You may know that toys provide valuable reward,
exercise, and boredom relief to our four-legged
friends, but did you know that "playtime" for
your bird is absolutely essential to its mental
health? Toys provide exercise, mental stimulation,
and relief from boredom. Many behavioral and health
problems stem from a bird not being stimulated
enough.
Some birds are wary of new toys. If your
bird seems apprehensive, place the toy outside
of the cage but within visual range. After
several days, place the toy on the bottom of your
bird’s cage so your bird can thoroughly investigate
it. Once he begins to play with it, it is
perfectly safe to hang it in your bird’s
cage.
When choosing a toy, remember to consider safety
first.
Birds
love toys that are brightly colored, but make
sure to choose toys that have been dyed with
vegetable or cake dyes. Other dyes are
potentially toxic to your feathered friend.
Never
offer plastic toys to anything larger than a
budgie; parrots will quickly crack those toys
and cut themselves.
If
you hang any toy in the cage, be sure it is on
a short, thick rope or chain - a long thin string
can strangle your bird.
Choose
the right size toy for the right size bird. A
toy designed for a parakeet may crack or shatter
if given to a Macaw; on the flip side, a parakeet
is going to be overwhelmed by and possibly afraid
of a toy that is meant to be played with by a
large parrot.
Because of their intelligence, birds need toys
that offer them a wide variety of experiences.
Look for products that offer a wide variety of:
Textures, to stimulate the mouth
and feet
Colors, since birds see a wider
spectrum of colors than we do
Tastes, to stimulate their palate
Sizes, for a different look and feel
Sounds, to give the toys more audio appeal
And challenges, such as different
puzzles or ladders, for the problem-solving challenge
that all birds need
