Bird Toy & Other Warnings

"There are many toys available for pet birds, and picking out safe toys for your pet bird is vitally important. Severe injuries and even death can result if you are not aware of common dangers assoiciated with some bird toys. In addition to avoiding dangerous toys, it is very important to pick out the right size of toy for your particular bird."
Quote from http://ExoticPets.about.com .

Please email us with any safety concerns/issues that you may have.

.

Ropes that are safe:

COTTON: Only Supreme 100% Cotton rope is made specifically for birds. You can check for this rope by pulling on the fibers. If you pull off soft fuzz into your hand, then it is most likely Supreme. Supreme is also a natural white instead of bright, bleached white. You will also see small brown particles that are from the cotton plant when the cotton is picked.

SISAL: Sisal rope that is all natural (oil & pesticide free) is also safe for birds.

PAULIE: Odyssey Paulie rope is the only brand of paulie rope that is safe for birds; the type carried at most hardware & craft stores is industrial type & is NOT safe for birds.

.

.

Ropes that are not safe:

"Dog toy" rope: this rope is a poly/cotton blend that is made for strength & should NOT be given to birds. You can usually identify this rope by mixed colors within a braid as well as the rope being stiff.

100% cotton rope made by any other company than Supreme: this rope is also made for strength & is actually only 99.9% cotton; other fibers, such as rayon, nylon, & polyester are blended in to make the rope stronger.

.

.

Other Products that are not safe:

Fabric: Fabric is woven tightly & can trap a bird's toes/feet; even 100% cotton fabric has been known to do this.

Lava rock: Lava Rock is nature's glass - small pieces can cut like glass too!

Flavored wood: Birds should not be encouraged to ingest wood.

Split key rings: These are the type that you find on keychains. Birds are able to split them & hurt themselves.

S hooks: Birds can get their beaks caught on these.

Soft rubber toys: Soft rubber or plastic parts can be confused as a food product. They may also contain toxic chemicals as well as lead and cadmium.

Bells with unwelded clappers: Birds can remove these, causing a choking hazard.

Chemical tanned or dyed leather: The chemicals used in the tanning & dying process can be extremely harmful to birds. Make sure to ask if the toy manufacturer uses formaldehyde free, vegetable tanned leather that they dye themselves. Most dark brown & black leathers are chemically dyed instead of food color dyed.

Glues, adhesives, lacquers, paints, some dyes: All of these products are unsafe for birds. If the wood on a toy is shiny, it is either painted or lacquered. Any dyes that are not FDA approved, or vegetable based are also not safe.

Zinc, lead, brass, & copper: The above products contain lead BB's. Toys containing products made of these metals can lead to metal poisoning. Brass is made of copper & zinc. Copper is known to leach out of the metal.
NOTE: If an item is noted as "galvanized", it is most likely zinc, even though they will not be listed as such. I have found websites that are selling "galvanized" cages - these are "grey" metal cages where the bars are criss-cross close together (see picture above).

Happy Huts/sleeping tents: These have been proven to cause strangulation, toe/foot loss, choking, even suffocation.

Foam/Cellophane/Styrofoam: There have been some bird toys released recently that are made of foam parts. Foam & cellophane can be a dangerous choking hazards for birds.

Screws: Beware of perches that are attached with screws. These are hazardous when birds chew the wood down, leaving the sharp point exposed. Some companies cut off the point or use bolts instead.

Balls: Make sure that wiffle balls have round holes instead of line holes. Birds have been able to get their toes & legs caught in the wide holes.

Toothbrush: Birds can ingest the bristles that are usually held in place by metal that is possibly toxic.

Glue Guns & Glue: Glue guns put off fumes that have been toxic to birds.
Also, glue that is on paper tissue/towel rolls has been found to be toxic as well as a hazard for suffocation if a bird gets his head stuck inside the tubes.

.

.

.

Visitors: