So I buy $25 in toys for my parrot...

[Deja Q]

It prefers to play with and chew up pieces of crumpled up paper. :eyes:

The main toy is 100% acrylic and has 4 colorful plastic pieces that can be moved around. There was some residual glue I spent an hour removing. :-( The other two are hollow and have holes in which to stuff treats.

I've not seen him play with any of the toys; not even the two that have treats inside! (one has peanuts, which she loves. The other has yogurt covered dried pineapple, which she'll nibble at the yogurt bit then throw it aside, leading me to eat the pieces myself because I think they're quite tasty!)

I'm not terribly surprised, it takes Zoe forever to want to play with a toy and even then she'd rather chew on things. (she only plays with (rather, attacks in angst) a steel chain that was used to hold a wooden chew toy

Should I return the toys?

[robmc88]

1. The problem may be...

Your Parrot may not be getting enough nutrition through his food. Get a vitamin enriched food or buy that vitamin stuff that you can put in the water. Then see if it still chews up the paper.

About the toys, my parakeet is scared to death whenever I put a new toy in his cage so I acclimate him by having on the outside of the cage, then the very inside of the cage, then where i really want to put it for him.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

2. Keeping a bird in a cage is just plain cruel.

You are supporting the industry that take birds from their natural habitat so we can be amused by them. I'm not the lest bit amused.

[Pithlet]

4. That didn't take long.

:eyes:

[Magrittes Pipe]

5. You have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

So shut up.

[da_chimperor]

8. I agree

It's a pet, and I doubt it was taken from the wild. Lay off it.

[Magrittes Pipe]

10. It wasn't taken from the wild if it was purchased after 1992, anyway.

And love and companionship is SO much worse for a bird to have than constant threat and predation.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

12. Well that certainly clears that up if its a pet you doubt it was taken

from the wild. The logic here astounds me.

[da_chimperor]

21. You're one to talk about logic

Assuming something normally make an ass out of you and me, but in this case it just makes one out of you. You make an attack against someone for owning a parrot right off the bat without knowing anything about the bird or it's owner. I said i 'doubt' that it was taken from the wild, because the importation of captured birds into the US is highly restricted if not entirely illegal (i'm not entirely certain), and it has been for some time. If I don't know something for certain, than I do not try to pass it off as the truth. Do you get my point?

[Deja Q]

27. Why not ask me directly? Am I such a scary person to you?

Your logic astounds me.

Check that, don't bother. Do unto others...

[Deja Q]

19. It is illegal for live animals outside the US to be imported...

Zoe was bought from a small business who specifically bred birds.

I will not shop at chain stores. They hire novices at minimum wage and treat the animals like lowest-dollar commodities. Not living beings.

It is illegal for animals outside the US to be imported. Has been for years. Anyone who knows beans about animal morality should know that.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

9. If I'm wrong I would like to know about it...

I don't consider," YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SO SHUT UP" as any kind of argument. Would you like to expound upon that?

[da_chimperor]

15. Well, you automatically made an assumption that the bird was taken from

the wild. I consider making a baseless assumption not knowing what you're talking about. Granted, I wouldn't have said it in the same manner, but I agree with hedges sentiments.

[Magrittes Pipe]

16. Sorry if that was harsh. Here:

1) It has been illegal to import parrots since 1992. True, there is some smuggling, but it is far less than more profitable smuggling operations (e.g. drugs, people). All young birds in the pet trade are captive-bred.

2) Due to the endagered status of many of these birds, captive breeding is essential to the survival of many species.

3) Also, the psittacine mind is quite adaptable to life with humans. Their intelligence often surpasses the more common domesticated animals, and their social nature meshes easily with ours.

You are rightish about something: A parrot should not be constantly caged. It does need time out, time to play, to cuddle, to do the things it wants to do. That said, however, it also needs a cage. Parrots are very sensitive animals, and they need to feel a sense of security.

Again, sorry for the outburst. It's just something I take very personally.

[flamingyouth]

18. The bird in question would be much happier outside in Minnesota

I'm sure. :D

Buster, my cockatiel, just chirped his assent.

[Deja Q]

24. The bird stays indoors! She'd quickly freeze outside!

Being hand-raised by humans, it's hard to say where she'd want to be, or survive even if she did know.

[Magrittes Pipe]

25. FY was being facetious.

[flamingyouth]

26. It was a joke

And not aimed at you, believe me. ;)

I'm a bird lover, myself. :D

[Deja Q]

23. Please don't apologize to him until he does to me.

He hasn't even addressed my response to him yet.

Sad.

[Deja Q]

17. I understood your viewpoint. I'd be happy if you'd respond to mine.

Until then, that chap has a point. (see my other response to you.)

[Deja Q]

11. She's family to me, not 'amusement'. BTW,

Do you own a pet? If so, then your credibility is down the toilet.

Are you Vegan (no part of any animal, either directly or indirectly)? If not, your credibility is down the toilet. And it is anyway, many forms of plantlife flourish due to animal excrement.

Now if you want to marry me so we can be family and amuse each other, I'll gladly give the parrot up for adoption because, quite frankly, it is well known that hand-raised domestic animals don't fare well in the wild. If you think I'm slime for raising a parrot, how much less of me (in your haughty self-righteousness) would you think if I let her fly out the window?

