Fat-free foraging. Give them toy-cocaine! ;)

[MomtoPercy]

I struggle to provide healthy foraging opportunities of master Percy because he will only make an effort for 'naughty' foods like nuts and sunflower seeds. Oh, he will check all the hidey holes but if he discovers a broccoli spear he won't even look further

I saw these types of toy online and was very lucky to discover some of the circly ones in a local shop. They were extremely expensive though. I incorporated them in big toys and he started attacking them with a vengance. I couldn't keep up!

Then I found a bag of mixed shapes at a discount plastic store and tried those - they are still a hit! If he sees me walking towards him with any one of these things in my hand he goes crazy LOL! This is why we've started calling these shapes 'cocaine' in my home

So I've started hiding them in his foraging toys...voila! Success! This morning he saw me put one in a paper packet but didn't see what else I did. I was refreshing his in-cage toy bowls (he's got three different ones at various spots). I hid the paper packet at the bottom of the toy bowl that he visits least freaquently (I think because it is next to a rope perch and he doesn't seem to enjoy this perch).

Well, after I put the toy bowls in, he zoomed around the cage, tossing things here and there until he found that paper packet! He ripped into it and actually squeeled with delight at his own cleverness!

I know there are foods that fids will do anything for but do your fids have any 'toy-cocaine'?

 

[hacatta]

Anything with palm leaves here,not easy when you're country doesn't have palm trees.
Thankfully there are toys here with them.(with a not that nice price tag).
But it is so worth it.

 

[strudel]

My birds don't seem to play with their toys. Maybe they just aren't any good.....

My budgies did, one of my weiros "attacks" the tassel thing on one of their toys, but they don't seem to be interested in them. My galah doesn't seem to bother much with hers, either. She'll run for her treat "thingie" if I put something in there, but it's not much of a challenge. I wrap up things in paper, but she doesn't bother with them (I probably just give her too much directly for her to feel like she has to bother?)

 

[hacatta]

I just discovered that just putting a piece of paper in the cage keeps them happily busy for an hour lol.

 

[strudel]

She does like tearing up paper, just not playing with her "proper" toys.

 

[hacatta]

I know what you mean 1 couple of mine doesn't play with their toys either.
They just enjoy each others company.
While the other 2 are playing the whole day.

 

[ConureCrazy]

Those look fun! Zora will go nuts for the 1" spherical beads. She loves trying to crack then and throwing them on the floor. Oliver loves stiff cardboard.

 

[Freespin]

Haha what does he do with them once he has them? Barry loves branches with leaves still on them, he just loves pulling them off! I'm not sure with Nelson yet though he enjoys the new leather toy I got him =)

 

[MomtoPercy]

Haha what does he do with them once he has them? Barry loves branches with leaves still on them, he just loves pulling them off! I'm not sure with Nelson yet though he enjoys the new leather toy I got him =)

He chews them to pieces...but not just random old pieces! Oh no! My boy carefully (but verry determinedly) cuts of each 'circly bit) with his lower mandible, rolls it around in his mouth and then spits it out, never to be looked at again! I will post a pic of his results tomorrow (unfortunately his cage has already been cleaned for bed time so all the debris is in the garbage).

 

[Freespin]

Haha that's cool, the little things huh!