've had a little success with letting him have his own items... an old remote, an old cord, an old throw rug...
If your bird actually ingests stuff, that won't be an option, but the Rb doesn't.
Still, the forbidden fruit maintains an allure. He seems to prefer MY things to HIS!!
I like the ideas above... worth a try, but I'll betcha that your darling will still find stuff to desire and claim!
 

Tami2

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Aug 18, 2017
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New Jersey
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Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
They sure can be stubborn, especially when they know something is off-limits!

Best method other than restricting flying is to either disguise the wires or use a hard plastic flexible conduit to protect them. The latter option is likely the only viable choice. We've had members post images of protected wires, suggest using the forum search engine.

I was thinking of a similar solution, like having my hubby build a box for the wires. However, we all know how they love to chew wood. 😝

yes as Scott said my first through is to get a tube "Cable Tidy" It's essentially a piece of flexible plastic pipe with a slit on it which you stick the wires in. Handy and also a good way to keep and wire mess out of sight

Fabulous suggestions LT. I just ordered one from Amazon to avoid any future problems. Thank you. 👍🏻
 

LordTriggs

New member
May 11, 2017
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Surrey, UK
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Rio (Yellow sided conure) sadly no longer with us
no problem tami! I've noticed as well a lot of newer furniture has started incorporating ways to keep cables out of the way so that's something. I also have a little plastic box with a couple holes cut into it where I place any excess wires which helps keeps things neat
 
OP
LauraC

LauraC

New member
Aug 27, 2017
140
1
Southern California
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Fuji - Moustache Parakeet 6 yrs Old
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yes as Scott said my first through is to get a tube "Cable Tidy" It's essentially a piece of flexible plastic pipe with a slit on it which you stick the wires in. Handy and also a good way to keep and wire mess out of sight

Can you post s picture of the Cable Tidy? I tried to google it but I don’t think I am getting the actual product you are referring to.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
(I mean you have spray on cheese out there!)
:jumping40

There are few foods worse than spray-on cheese! And don't get me started on that horrid mess known as mayonnaise!! :D
 

Tami2

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Aug 18, 2017
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New Jersey
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Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
(I mean you have spray on cheese out there!)
:jumping40

There are few foods worse than spray-on cheese! And don't get me started on that horrid mess known as mayonnaise!! :D

Haha Scott 😖 So true! It’s not even real cheese. 🧀 Yikes!
They do have a couple of nice vegan Mayo options these days. 👍🏻
 

EllenD

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Aug 20, 2016
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State College, PA
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Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
PVC pipe is actually a really good idea. The only issue with some of the cord-covers is that some of them are made of thin plastic, and the birds also love to chew on them! So finding one that is thicker and harder is better than one that is just flimsy plastic.

Either way, you gotta get the wire covered-up. Everyone automatically thinks of electrocution as the main consequence to birds chewing on electrical wires, and it's a big one, but a more common result is metal-poisoning due to then ingesting little bits of the metal wires that are inside of the cord insulation. It only takes one little tiny piece of metal wire inside them to make them extremely sick, and require everything from a long Chelation-Therapy to surgery to remove the wire.
 

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