You cannot always entertain your pet bird, that is why your pet bird should have accessories and toys to entertain them. Actually bird toys and other cage accessories are not just there for boredom, they are also mental stimuli which help in the development of our avian companion. Birds are intelligent animals, the need an active environment to keep them active and healthy.
Birds without enough stimuli in their environment can lead to depression and behavioural issues. This is typical to caged birds who have stayed inside their cages for a long time. This is why bird owners are recommended to provide their birds enough time outside their cage. But it is unavoidable, let us say that pet owners are working from eight to ten hours a day. That is a long time for a bird to stay in a cage without other people to socialize with. This is where accessories and toys come in handy.
Challenging toys are great to enhance your birds intellect. This would include puzzle toys and other accessories which encourage problem-solving skills. Also choose toys which are very engaging, in loud and vibrant colors, toys with different kinds of textures, and toys that have sounds like bells.
When choosing bird toys, consider the size of your bird. Big birds can break small things with their beaks. While smaller birds can get overwhelmed by the accessories bigger than them.
There are also some necessary precautions that you need to know when getting toys for your birds. These items can also pose some danger to your animals. Your bird can get toxic substance poisoning from the toys. There are toys which have high zinc and lead content which can lead to heavy metal poisoning. Dyes and paints can also be sources o toxic materials.
Birds can also get entangled in some toys, while birds can chew and swallow some parts of it. Some toys which can cause entanglement are rope toys or hanging chain toys. Aside from being entangled with it, they can also get seriously injured by trying to get out of it on their own. Not only should you watch for ropes, chains and links, there are instances where toys have holes in them and your bird can get trapped in it.
So, upon purchase of a new toy, it should only be tried with the complete supervision of the owner. This would ensure that the bird would not get tangled or swallow any part of the new toy. There are items which a bird can swallow some parts o it, like wood, plastic and fabric toys. Also, there are periods where a bird undergoes a teething stage and tends to bite and eat anything that comes in contact. So, pet owners should be cautious during this period.
Here are some toys and accessories best avoided:
Concrete perches claim that they were able to trim the birds nails authomticcalh. But the sad thing is that this product harms the birds feet and can leave nasty wounds and scratches.
Mite protectors are said to help in shielding birds from parasites. This protectors emits fumes which can be bad to your birds health. When attacked by parasites you can help out the bird by bringing the, to vet or an avian professor immediately.
There are some pet owners who choose to put a cover on the floor of the cage. It is best to avoid styro-coverings or similar to this. This kind of flooring may get into the digestive system of the bird once it starts picking and eating it.
Getting your pet bird accessories and toys are not just a treat, it is necessary to make sure that they are developing mentally and physically. But it is also important to take necessary precautions when choosing. We just dont pick the one in bright red or green, we pick something since it is beneficial and safe for our avian family members.