Choose only toys sold by reputable companies. We inspect any new toys very carefully to try and determine how safe they are before we agree to sell them. We use our own experiences and those of our customers, as well as advice from experts and current veterinary findings. We will only sell a toy whose merits far exceed any danger. (Ask the person selling you the toy about its safety, if they don't know don't buy it.)

Safety can also be a concern with toys purchased from sources that you are unfamiliar with. Several areas have bird shows or fairs that several vendors display their toys. Other than the safety of the toy itself is the concern of where the toy was made. Are there other birds around that could potentially spread disease? Does the person making the toys do so in a bird free environment? You may get some 'good deals' at some of these fairs but what price are you willing to pay in the long run? If you attend these shows buy only items you know are safe and that can be sterilized before offering it to your bird. Many of these bird fairs allow people to bring their birds or have birds at them, which alone should concern you. By all means do not bring your bird with you and always change your clothing and shower before going to your bird when you arrive home.

We sell a few toys that are recommended only as out of the cage toys. This is typically because there is something about the toy that a bird might become tangled in. If this happens while you are home and the bird is out playing on its play gym you can quickly undo the problem. If it were to happen while you were away it could be much more serious. Always be sure to use toys the way they are intended to be used.

Use toys sized for your bird. This is especially important with large birds. Never give a large bird a toy intended for small birds. Many beads, bells and clasps that are perfectly safe for a cockatiel can be dangerous for larger birds. Some large bird toys may be dangerous to smaller birds than they were intended for. A plastic ring perfect for an amazon to hold and chew on might get caught around a smaller bird's head.

Be careful about improvising. Many bird owners make toys for their birds. This can be fun, is often less expensive and allows you to give your bird exactly what it likes. However, when choosing materials be very careful. There are too many dangers to possibly mention them all, but here are a few examples. Some soft plastics can be torn into little bits and ingested, causing intestinal blockage. Many dies, paints, colorings and metal finishes that are considered safe can cause toxicity problems in birds. Long strings, especially non-natural fibers, are dangerous if ingested or wrapped around a toe or other extremity. Many woods, papers, fabrics and leathers are toxic if ingested. The safest way to make toys for your birds is to only use parts that are sold specifically for birds from a trusted source. If you wish to use other materials, consider only those that you have seen used for birds, that are child safe as well as human food production safe. Even then you should contact your veterinarian or other expert and ask about the safety of each material you are considering. We offer several toy parts you can use to make your own bird toys. Ask us which parts are appropriate for your bird.

Follow instructions carefully. Some toys come with labels or even instruction sheets explaining how they should be used, cleaned etc. We will often verbally explain certain things to do with a particular toy to reduce any danger. By doing simple things like trimming long strings, tightening fasteners and checking for wear and tear you can increase the longevity of many toys and also increase your bird's safety.

Bells, Clasps and Finishes

• Bells with easily removed clappers.
• Clasps that are improperly sized.
• Finishes, paints, dies etc. that contain toxins.

There are very few bells made that are safe for large birds and many that are sold aren't safe for the smallest birds. We are very careful to point out any possible problem with a bell on a toy. We also carry a number of bells that are safe in most situations. There are some clasps that we never recommend and others that we only use for certain sized birds. The biggest offenders here are the key (or split) ring style clasp that medium and large birds can spread apart. Birds are very susceptible to ingested toxins. The safest finishes are vegetable coloring for woods, naturally tanned leather, uncoated hard (marbella) plastics, and stainless steel solid chain, wire, and quick links.

As I have said, there are no truly safe toys for birds. Recently we had a young bird that regularly got a toe stuck in a connection point of a particular toy. The toy is recommended by Sally Blanchard (she is certainly a trusted expert on bird safety), and is made by Perma-play (a company that goes above and beyond when it comes to safety concerns). The bird's nails were properly trimmed. The toy was properly sized for him, and was used in exactly the same way as we have used it for years. Yet that particular bird couldn't seem to avoid getting a toe stuck in it. (It was never severely stuck, but the bird sure thought it was.) We had no choice but to sterilize the toy and give it to one of the other babies in the store who played with it without incident.

This is just another example that we can never be sure that our bird's environment is totally safe. With some care and caution, however, we can greatly reduce the chance of anything bad happening. By following the guidelines stated above, using common sense and finding trusted, reliable sources for advice your bird should be able to live a long, happy, injury-free life.

*The toy in the first part of this article was a parrot wheel style toy made by Thee Birdie Bordello. We sell many other toys from companies like, Jungle Talk and For The Birds which use the same or similar type of connections. There is a slight possibility of danger with some of these toys but it is very slight. The Perma-play toy at the end of the article was a sidewinder toy, which uses a similar but even safer connection point. Perma-play toys are probably the safest toys for parrots. As was stated in the article all toys have some potential for danger. We will continue to carefully select toys, and warn customers of potential hazards. Please inform us of any accident or potential hazard that you are aware of.

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Additional Safety articles:

• Harmful Foods & Plants
• Safe Plant List
• General Bird Safety
• The Importance of Wing Clipping
• Winter Considerations
• Common Household Poisons
• True Myths and False Truths
• There's Something About Zinc

• All Articles
• Introduction to Parrot Island
• General Care of Pet Birds
• Diet and Nutrition
• Behavioral Information
• Veterinary Health
• Special Interest
• Species Specific
• Recommended Reading