Green-Cheek Conure will not play with toys

[Stevechi]

I have roughly a seventeen-year-old Green-Cheek Conure that I got from a rescue and it will not play with toys any ideas to try to encourage him or her to play with toys?

 

[Puck]

Hi Steve, and welcome to ParrotForums! (I don't know if this is your first post, but I haven't seen you before, so at least welcome from me!)

A few questions to get an idea of the situation so we can give you a more informed response: 1) How long have you had this GCC? 2) Was he playing with toys before and suddenly stopped or is he just avoiding new toys? 3) Are any of the toys you have from his old home if he's a new bird, or are they all new toys? 4) Is he doing something instead of playing (like plucking out his feathers) or is he simply sitting around?

Just based off your original post, my guess is that he is still settling into a new environment and is nervous. Give him time to adjust would be my number one suggestion. You can also try adding a new toy of a different kind from the toys you have in there (if they are all colorful, add a toy that is natural wood, etc). Some more details on the situation would really help with suggestions, though!

 

[Stevechi]

I have had him or her right before Thanksgiving about a week or two. he or she will not play with toys at all just sits there eats good and drinks water.. seems pretty healthy otherwise.

 

[snowflake311]

My friend has a Green Cheek she got when it was 4 month old. She liked toys a little bit one day my friend went to clean the toys. Whatever they used left a bad taste and the bird hated it so much she never touch another toy again. I got all her unused toys.

My bird Kiwi never liked toys all that much. I would not worry too much.

Can you teach an old bird new tricks?

That is awesome that you rescued hew and took in an older parrot. Good job.

 

[Flboy]

My JoJo rarely plays with his toys!

 

[Nicky76]

You can teach an old bird new tricks [emoji3]

When we rescued Archie (Patagonian conure) in February we found out he was much older than we thought (about a million years old according to our vet haha).

Anyway, he had no idea how to play with toys. I sat with him with the toy picking at it showing him that I really liked it. Eventually he'd come and check it out and then want it for himself.

He slowly took more interest in the toys in his cage.

Now there is no stopping him, he's destroyed a whole packet of big wooden blocks in a week haha [emoji3]

https://vimeo.com/195162370


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Flboy]

Two things my JoJo will play with:

A bowl of plastic bottle caps, and loves this cat toy

http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcosto...C_P_WEB_CJ_FY16_2617611-_-5145543-_-11030085#

 

[Kentuckienne]

One thing always works with Gus - not letting him have something. He wouldn't play with his toys either at first. I believe birds prefer different ways of play. He wouldn't chew wood, wouldn't ring bell. He did rip up paper so I put stacks of papers on an apple spike and he started working on them. So I put sheets of paper on the other toys, covering hem up so he didn't find the toy until the paper was off. Also made the wood much softer to chew. If you have another person, take turns handing the toy to each other, playing with it and making a big fuss. Ignore the bid, but now and then hold the toy out briefly to see if there is any interest. If not, take it back and once and play some more. Maybe leave it somewhere in reach but not too clos. If you can find even one play activity like tearing, chewing, bopping, you can use the information to make new toys more appealing.

 

[Stevechi]

Thanks everybody I will give everything a try to get him to play.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Let me chime in on the welcome!

Unlike Archie the brainiac above (love ya, Arch!), my Patagonian has always enjoyed a pretty limited range of toys. Anything that moves or requires complicated manipulation (like foraging toys) are just too complicated for him. He's a great mimic and a real character, but just can't seem to do any problem-solving and seems disinterested/intimidated by anything that looks like it might be smarter than he is!

So maybe start off with basic stuff like popsicle sticks and soda pop caps.

And I also join everybody in thanking and congratulating you on your generous rescue of this wonderful little sweetheart. He was alone too long...

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hi just thought that Chantal's (Dinoswrar) idea merited a mention

http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/65995-won-t-stop-screaming.html

 

[JBassset]

Stephen's only use for toys is to climb on them. He won't play with them.. they're just a thing in his way from A to B.

In his mind all those expensive toys I bought him to enrich is life are just perches. But he does have things he plays with. Mainly: ping-pong balls and the cardboard tube from toilet paper or paper towels.

He climbs and hangs upside down a lot, he chases ping-pong balls and tears up tissue paper and cardboard tubes... So I let him do those things and just ignore the fact that they were all basically free and the toys cost a small fortune.

 

[Flboy]

Another idea, JoJo loves shredding coffee cups! Not the thick styrofoam kind, the ones that peel in a circular manner. He hits it like a buzz saw, rotating it until he has it down to the bottom. Makes a real mess!

 

[JBassset]

Another idea, JoJo loves shredding coffee cups! Not the thick styrofoam kind, the ones that peel in a circular manner. He hits it like a buzz saw, rotating it until he has it down to the bottom. Makes a real mess!

They do seem to like the "mess" aspect of their games don't they?