In the November 2010 issue, you learned how to encourage your bird to play with toys. Now follow this pet bird toy safety tips.
Size: Get a toy that is meant for the size pet bird you have. Toys that are too large may swing hard into a pet bird and injure it. Toys that are too small for a pet bird can be broken by strong beaks.
String and loops: Toys which include string or loops should be reserved for supervised play outside the cage. A pet bird can get caught in string and be injured. Our pet birds are naturally curious and it gets them into trouble!
Cleaning: Remove pet bird toys from the cage before cleaning it thoroughly. Some pet bird toys can be cleaned in the dishwasher, but that is not true of toys containing rawhide. Some dyed wooden toys may bleed when wet. When a toy gets gnarly and dirty, it's time to throw it away.
Hardware: Choose toys with stainless-steel fasteners. Less expensive links and hooks may contain zinc, a poison hazard to our birds.