What do you do to prevent bird boredom? I try to put myself in their place sometimes and just imagine how boring a being locked up on a cage can be for them. Tango still has a few more feather to go before she can fly so Kobe sticks with her on the floor when out of cage. The floor is a boring place for a bird too. Here are a few things we can do:
Rotate the toys How often? I do it about once per week and it seems to renew their interest in them.
Teach your bird some tricks. I must admit I do not do this.
Play music or nature sounds. This is a good one.
At feeding time offer a variety of options for you bird to choose from. This gives them the opportunity to choose. Maybe even think
One on one attention and playtime with them out of the cage
People enthusiastically bopping and grooving often inspires even the most sluggish parrot into some dancing activity at least in terms of head bobbing
Move the location of the cage, perhaps in front of a window so they can see outside for a while.
You can make play gyms much more interesting with the idea of “the foraging tree.” This concept might keep a wandering cockatoo in one place, at least for a little while. In addition to the usual toys, hang multiple foraging devices on the cockatoo tree, giving these super-intelligent birds multiple problems to solve. This configuration is much more interesting than a toy alone and could be helpful in keeping those wandering “chain saws” occupied. Climbing nets are also fun for the birds.
Place a treat in a paper cup, paper towel, empty envelope, coffee filter or other nontoxic item, and close it by twisting or crushing the container. Then you can punch a hole in it, and hang it in the cage, or hang it on a skewer. For more difficulty, the wrap can be offered as a foot toy or hidden around a parrot’s cage.
Fill a bowl with appropriately sized, well-scrubbed pebbles (large enough that a parrot cannot swallow them and small enough that it can move them around). Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of small treats over the rocks, and jiggle the bowl to get the tiny morsels to drop below the pebbles. Big birds love this game and will spend as long as an hour chuckling while rummaging around in the metal baking dish, trying valiantly to find all the precious sunflower seeds she buried there. A shallow dish is best for this one and also supervision.
So we need to "think our of the cage" once in a while and I bet you already do this. What are some of the things you have done to create boredom busters for your birds?
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