Make the Right Choice for Your Parrot

How To Choose the Best Parrot Toys:

Parrot toys probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re considering what is involved in the care and keeping of a parrot. However, toys play a very important role in the development of a parrot.

When you choose the right toys, your parrot will have a safe and engaging environment to play in. The wrong toys however can result in boredom and worse – injury and death. Here’s what to consider when choosing parrot toys. If you simply do not have the time to research every toy you buy for your bird we have found a manufacturer that produces all natural toys that are safe for your bird.  You can see our report on toxin free parrot toys.

Why Parrot Toys are Necessary:

Boredom is one of the most common causes of bad parrot behavior. We’re talking about the screaming, the biting, the charging and feather plucking. When your bird is bored…they become angry, destructive, or turn on themselves and begin to pluck their feathers or thrash about the cage.

Toys help to keep your bird active and engaged while they’re in their cage. Now that isn’t saying that you can leave your bird in their cage 24/7 with great toys and they’ll be eternally happy.

Your parrot still needs time outside of their cage every day. During that time they can and should be interacting with you and other family members. They can also be playing with their toys. This means when considering toys for your parrot, you want to think about both inside and outside their cage.

What Types of Toys To Purchase:

How big is your bird? Large birds have large beaks and need particularly durable toys. Those little things that look like cat toys will not only bore them inside of a minute, they’re likely to break it and choke on the pieces. So durability and size are very important considerations.
What does your parrot enjoy?

While providing toys which offer a variety of functions is a good idea, it’s also a good idea to stock up on your parrot’s favorite types of toys. For example, some parrots absolutely love to make noise and toys which have bells and other noise making fun are going to get a lot of play time.

Other parrots could chew all day long. For these parrots it is essential to provide them with toys which offer beaking and chewing opportunities. If you don’t, they’ll exercise their beak on your furniture!

Look for toys which are bright and colorful. And for those little climbers, there are wonderful toys to climb on and explore. Lastly, to engage your bird’s problem solving skills, look for puzzle toys

Safety Concerns with Toys:

Before you take your armload of parrot toys to the checkout, stop. Set them down. It’s time to take a serious look at what these toys are made of. This is important. There are many toxins in a large number of pet toys.

They are not government regulated and therefore pet suppliers can really put anything they want into these toys. Don’t believe it? Think about how often you hear on the news about a children’s toy being recalled due to lead or some other deadly toxin – and those toys are regulated and checked by the government!

Parrot toys often contain:

* Formaldehyde and Formalin. This poison can cause tumors, rashes, and respiratory problems. It is most often found in leather products made outside of the United States.

* Zinc. Zinc is used to prevent iron and steel from rusting. Zinc toxicity isn’t something to dismiss. It causes feather plucking, weight loss, weakness, anemia, gastrointestinal problems, hyperglycemia, seizures and death.

* Lead. You know about the dangers of lead. You probably also know that it’s still commonly found in many products including pet toys, which is why it is one of the most common types of poisoning. It causes weight loss, blindness, seizures, and death

* Arsenic. Hard to believe this old poison is still around but it is and is often found in pressure treated woods used to make cheap bird toys. Yes, it is poisonous and yes it causes death.

* Additionally, toys which have stained wood or are made with cedar, red cherry, plywood, and oak are all highly dangerous to your parrot.

Beyond chemical poisoning it is important to look for toys which have the potential to come apart easily. Too many birds end up in the emergency room or in the ground due to strangulation or choking by their very own toys.

It is essential that you not only examine your parrot’s toys before you buy them but also on a regular basis once they’re home to make sure they’re not deteriorating. Toys do not last forever.

What To Look For In Your Parrots Toys:

This is tricky because toys don’t come labeled “Contains Lead and Arsenic.” Therefore it is recommended to buy toys which are labeled “100% Organic.”

Look for toys which do not pose a risk of injury. This means no bells which your parrot can catch their beak on. No split rings or key rings – too many birds catch their feet, toes, and even their necks on these seemingly harmless parts. Look for toys which are solidly built and as mentioned in the very beginning, look for toys which are the right size for your bird.

Your parrot deserves to have days full of stimulation and fun with an abundance of wonderful toys to play with. They also deserve to play with safe parrot toys which won’t kill them. It takes great care and time on your part to provide this. Take the time; your parrot and your parrot’s life are worth it.