Need help with new toys issue.

[wuvzbirdies]

Hi there,

I have a question on how to get my CAG accustomed to new toys. I bought him a great perch; we hung it from the ceiling right above his cage so he could gradually peck at it and hopefully eventually perch on it. Well it’s more than a perch, it has all sorts of toys on it, and it’s quite big. Also we built him a play gym and he refuses to go within 10 feet of it. Any ideas on how we can get him to be interested in something other than our wicker dining chairs that have been chewed to shreds. Seriously he’s only content if he’s on one of us or chewing our personal belongings. Any feedback?

Thanks……… April

 

[RKZX2]

if it's hanging above his eye level, he may see it as a threat. i must be so lucky. i can get new toys & put them right in the cage WHILE they are in it. what i would do is leave it on the floor next to the cage for a couple of days. pick it up once in a while & let your bird see this. it may help him get used to it. no guarantees though.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Sounds just right, leave them out on the floor a couple of days, and let the birds see you 'playing' with the items.

Also reward them if/when they play with or get on the perch/gym. Its not really a mystery why they chew our furniture when you consider what happens when we see them chewing our furniture: they get lots of excited attention.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

That said though I think many "bird toys" are quite over rated. They can be pretty pricey for items that your bird may end up having no interest in.

There was a recent thread about cheap cat toys - they're winners. I just got Auggie a little cat toy which looks like a tribble (sensu star trek... yup I'm a geek). Its a little ball with long fur. He loves it.

All the play gyms and expensive perches he has very little interest in.

 

[RKZX2]

large bird toys for my moluccan are so expensive. one of his favs. empty toilet paper rolls & paper towel rolls. he chews on them for hours. i make my own toys sometimes.

 

[TexDot33]

large bird toys for my moluccan are so expensive...

Let's see ... toys for an M2 ... probably the same as for a big 'ol mac ... this is what you do ... go out to your shed, grab your axe and make like Paul Bunyan by going out into the woods and felling the largest tree you can find that day, drag it back to your house and present it to Poppy. To keep M2 in chewing toys, repeat the above instructions daily ...

 

[Spiritbird]

Grey Toys - if they are made specifically for parrots then they probably won't like them. I gave up on the special sissel perch which was gradually introduced. I think it was viewed as a snake. I am currently working on a pine cone I steralized in the oven and there is still a great amount of fear of this cone for several days now. I even put seeds in it!! Cat toys are great! So are baby toys. My bird's fav. toy is a play cell phone.