She's a responsibility. Not an amusement. Indeed, if the bird was mere amusement, would I have taken the time to clean the toys before giving them to her? :crazy:

[Kat45]

3. When did you buy the toys?

A lot of birds will take a while to start playing with a toy. My bird, Grace, checks things out immediately, but I've had other birds who don't go near it for a while. I've had birds who never bothered with a particular toy, then maybe after about 2 years, suddenly started playing with it all the time. You just never know. And she'll probably eventually get to the peanuts. Does she know they're in there?

She loves to chew, eh? Sounds like a parrot. Grace's favorite toys are things she can chew on or dismantle. What kind of parrot do you have?

[Deja Q]

14. Yup. She watched me put them in her toy.

She is initially shy (usually at first), so maybe it is a matter of time.

Senegal parrot, BTW, thanks for asking! :-) What type of bird is Grace, that's a great pose she's in!

[Kat45]

34. Grace is a pacific parrotlet--a 4" parrot

Thanks about the photo--that's my favorite pic of her too.

Ah, you have a senegal! That helps to explain it. I have a senegal, who currently lives with my ex- (because the bird is bonded with him). Our bird will be 11 years old this year. He's a fraidy-bird. He gets scared easily, and something new in his cage tends to scare him (as in, he won't go anywhere near it). Your bird doesn't sound as bad, but she might be a bit skittish about new things as well. From seeing my senegal and talking to other folks who have them, I get the impression that this species is like that.

My senegal doesn't play with toys much either, although I think other senegals do. But he definitely loves to chew. And he is smart: when we've given him toys that the bird is supposed to have to "work at" to get the nuts (or other treats) out of, he figures it out pretty quickly and it eventually becomes like just another treat cup. LOL

Your bird had a problem with biting? So did ours. He's not as bad as he used to be, but he still occasionally will suddenly bite, hard, for no apparent reason.

[da_chimperor]

6. What kind of parrot do you have?

I would love to get a hyacinth macaw myself, but they're huge and I've heard they're very expensive, somewhere around $10,000. :(

[Deja Q]

13. Senegal parrot... Never buy from a chain store, they are despicable.

Well, if you do, make sure the bird is under 6 months old. Older birds settle in and take forever to feel comfortable in a proper human environment and, as I said to another chap, to release the current birds into the wild would mean their deaths. Many domestic animals don't fare as well in the wild.

My Senegal was $275. 8 months old at the time and had a habit of biting. Since adopting her, she's bonded with me and her biting is nowhere near as bad as it originally was. Yes, she doesn't live in the wild where she might be eaten by a carnivorous animal to promptly shorten her theoretical lifespan of 30 years down to 0, but she has a good flock member (me).

[Magrittes Pipe]

22. AH! A Sennie!

Sweet little birds, and she is gonna love the hell out of you (be careful when bringing friends over, though -- Senegals can get VERY jealous).

They do have a penchant for not reacting well to new things. Introduce the toys to her slowly, she should be fine. And if she doesn't adjust? Eh, she'll just find her own toys. ;)

[Deja Q]

30. Thanks!

:-)

She does seem to prefer personal attention over toys, but when she finds something she likes, she will definitely spend time with it.

But I generally buy her chewing toys, not acrylic ones or others that keep her mind enthused (though she has shown her intelligence in many other ways. 'Toy' is such a glib word. :D )

[Magrittes Pipe]

32. I've got a Meyer's parrot, a close relative of the Senegal.

Logos generally much prefers studying her toys to playing with them. Olive (parrotlet -- looks a lot like notmyprez's Grace), on the other hand, tears the everloving shit out of her toys. :D

[da_chimperor]

29. I'm unfamiliar with the breed, but I just found some photos

That's a very good looking bird. I think you'be piqued my intrest in getting a more practial animal. :D

[Deja Q]

33. :-) They're fun birds, IMHO... I dare say a pet bird is the best of both

Cat and Dog, but without the allergies.

Not quite a cat and I'd rather clean up after the bird than train it to hold in its doody (which would be cruel, IMHO) or make it wear a stupid outfit to keep the doody from going on the floor... but parrots are charming in ways cats aren't. They're intelligent like cats but have the loyalty (and need for attention) like dogs.

[flamingyouth]

31. That's great that you've bonded so well with her

Buster was the reject of his flock and was the last one left. They called him "Scruffy" and I felt bad for him so I went home, made all the preparations and brought him home the next day. It was amazing, but once he'd been with me for a few weeks, he went from being very shy to being, um, QUITE BOSSY. In fact, he's really the alpha creature in our house. We all know who's boss.

A few years back, I really wanted to adopt an African Grey I had met, but she was almost a year old and I think she'd been abused in some way. Her history was murky, according to the foster parent at the time. And I wasn't sure I had the time or the skills to try to bring her around, or if it would even be possible. Someday I'd love to have a bigger bird, though. They are such amazing friends. :loveya:

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. What kind of parrot is she?

[flamingyouth]

20. Buster, my 'tiel, gets scared by his new toys

I have to gradually introduce them to him. I usually put them outside the cage, let him yell at them for a while, then I'll put them in and talk to him while he screams at them some more. Finally, he'll usually start chewing on it, and then all is well.

We have a little routine going on here. He's a very happy little guy, living in a cage big enough for an African Grey, and he's right by the window, where he looks out onto my lush bamboo plants.

And my three cats are all scared to death of him - ROFL. :D

On edit: here's my little guy:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

28. Miggy, My vos says...

That someone in this thread couldn't fine a clue with a flashlight and a roadmap. Wanna guess whom? Think "low numbers". ;-)