SAFE TOYS AND CAGE ACCESSORIES FOR BIRDS — Bird & Exotics Veterinarian (2024)

FAQs

What are the safest toys for birds? ›

Stainless steel, natural non-toxic wood, rope, and acrylic make great materials for toys. Indestructible toys go against a bird's nature and are boring. Birds love to destroy things. Appropriate chewable objects include untreated wood blocks, branches, pinecones, rawhide, natural fiber rope, cloth, and soft pine.

Other earth-friendly materials include bamboo, coconut, cotton, and untreated wood. All these materials are safe for play, as they are free of harmful chemicals that could potentially harm your bird.

Fortunately, there are several forms of safe plastics out there (Rigid PVC, PP, PE, ABS, SAN, Acrylics) for use in bird toys. Soft PVC components can also be safe depending on how and when they were processed.

Please avoid cages made of galvanized wire because the zinc that coats the wire can make your bird sick if it chews the bars. You should avoid cages with painted bars for this reason. Powder-coated steel and stainless steel cages are safe for birds, easy to clean, and durable.

It is important that birds have toys to play, explore and interact with. However, not all toys sold for pet birds are safe. The safest toys to use include hard plastics, untreated wood and paper, and native branches and flowers.

Stainless steel is the safest, most durable, toxic-free, easiest to clean cage material available. If you can afford a stainless steel cage, it will be the best cage investment you can make.

In fact, stainless steel is the preferred metal to use with parrots. It is a hard surface that can stand up to a large beak and is easily cleaned. Metals that are nickel plated are also safe for use with parrots. Steel and iron are safe metals, but they will rust when introduced to water.

Owners also often allow their birds to play with and shred cardboard rolls that come with paper towels and toilet paper. My concern with that practice is not the cardboard roll, per se, but the adhesive usually used on the rolls, which may contain zinc or other potential toxins (as some adhesives do).

Try to stay away from parrot toys colored by paints, dyes, or other chemicals. However, if it is colored by water-based food dye or vegetable-based dyes, it should be safe to use it!

Risk of strangulation and entanglement

When a piece of cotton rope or fabric gets chewed and broken down, it frays and unravels into smaller threads. These thin threads easily tangle around birds' feet or neck, resulting in injury or in countless cases even death.

Is acrylic safe for bird toys? ›

Always check that the materials the bird toys are made of are nontoxic and bird-safe. A few good choices are wood and acrylic. Birds love to chew wood and are particularly attracted to colors. However, make sure that the wood is untreated or that the dyes used are nontoxic.

You should fill your bird's cage with accessories such as perches, bedding, toys, bowls and bird baths to make their home both functional and comfortable for them. Use these simple guidelines to choose a birdcage that gives your pet adequate living space so they can live a happy, healthy life.

The bottom of the cage should be lined with disposable paper such as newspaper or paper towels that can be thrown away every day. Newsprint is now free of lead, so it is non-toxic to birds, even if they chew on it.

Life in captivity is often a death sentence for birds, who may suffer from malnutrition, an improper environment, loneliness, and the stress of confinement. Birds are meant to fly and be with others of their own kind in a natural environment. Confinement causes birds to have temper tantrums and mood swings.

Bird Braids — Use bird-friendly sisal rope, jute twine or natural cotton cord to create a toy braid the bird can unravel and shred. This mimics preening behavior, and tying treats or other bits of toys such as a wooden spool or cardboard shapes into the braid will make the toy even more complex and interesting.

They can include beads, bells, nuts, mirrors, or can be filled with food, treats or things to chew on like wood pieces. The number of different toys available is amazing, and bird owners should give their pets toys that are destructible and those that are not.

Try to stay away from parrot toys colored by paints, dyes, or other chemicals. However, if it is colored by water-based food dye or vegetable-based dyes, it should be safe to use it! Water-based food dye or vegetable-based dyes start running when they get in contact with water (that's how you test your parrot toy!).