Parrots are very intelligent creatures, that while in the wild come to indulge their curiosity by flying and exploring the world around them. They tend to fly from tree to tree, pecking on interesting things and feed to food.
What happens when this creature becomes a pet? There is significantly less physical and mental activity, unless the pet owner makes a conscious effort to give both. Parrots toys are a great way to provide mental stimulation and to create some physical activity too.
One of the basic things to remember when choosing a toy for your parrot is DO choose something appropriate size. Do not get a great toy for a small bird, such as a Green Cheek Conures and Quaker Parrot or a small toy for a larger bird such as a Cockatoo or Macaw. This can be frustrating and may even lead to injuries.
When choosing parrot toys DO remember the activities that your bird enjoys. Parrots love to chew, like shredding, and they like to look in the nooks and crannies. The best toys are those that are based on these natural instincts and give the birds to be employed while doing it.
Wood and paper toys are good materials for them to chew and toy manufacturers to use soft hardwoods to provide different levels of challenge for the birds. Very often, parrots, toys, raw hide, as it gives the birds something to chew on.
A variety of textures can be very stimulating to a parrot, then select parrot toys which incorporate different materials or choosing toys made of different materials. Other than wood and paper, you will also find commercial toys that have adopted the clothing materials, cotton rope, coir fiber and bast in imaginative ways to give variety to the birds.
DO choose toys that have a quality puzzle for those who will serve the purpose of engaging mentally parrot. Some of these toys have a space where you can hide a nut or poor treatment because it will give the bird the joy of foraging and the emotional high of success.
Remember that parrots are very intelligent, and in that sense, have their toys to serve the purpose that a child toys are supposed to serve. It is to keep them entertained, but also to ensure that they will use their abilities.
At this point, it should also be pointed out that you need to gradually increase the complexity of your parrots' toys. There's nothing more frustrating for you and your bird than to start with the most complex toy market. Yes, it may be the ultimate combination of texture and puzzles, but it would be best to work up to that stage. Do not drop that on your parrot in the beginning.
Toys can also focus on physical training. You want to get your bird a lot of flight time, but may sometimes not possible. A well-chosen toys can help them work off some of their energy. DO take toys with moving parts such as ring swings and different levels of dowels can encourage movement in parrots.
There are also foot toys that are designed specifically for parrots to manipulate with their feet. There may be something to open and some simple mechanism to work, which can keep parrots happily engaged for some time.
There is no exaggerating the emotional value of toys for parrots, but there are a few things to remember here. NOT see your role as simply providing an extravagance of toys and leave the parrot to his or her own devices.
DO monitor the appeal of each toy you introduce and replace those who do not work. It would also be most productive to introduce one toy at a time and rotate between a couple in order to prevent boredom from over-exposure.
And remember that even though the toys were much stimulation, it would not be a complete replacement of the time you need to interact with your smart pets. Make sure you do not let that happen!
In the form of parrot safety, do make sure to choose toys that are made of materials such as nontoxic plastic, natural fibers and organic dyes and untreated wood and avoid toys that are chemically treated leather, zinc, lead or treated wood.
When you choose a toy with a rope element keep the frayed material, as this can be disastrous for the parrots. As mentioned earlier, DO choose a size appropriate toys so that your bird will not have a head or foot caught in a awkward place or angle.
And as part of your attention on safety, DO inspect toys that your bird play with frequently and replace damaged or worn them quickly.
It may take some reflection and choice, but your bird will surely benefit from the effort you put into picking your parrot toys.
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