Q: Do you have any suggestions to keep a parrot from pooping all over the house? I read in your "Birds for Dummies" book that parrots need playtime outside the cage, but I'm having a hard time dealing with the mess. -- B.D., via e-mail

A: If you don't want your bird to mess all over the house, don't let him roam all over the house. Instead, limit him to areas of the house that can be lined with paper or have easy-to-clean surfaces such as tile, hardwood or laminate flooring, and cover furnishings in those areas with old towels. (Caution: Kitchens may have those easy-to-clean surfaces, but they're not safe play areas for your parrot.)

House-training your bird may also help. With patience and consistency, many birds can be taught to relieve themselves on command, in a place of your choosing. Young birds seem to pick up the skill most quickly and reliably, but you can sometimes teach an older bird new tricks, too.

Start by observing your bird, noting the times of day he's most likely to relieve himself and the body language he uses just before, such as wagging his tail feathers. Pick your desired command: "Go potty" or "hurry up" will do, as will anything, just as long as you're consistent.

When you see your bird getting ready to go or you know it's the usual time he does (such as first thing in the morning), ask him onto your hand and hold him over a lined wastebasket, newspaper, paper plate or whatever "poop zone" you've chosen. Give your potty command and praise him when he obeys -- even though the response is just a coincidence at first, of course.

The larger the bird, the longer the time he can "hold it." Budgies and cockatiels aren't good for much more than 15 to 20 minutes, tops, while large parrots can hold it for several hours or more. Be aware that no bird can ever be expected to be perfectly reliable: Sometimes a bird just has to go.

Another suggestion is to use "birdy diapers" to catch some of the mess when your bird's not in his cage. One such product is the FlightSuit, a body-hugging harness with an absorbent liner. The product (starting at $16) comes in many colors and patterns and can be purchased from pet-supply retailers or from the manufacturer, Avian Fashions (www.birddiaper.com, 888-412-7667).

The best you can hope for is to minimize any mess and cleanup. Parrots are very messy pets, and cleaning up after them is part of having them around.

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