Let's Talk Toys
Toys are not just for fun. They are necessary for the mental health of your bird. Imagine how you would feel if you lived in a house with nothing interesting to do. Even if you were well fed, had water, were talked to and cleaned up after, it would not me much fun, would it?
Birds love toys of all kinds, especially those that provide outlets for their natural tendencies such as swinging , foraging or chewing .
I can look at the endless variety of bird toys for hours and find many things I think my parrotlets will love. But just because I think the toy is cute, colorful or looks like fun it does not mean that my parrotlet will agree. It is important to figure out what your bird likes to play with. In our aviaries we have parrotlets that love to chew wood and shred it into "toothpicks" but others never touch toys with wood, they prefer to softly preen cotton or untie knotted leather. Bell bashing is a favorite with some while others like to climb around and swing on toys. If you chose a variety of toys and then carefully observe your bird, you will soon learn their favorites.
Sometimes, the way a toy is presented can make all the difference. Birds will often favor a particular perch or area of their cage and if a toy is placed in this area it may be played with, while it is ignored when in another area of the cage.
Rotating your bird's toys every couple of weeks will keep him from getting bored or losing interest in his toys. It will also give you a chance to thoroughly clean the toys not in use. Occasionally, I will put a toy back into my parrotlet's cage after it has been absent and he greets it as if it was a long lost friend. He runs to it, chirps at it and then cuddles up next to it so it is leaning against him and then just sits there with it very happily.
A regular toy rotation will also give your bird something interesting to look forward to. If you are short on toys, then you can rearrange them rather then rotating them. This will often entice your bird to try different toys and activities.
We recommend an absolute minimum of five toys for a small cage (not counting perches). A bigger cage and more toys are better. Additionally, the more time your bird spends alone entertaining himself, the more toys he should have available. Toys can include novel perching places, preening toys, noisemakers, swings, hiding places, shiny toys, soft toys, foraging toys, toys that offer treats for solving a puzzle, leather toys or paper toys. The variety is endless.
Birds love toys of all kinds, especially those that provide outlets for their natural tendencies such as swinging , foraging or chewing .
I can look at the endless variety of bird toys for hours and find many things I think my parrotlets will love. But just because I think the toy is cute, colorful or looks like fun it does not mean that my parrotlet will agree. It is important to figure out what your bird likes to play with. In our aviaries we have parrotlets that love to chew wood and shred it into "toothpicks" but others never touch toys with wood, they prefer to softly preen cotton or untie knotted leather. Bell bashing is a favorite with some while others like to climb around and swing on toys. If you chose a variety of toys and then carefully observe your bird, you will soon learn their favorites.
Sometimes, the way a toy is presented can make all the difference. Birds will often favor a particular perch or area of their cage and if a toy is placed in this area it may be played with, while it is ignored when in another area of the cage.
Rotating your bird's toys every couple of weeks will keep him from getting bored or losing interest in his toys. It will also give you a chance to thoroughly clean the toys not in use. Occasionally, I will put a toy back into my parrotlet's cage after it has been absent and he greets it as if it was a long lost friend. He runs to it, chirps at it and then cuddles up next to it so it is leaning against him and then just sits there with it very happily.
A regular toy rotation will also give your bird something interesting to look forward to. If you are short on toys, then you can rearrange them rather then rotating them. This will often entice your bird to try different toys and activities.
We recommend an absolute minimum of five toys for a small cage (not counting perches). A bigger cage and more toys are better. Additionally, the more time your bird spends alone entertaining himself, the more toys he should have available. Toys can include novel perching places, preening toys, noisemakers, swings, hiding places, shiny toys, soft toys, foraging toys, toys that offer treats for solving a puzzle, leather toys or paper toys. The variety is endless.