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Supplying large birds with toys can become quite a challenge due to their
tremendous ability to destroy anything, in what seems like a matter of
minutes! I know it can become very frustrating watching your hard earned
dollars become toothpicks before your eyes, but is bigger toys the answer?
The primary reason for parrot toys is not for
entertainment as one may think, but rather for mental stimulation. Toys are
a way to keep our bird’s mind active & healthy.
It’s easy to fall into the “Big Bird, Big Toy” syndrome
but is it really the right approach to your birds mental health? Based on
more than 10 years of play behavior studies, I would have to say NO!
Only in the parrot toy industry are toys designed that are larger than the
pet. When asked my opinion on this, my favorite comments is, “I have a Great
Dane but I don’t throw him a couch to chew on.”
Our studies have shown that many Macaws and other birds
will destroy BIG toys as quickly as possible for the simple reason of
overcoming what they perceive to be an intruder in their space. It may
appear that the bird is having a great time with his new found treasure,
when in fact he is driven by aggravation & frustration, each of which are
not healthy forms of stimulation on a regular basis.
On the other hand, other studies have shown that BIG
birds who have always been supplied with small but interesting, easily
destroyed toys, will spend more time experiencing the toy, piece by piece,
exploring its every nook & cranny and enjoying every aspect of the toy.
The end result is the same, a big mess, but the mental
stimulation is far superior when the parrot experiences a toy rather than
just demolishing it.
Most all BIG toys are wood on a rope or wood on a
chain and although all birds love to chew wood, it’s just not enough for
your bird’s proper mental health. As much as our children love television
I’m sure we all agree that it shouldn’t be their only form of entertainment.
Once our birds, big or small, master wood chipping, the thought process as
well as mental stimulation is all but lost.
Proper mental stimulation cannot be achieved by a
lifetime of pulverizing wood. I relate this to prisoners on a chain gang
breaking rock; it’s better than sitting in a cell all day but not by much
I realize that BIG toys may last longer, and lets face
it, they look terrific in those massive cages, colorful & quite impressive
but do they really last any longer than lots of little, less expensive toys?
After all, A BIG toy is really just made up of little toys tied together yet
there is usually very little variety other than the colors and shapes of
wood in the toy.
There are always exceptions to the rule, but by
changing your BIG birds over to lots of smaller toys, you can offer your
bird more stimulation for your dollar. Parrots don’t need to play or destroy
things all day long for good mental health but I do believe that proper
stimulation is every bit as important to our parrot’s health as is proper
diet, housing and husbandry.
BACK Claudia Polega /
Design-Rite Products 07/12/03 |
