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Feathered Fun
Pet Age Staff //July 1, 2019//
Listen to this articleWhen it comes to bird care, it’s important to stimulate their senses, and engaging play is one of the best ways to achieve that goal. As companion birds spend much of their time in a cage, which can make them more prone to loneliness, boredom and behavioral problems like feather picking and screaming. To avoid those issues, toys offer different forms of stimulation, ranging from ringing bells and swinging to chewing and climbing.
Birds need to chew, with wood toys being an excellent way to satisfy this natural urge. Other materials that are excellent for toys include vegetable tanned leather, natural fiber rope, rings and bells. Part of a bird’s natural instinct is to tear objects apart with their beak, so allowing them to nibble on toys helps keep their beak in shape while benefitting their mental and physical well-being. Toys also fulfill their instinctual need to forage. Additionally, because pet birds spend the majority of time on their feet, interactive toys help them stay active and exercise, which is necessary to avoid obesity.
There are various types of bird toys meant to meet these different needs. And just as importantly, they are aimed at providing entertainment for both bird and owner. These products feature vibrant colors, sounds and materials for an instinctually gratifying and fun play session.
It’s best to have a pet store staff that’s knowledgeable on the size requirements for the bird toys that the store carries. A toy intended for a larger bird might not be appropriate for a smaller bird, such as a budgie.
WoodCoinCoil by Greenfeather Bird Supply
The WoodCoinCoil is created for the companion parrot that’s a strong chewer and that enjoys bead-popping. This toy is a stainless steel wire that’s loaded with several thick maple wood coins, lots of colorful donut beads, plastic rings and jumbo beads. It’s finished off with a colored plastic chain tail.
www.greenfeatherbirdsupply.com
Living World Circus Toy
With Living World Circus Toys, pet birds can dream about joining the circus. This particular toy features a plastic ring with red stripes, a bell and an abacus with four multicolored beads that move along a contorted metal strip. Suitable for budgies, canaries and finches.
Kaytee Desktop Activity Center
Desktop activity centers are an excellent way to encourage interaction and improve the human-animal bond. This unit is great for desks or tabletops and features an adjustable ceiling guard for hanging. Collapsible for easy storage. Offering multiple attachment points for toys, treats and enrichment tools. Includes seven fun interactive toys.
Pizza Party Shredding Toy
The award-winning Pizza Party shredding toy features eight big slices of food-grade cardboard pizza covered in food-grade shredded paper. All materials are non-toxic and completely bird-safe. One slice has a stainless steel chain and quick link for hanging. Once a bird destroys the slice, owners can simply put the chain and link on a refill slice (seven included) and let the pizza party continue. The Pizza Party is an affordable shredding toy that birds will love.
Bird Life Fruit Kabobs
The Fruit Kabob play and climbing toy by Penn-Plax is great for parakeets and other small birds. Featuring a secure metal clasp, this Kabob will attach anywhere on a bird’s wire cage. The Kabob has cotton rope, which allows pets to hold and climb easier, as well as a bell on the bottom, which acts as a fun noise-maker. The wooden pieces on the toy are all fruit-flavored, which makes this bird toy all the more fun.
