paint for bird stand

Question
QUESTION: My husband is building a play stand made of PVC pipe for our goffin cockatoo. I would like to spray paint it, but I am weary of the chemicals that may be used. Are there any brands that would be ok to use that won't get him sick if he happends to chew his stans? Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi there, actually, nothing safe that you can use on PVC, unfortunately. Regular spray paint will stick somewhat but will indeed make your bird sick if he ingests it.  It can even get on his feet and ingested if he preens or manipulates them with his beak.  I just would not chance it with any type of paint.  Windex fumes can kill a bird... imagine what paint can do.  Most other paints won't likely stick to PVC very well.

I've built a few of these stands myself and usually sand the pieces the bird will perch on with very rough sand paper so that they can grip it easily.  Otherwise it's very slick.  Just be sure you rinse/wash the sanded PVC pieces WELL before allowing your bird to be on it, as any tiny slivers of the PVC can be harmful if your bird ingests it.

Another couple alternatives for grip and adding color:

Vet Wrap:  this is the stretchable self-sticking material vets use to wrap legs on dogs, cats, and horses.  It comes in almost all colors and you can purchase it on ebay or many online resources.  Just google "vet wrap".  The only problem with this is sometimes the birds will chew on it (usually with no problems, but always the slight chance of ingestion) and it WILL get sticky if wet.  And you may need to rewrap them periodically if your bird eats on the stand.  

Polly Rope or Cotton: be sure the rope you use is either completely natural (untreated) or specifically made for birds, as polly rope is.  This can be rapped around the piping where your bird perches for grip and color.  

I hope this helps!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your help. The stand is done and covered with vet wrap. Our bird is terrified of his stand! It is very big. When we make him go on it he stands in one spot and won't move. We don't want to force him. Now the stand is next to his cage. We thought that he may get used to it this way. He also is very scared of his toys. He would rather be on us than play with toys. We've had him about 6 months, we got him from a bird rescue. We are told he's 2 if that. He is VERY sweet and affectionate, so he must have been treated well. Can you offer any advice as to how to help him to not be scared of his playstand and toys? Thanks again.

Answer
Hi there... I have a couple of conures that are wary of EVERYTHING.  The best thing to do is to lay out the new toy plainly in view by your bird for a few days and gradually move it closer and closer to his cage.  A couple of days before placing it inside, lay it on top of the cage.  Birds are very visual creatures and are most comfortable with what they are visually familiar with (this is true of new foods as well!) so they will need to "get to know" new things over time.  

Leave the playstand by his cage for a while without putting him on it.  Allow him to admire it from the safety of his cage for a while and then you can either wait until he hops onto it himself... or after a couple of weeks place him on it again and see how he reacts.  

He just needs a little time to become familiar with new items before being forced to interact with them.  :-)  

Good luck!