Cockatiel chewing paint off walls

[Sherryl]

Our cockatiel, Sunshine, chews the paint off the corners of our walls. She stopped while she was molting, and now she's started back again with a vengeance. She won't chew on a cuttle bone. We finally threw her cuttle bone away, in fact, about six months ago. Is something lacking in her diet? How can we stop her from eating away at our walls? Thanks!!

[Candice]

My CAG chews the paint & will chew the wood if I don't cover it with news paper on the corners of the wall. I don't think she is lacking anything in her diet, just something to chew/destroy :D

[Sherryl]

that is comforting. thanks!

[Monica]

You probably want to distract your tiel from chewing the paint as the paint may contain lead and your baby could get metal poisoning, unless you know that the paint is lead free. Try covering up the walls with newspaper, and giving her lots of new toys to play with, as well as shred some paper (if you have a paper shredder) and try weaving this in and out of the cage bars.

[Sherryl]

Fortunately, it doesn't contain lead. I had her tested once to make sure. But that's good advice about the newspapers. My husband actually went out yesterday and bought lots of new toys. Hope that helps.