List hazardous toys HERE, please

JerseyWendy · Dec 5, 2013

We’ve had some very unfortunate and tragic accidents due to toys lately. In an attempt to avoid any more tragedies, we are starting this thread and ask for your input/contribution. Please, if you have had an incident with a certain toy, please list it here.

IME there is NO toy that is 100% safe all the time.

Please, check toys often. They may be safe at first, but after a few play dates they could possibly become a hazard.

ONLY use SS hardware to avoid metal toxicity.

Avoid O-rings that can be opened and closed, as beaks can easily get wedged in between.

For those with bigger, stronger beaks, use PLIERS to firmly close Quick Links.

Thank you all in advance for your contribution.

Featheredsamurai · Dec 5, 2013

great idea! I know a couple I can list. But first, please make sure your quick links are twisted shut completely! When I worked at petsmart two of the store conures got stuck on open quick links(a vet had to remove them). The link gets stuck in the little gap right behind the lower mandible.

Happy huts, these are deadly and so many parrots have been injured or killed because of them

This style of plastic toy can strangle parrots(the middle plastic part slides around making it dangerous). One member a while ago mentioned it happening to their bird while they played with a similar toy - luckily they were home and could save them.

crimson · Dec 5, 2013

I know I said thanks in the other toy section, but really-- this means so very much to me.

If I(all of us on here) can save one bird from injury or death, then this section is worth it's weight in gold.
On behalf of Num Num and Safari~~ THANK-YOU

due to personal experiences these two toys were detrimental to my birds, one lived(with severe injury) one died.

First-Bells of ANY KIND-birds love to chew these, manipulate the metal with their beaks, and chew off little pieces and swallow them.....which will have dire consequences.....NO BELLS!!!...if you buy a toy with a bell, remove it at once, and throw it away.

secondly- ANY toys accompanied with CHAINS- birds beaks can become lodged in between the links, panic due to being caught, can and will break their beaks trying to break free.

you may cover the chains with wooden blocks, or vet wrap.

Maria_Metropolis · Dec 5, 2013

Is there any safe hardware that we can use to hang toys? I don't trust the hardware that the toys often come with.

MomtoPercy · Dec 5, 2013

Excellent topic!
I've fortunately not had any toy accidents with Percy but I hope it is ok to add a warning about "rough perches" here.
In an attempt to keep Percy's claws trim, I bought him some "sandy perches". They are perches covered with sandpaper type stuff and advertises that it will "keep your parrot's claws and beak trim and healthy". However, it was way to rough for Percy"s feet and within days, he had two raw patches on his feet even though only two of his four perches were the rough, sandy type. I tossed them out immediately and replaced them with guava branches and within a day, I could see improvement in his feet.
If you use "rough" items in your cages, PLEASE check your bird's feet for damage before it gets serious.

cstambaugh · Dec 6, 2013

Some bells are ok, ones made for birds. They will be solid stainless construction and very heavy duty. They will break their beak before they break the bell. Also, they wont be able to get to the ringer part.
Do not use christmas style bells that are a ball with a metal piece inside.

My GW macaw would give me up before he gave his bells up. Bells are usually a bird's favorite toy.

crimson · Dec 6, 2013

I will clarify this right now.
I am to assume the stainless steel bells are safer to use,.
I do not own one, so I can't comment on the safety of them.

Stainless Steel Bell Small, Medium & Large - STAINLESS STEEL by MY SAFE BIRD STORE

the ones I was referring to are the common types of bells you see on most toys:

Mac's Creatures and Critters Grape Cluster Bird Toy - Toys - Bird - PetSmart

I would be the first one to remove ANY toy from my flock if I thought for one second it would potentially be detrimental to their health, regardless of how the bird feels about it....based on my experiences of course.

MomtoPercy · Dec 6, 2013

My Percy also loves a bell but I will not allow one in his cage, no matter what good reviews it gets. I've read too many sad and scary stories. Percy has only one toy that contains a bell but it is on his play gym where he is never unsupervised and it is a BIG bell that he probably couldn't get caught in even if he tried. But parrots are such clever creatures, I can't risk it. Rather too careful than sorry.

crimson · Dec 10, 2013

F.Y.I.

Bird Toy Safety

cassiepengo · Dec 11, 2013

oh my god!! im so glad i found this!! ive put up this little bell in bamboos cage. its just the small teeny tiny plastic one on a keychain. it dusnt even ring, there are just these small bead bells( or what do you call it) on them. is it bad? gosh, i thought it was just perfect!

