Use your ingenuity and create toys out of normal household items to help keep your African Grey Parrot busy.
Wad up bits of newspaper
Cut up pieces of cardboard that they can hold in their "hands" and demolish
A ballpoint pen with the ink barrel removed. Make sure it is all plastic and no metal.
Plastic straws
Wrap a nut or treat into a piece of paper
Wine bottle corks – real ones only!
Plastic bottle caps with any inserts removed
Large buttons
Large stainless steel bolts and washers – make sure they're clean
Unwaxed paper cups
Popsicle and other wooden sticks
Cardboard rolls (unscented)
Wooden spools and clothes pins with wires removed
African Grey Parrots love to hang on their toys
Make sure you keep salvageable pieces and parts of store-bought toys that have been destroyed during playtime. Place in a "toy box", a cardboard box works great or purchase some thick natural rawhide and string the beads, blocks, etc. to create a "new" toy for your African Grey Parrot.Change and rotate the toys every two weeks or so to help keep your African Grey Parrot active and interested. When introducing a new toy, do it slowly. If introduced too quickly, the African Grey Parrot will tend to shy away and very possibly never play with it. If the toy has never been in their cage and / or play top area, make sure they see you playing with it before attaching. Their natural curiosity and wanting to see everything and know all that's happening will encourage them to come check out the new toy with you.
Toys help keep our African Grey Parrots happy, healthy and curious.
FORAGING Toys
In the wild African Greys will spend many hours of their day foraging for food. Not only is foraging a natural part of their behaviour, it is essential to their well being as it keeps them exercised and their minds active. Foraging is something that the pet 'Grey' misses out on in captivity as they have to look no further than the feed pots we provide, to find food.This is why it is a great idea to introduce some foraging toys to your parrot. There are many great toys on the market which are great for this. The idea being that treats are placed inside of the toy so that your parrot has to work hard to retrieve them. This is often in the form of spinning wheels, turning handles, pressing buttons etc. But there are some great ideas you can also make yourself, such as wrapping your 'Greys' favourite treat in some paper and hanging them up for them to retrieve or stuffing tubes full of tissue and paper and hiding a treat inside.
