| Companion Bird Club |
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| "A club for parrots and their human companions!!" |
| Most parrots love the dangling toys of course, but it is also advisable to keep a �toy box� full of foot toys attached to the side of the cage. These are small wooden blocks or acrylic toys that move, anything small & interesting that your parrot can play with by holding in its feet. A lot of these can be found in the hamster and bunny dept. of the pet store. They have all sorts of twigs and wooden chews that parrots just love to get their beaks on. Perches: Make sure you have the right size perches for your parrot. There is a proper size range for each species, and there should be at least 3 varying sizes and textures within this range installed in his cage to keep his feet in good shape. Toys: FIRST & FOREMOST: TOY SAFETY! 1. Use only the fasteners that screw together to hold toys to cage. They are oval in shape and have a screw lock nut that closes them. They are large enough that no bird is going to get a toe hung up in them and they keep the toy securely attached. 2. Zinc poisoning is always a possibility with cheap toys. A safe test is to use a magnet. If the metal on the toy sticks to the magnet, it is probably zinc and you don�t want it. 3. Remember, you parrot is just a little animal no matter how smart he/she seems. Be careful of small parts that can be broken off and swallowed. 4. Beware of rawhide ties or chew toys from foreign countries. Make sure it is USA made. Other countries may use poisons in the tanning process that are harmful to your bird. Being as smart as they are, a parrot just cannot have too many toys. Toys are fairly expensive, but as you get acquainted with more bird people and begin the hunt for cheap but safe toys yourself, you will be able to save big bucks in this area. Once you learn what types of toy parts to buy and what your parrot likes, you can make toys yourself for very little investment. Since you are a beginner toy connoisseur, perhaps it is best to start out with a few at your local pet store. Keep a couple of things in mind. The bigger the parrot, the bigger and stronger the toy must be and still you will have to expect them to methodically disassemble any toy you bring into the house. That is part of the fun. Your hope is that it will last long enough to make the price worthwhile. |
| PARROT CARE 101 |
| Chapter 2: Hardware |
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