Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Toys For Your Birds
By Caitlyn
Follow in the adventures of Flip, Rabbit and Caitlyn in the Fledgling Blog.
Did you ever wonder if your bird’s toys are safe for it? I want to talk to you about how to tell if a toy is safe or not.
One easy sign is if the toy smells funny; if so, either put it in the dishwasher or just dispose of it. I know this sounds really weird, but there is a plastic ball I bought Flip that smelled just terrible when I brought it home. I ended up throwing it away because I couldn’t get the smell out.
Another thing: Check to see what country the toy is made in. If it was made in China, be very careful! There are some toys made in China that have lead in the metal, and some have lead or poison in the dye that colors the toy. These can really hurt your bird.
There are some very stringy toys that your bird may go crazy for, but inspect them carefully when you buy them! They may look like a lot of fun, but string can be very dangerous! We had one bird that got his foot caught in one of those toys and he lost a toe. We keep a close eye on our birds and check them all the time, but this happened at night and we didn’t find out until morning! Check your bird all the time,especially if there are any string toys in the cage. Always keep the string trimmed. A string called jute or hemp isn’t as bad because it is natural and your bird can chew through it if it gets stuck.
Now we can talk about safe pieces to use when you make your own toys. I would suggest leather instead of string. I only put wood, and some kinds of plastic and rubber that do not smell. I like to use straws and plastic bottles and paper boxes, too. I don’t use those little bells because I am afraid Flip will eat one, but they are OK for budgies and other small birds. I think this is the best way to make a bird toy!
Well, now that you know safe toys and how to make some, go out, have fun, but be careful
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Toys For Your Birds
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