If your budgie is not playing with their toys it could be a cause of concern
The good news is, you shouldn’t be worried
Why?
Because it can take time for your birdie to get used to their toys or play with them
Some birds just don’t have any interest in their toys
In this article you’re going to learn how you can get your budgie to play with their toys
Also, how you can keep your birdie entertained
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
How Do I Get My Parakeet To Play With Toys?
In all honestly, birds don’t really “play” with their toys like a dog or cat would
It’s just birds being birds – it’s normal
But if you really want your budgie to play with their toys here’s a few tricks you could do
Put treats in them
You can try and add treats in the toys to get your budgie to interact with the toy
If your budgie don’t go near the toy there’s no chance of your birdie knowing what to do with it
A treat would encourage your budgie to at least touch the toy and when your budgie knows it’s not a threat to them it may result in your budgie playing with it
Will this work?
Maybe, but there’s no harm in trying!
Place the toy where your budgie can see it
It’s almost a guarantee that a budgie won’t touch their toys straight away
Some bird parents say it takes about three weeks of their birds just watching the toy before they actually play with it
It’s all about patience and a waiting game
Here’s what you could do
Place the toys on a sheet on the floor and invite your budgie down (if you let your bird out of their cage)
You start to play with the toys yourself and make it look exciting as possible!
Budgies are naturally inquisitive and sooner or later they will join in
When you think of it from a budgies perspective
They are at the bottom of the food chain so they take a cautious approach to everything
Your budgie may think that new toy you bought may eat them!
Your Budgie Just Don’t Want To Play With It
I mean some budgies won’t just play with their toys regardless of how exciting you may try to make it
This is normal
They just don’t have any interest so you pretty much can’t do anything about it I guess
If you’re concerned about your budgie not being active then it’s best to take him to the avian vets to make sure it’s not an illness
How Can I Keep My Budgie Entertained?
Entertaining your budgie is easy and fun
You’ll both have fun
The best part
The bond you will create with your budgie will be beautiful!
Budgies (Parakeet) are very sociable animals and they love interaction
So interacting with your bird is key to keeping them entertained
They require daily interaction so try to involve your budgie in everything that you’re doing
For example if you’re cooking
You can talk to your budgie and say what you’re cooking and how you’re making it
They will love this!
Let your budgie out of their cage and let him sit on your shoulder
You may be working from home so let him see the laptop and tell your budgie what you’re working on
Entertaining Environment
Fill your budgies cage with a variety of toys
And change them every two weeks
Try to buy toys that are different colors and textures
Move your budgies cage to different rooms to vary the level of noise and interaction around them
You could get toys such as
- Swing toys
- Mirrors
- Bird shaped toys
- Olympic rings
- Ladders
These should keep your birdie entertained
To add a variety of toys in your budgies cage, it’s important to invest in a large bird cage
Especially if you’re at work for most part of the day
Your budgie will have space to fly about and you get the chance to add a lot of toys
You want to get something like this
Prevue Hendryx Wrought Iron Flight Cage
This is HUGE!
It’s big enough for plenty of budgies and still they will have adequate space to fly about
You can get this on Amazon by clicking here
Another Friend
Budgies love companionship and yes you will offer that to your birdie
But if you’re at work during the day your budgie can become bored
So another budgie will surely keep him entertained for sure!
If you already have a male budgie, I would recommend getting another male budgie for the most harmonious relationship
A female budgie tends to dominate social interactions which can lead to fight and squabbles!
If you do want to adopt a female budgie, make sure you have a large bird cage like the one I mentioned
This will give both birds plenty of space just in case your the female rejects his advance and becomes angry
Try to avoid keeping two female budgies together
They are very territorial which will only result in fighting and squawking over space!
Related article
Can I keep a single budgie alone in a bird cage
Can you keep two budgies in one cage?
Visual Entertainment
When a budgie is alone they can become bored
I mean how much can they play with their toys
So what should you do?
If you’re not going to be home some part of the day
Place the cage near the window so your budgie can see the outside world by seeing cars, people and wildlife
This will keep him entertained till you’re back
If it’s possible, put a bird feeder outside the window
Make sure you don’t put the cage directly into sunlight
You could also leave YouTube on your laptop and play bird shows
Related articles
Can I put my budgies cage outside?
What do budgies need in their cage?
Where should I put my bird cage?
How to make your parakeet love you
Wrapping Up
If your budgie does not play with toys it’s nothing too much to worry about
But to be on the safe side, you should take him to the avian vet to make sure it’s nothing medical
You can try and create his interest by showing him how fun the toys are!
Remember, patience is key here
Some budgie parents say it can take up to a year for your birdie to play with their toys!
In the meantime you could keep your bird entertained by spending quality time with him
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