Below is an article that was posted on FaceBook by a group called "Everything Birds" and I thought I would share it with our customers.
Parrot toys are not toys
Parrot toys are not toys. Properly created and embellished parrot toys are a necessity to the well being and mental health of all companion parrots. Parrot toys will be destroyed. Parrot Toys are not created to last forever. A properly played with parrot toy will be picked at, prodded, chewed, clawed, hung from, thrown, picked up, thrown again, gnawed and carried around. Parrot toys are not meant for a long life. The bigger the bird, the shorter the life of the toy.
And this is why parrot toys are not toys as we humans have come to define that word. Parrot toys are tools to sharpen the mind of a bird, to maintain beak and talon health and structure. Parrot toys calm nerves, distract pluckers, employ bored parrots, lessen the stress of seasonal hormones,and reflect the natural needs of instinctual driven tendencies that cannot play out in a cage. They have no trees to climb and chew, they have no distances to fly, they do not work for food, nor relish the forest and limb. It's a tall order for a toy to fill, replacing nature.
Parrot Toys are mandatory if you have multiple birds. Another bird does NOT REPLACE the need for appropriate stimulation, exercise and challenges. Two birds or more, still get bored the same. It is a misunderstanding that multiple birds entertain each other to the exclusion of the need for toys.
The anatomy of a toy itself defines a good toy from a bad investment. By anatomy I mean the shape, and structural offering it brings to the user (your feather baby). When shopping for your feather baby, stop thinking like you and start thinking like them. Don't look at price tags, don't look at colors (unless they have a phobia of course). But look at the structure of that toy. Consider your baby and their tendencies. Some love to climb. Some, chew. Some prefer working VERY hard to get to the chewy center of fun, while others are lazy and would rather have a toy bowl full of foot toys. Bring your bird's daily mobility preferences (climb, fly, hang, walk, run) and their daily preferences to materials (hard, soft, clanky, natural) to the store. Look for toys that provide both the structure and the material to deliver to those preferences.
The Toys are not Fun and Games Photo Album contains examples of toys and their anatomy. I've photographed toys side by side to discuss the variances of stimulation. I've offered many toys to look at and consider as structural anatomy rather than just a "toy". A healthy parrot, large or small, plays, chews and eventually ruins their toys. We carry the largest selection of Parrot Toys because we know just how important they are to our companion parrots.
And this is why parrot toys are not toys as we humans have come to define that word. Parrot toys are tools to sharpen the mind of a bird, to maintain beak and talon health and structure. Parrot toys calm nerves, distract pluckers, employ bored parrots, lessen the stress of seasonal hormones,and reflect the natural needs of instinctual driven tendencies that cannot play out in a cage. They have no trees to climb and chew, they have no distances to fly, they do not work for food, nor relish the forest and limb. It's a tall order for a toy to fill, replacing nature.
Parrot Toys are mandatory if you have multiple birds. Another bird does NOT REPLACE the need for appropriate stimulation, exercise and challenges. Two birds or more, still get bored the same. It is a misunderstanding that multiple birds entertain each other to the exclusion of the need for toys.
The anatomy of a toy itself defines a good toy from a bad investment. By anatomy I mean the shape, and structural offering it brings to the user (your feather baby). When shopping for your feather baby, stop thinking like you and start thinking like them. Don't look at price tags, don't look at colors (unless they have a phobia of course). But look at the structure of that toy. Consider your baby and their tendencies. Some love to climb. Some, chew. Some prefer working VERY hard to get to the chewy center of fun, while others are lazy and would rather have a toy bowl full of foot toys. Bring your bird's daily mobility preferences (climb, fly, hang, walk, run) and their daily preferences to materials (hard, soft, clanky, natural) to the store. Look for toys that provide both the structure and the material to deliver to those preferences.
The Toys are not Fun and Games Photo Album contains examples of toys and their anatomy. I've photographed toys side by side to discuss the variances of stimulation. I've offered many toys to look at and consider as structural anatomy rather than just a "toy". A healthy parrot, large or small, plays, chews and eventually ruins their toys. We carry the largest selection of Parrot Toys because we know just how important they are to our companion parrots.