Free-Shipping-1PC-font-b-Large-b-font-COLORFUL-Lucky-Jingle-Bells-font-b-Keychain-b.jpg

somewhat like these, but much , much smaller. when his bites the bell, they shake, and he thinks its the bell

MomtoPercy · Dec 11, 2013

cassiepengo said:
oh my god!! im so glad i found this!! ive put up this little bell in bamboos cage. its just the small teeny tiny plastic one on a keychain. it dusnt even ring, there are just these small bead bells( or what do you call it) on them. is it bad? gosh, i thought it was just perfect!

somewhat like these, but much , much smaller. when his bites the bell, they shake, and he thinks its the bell

I think it has a lot to do with size ratio between parrot and bell. A bigger parrot shouldn't get his beak caught in a small bell (technically) but then, he could get in all other kinds of trouble - claw stuck, swallowing the bell, too many scary options! Unless it is a specific bird safe bell, I'd advise stay away.

GaryBV · Dec 11, 2013

Wendy, this isn't about toys, but I was wondering if you could make a 'sticky' about PET NAMES that we can create a list of names that we can go through when we get a new pet - I have noticed several people asking for suggestions. It could be names and the meaning of the names, if foreign what they mean in English, and maybe orgin as well. Just wondering what you think that about idea.

crimson · Dec 11, 2013

personally I would not risk it, you might find another toy that is much safer and just as fun

JennyB · Feb 18, 2014

Last year we bought our green cheek conure a woven "ball" made out of thin, untreated wood. (Imagine a hard, hollow ball of yarn.) I don't know what it was called, but it had a plastic bell/noisemaker inside that made noise when she shook and chewed it. She would chew and chew until she got a small piece of the stick/wood loose, chew that for a while, and then go back to work on the ball. She loved it. Anyway, one day we heard her screaming like she was dying, and ran in to find her head stuck inside the ball!!! Thank goodness we were home to get her out without any injuries, it could have turned out much worse!

Betrisher · Feb 19, 2014

If your bird likes a jingly toy, you can use pliers and brute strength (you need to have a resident brute for that - luckily, I have two!) to thread a couple of pony beads and a couple of those tiny plastic pacifiers onto a split ring. You could even use a quick link at a pinch, I s'pose, but you'd need to be pretty sure your bird can't undo the quick link. Anyway this makes a great little jingly foot toy, or you can hang it from a SS chain or bit of string for them to peck at in the cage. It's much safer than bells, IMHO.

JennyB, you sure were lucky to catch your bird before something tragic happened. I would never have suspected those vine balls for being dangerous, but there y'go. I'm glad your bird's fine!

Sheryl · Apr 4, 2014

Beware toys from King's Cages! I had the bell from one of their toys tested at Texas A&M Veterinary Med Lab and the results showed it was exceptionally high in zinc. The reason I had it tested is because my little BFA, Bergie, died from metal toxicosis. I could not convince Andrew King or any of his employees to do the responsible thing. I've literally lost sleep knowing the danger was out there. And the danger is compounded by the fact that if you visit the King's Cages website, they appear so well-intentioned and trustworthy. Ever since I realized it was too late for Bergie and me, I just wanted to stop it from happening again. Please share this information with parrants whenever and wherever appropriate. Sincerely, Sheryl

veimar · Apr 4, 2014

I was wondering if silver is safe for parrots to chew on. My green cheek conure doesn't like anything better than chew on my silver chain on which I wear the cross. It's a very sturdy chain, and he doesn't attempt to break it (otherwise it would hurt me) but just slides his beak back and forth holding the chain. I dunno why he loves that so much, but that's his favorite toy.

Allee · Apr 4, 2014

This a great thread. I've said it before but on my Zeke's behalf, I'll say it again, Quakers and I'm sure other birds as well, love Happy Huts, Zeke has a permanent scar around his neck and on his leg from being tangled in a sleeping hut for hours before he was found. I met him after the accident so I can only guess what the trauma did to his personality. None of my birds will ever have a happy hut. I have to be careful with Zeke because he wraps toys around himself if he can. Accidents can happen with any toy, but some birds seem to get themselves in more trouble than others.

Sterling1113 · Jun 3, 2014

I suppose this is the appropriate place to post this- not really a toy(or a common one) but still.

Cat trees/hidey holes. Watch out for loose threads. My conures have a cat hidey hole(I'll find a picture in a minute) and they love it. One day I noticed Loki pulling at a loose thread hanging inside their old cage. I didn't think anything of it and continued to watch him be fascinated. Then he tried to climb on it, lost balance, and bam. It was around his neck. He was standing so he wasn't suspended, but he had turned around once or twice before I could get my hands around him and get the thread off. He wasn't hurt, thankfully, but there's no way that thread would have broken if we hadn't been there. So we checked it for any other threads that could be loosened and removed anything that could be a threat.

I know some parrot owners like using cat trees and similar accessories, so I figured a warning would be nice. I know I didn't see it coming, though I should have. (This was almost 7 months ago.)

You can see the box on top of the old cage in the background. This was at our old apartment. (And that's Fawkes!

) and a younger Kiwi on Brad's ponytail.. Hehe.

goalerjones · Jun 4, 2014

Chainsaws. Definitely a bad toy selection.

List hazardous toys HERE, please

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Toy safety

is this safe?

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