Yesterday I tried to put a new toy inside Bonny & Clyde's cage. It's a cat toy, a little yellow/pink ball with a little bell in it. I put it on the cage's floor e they started to fly all over the cage, so scared!!!!!

I don't know why they just don't want to see it. Maybe because of the colour (often in nature dangerous things have brilliant colours) or maybe because of the noise inside the ball.

 

I have to find something else, but i do i catch their attention to play with the toy?

 

Bye

 

Max

My budgie pays no attention to those balls when they're on the floor of his cage. It's like they don't exist. But he does love to play with them when I tie them with a long string so they dangle from the roof of his cage. I hang them close to his perches and he grabs them in his beak and throws them around... just like other peoples' budgies seem to do with them when they're on the floor! So hanging them around in the cage might help? Mine generally dangle somewhere around half way from the floor to the roof.

My budgie pays no attention to those balls when they're on the floor of his cage. It's like they don't exist. But he does love to play with them when I tie them with a long string so they dangle from the roof of his cage. I hang them close to his perches and he grabs them in his beak and throws them around... just like other peoples' budgies seem to do with them when they're on the floor! So hanging them around in the cage might help? Mine generally dangle somewhere around half way from the floor to the roof.

 

 

okay, i'll'try hanging the ball. Thank you for your advice.

But they are scared by this ball...even if they see it in my hands outside of the cage.

if they are freaking out, maybe you could do a bit of the old psycological "conditioning" or CBT... try just sitting it on the top of their cage for a few days. Having it close by but outside their fear will gradually decrease. Then you could try just sitting it on the floor of their cage. They will be a little wary, but will soon learn that it is not going to harm them. Through these two stages don't make any reaction to their behaviour (like taking the toy away, or soothing them, either verbally or physically). Just let them adapt in their own time. Then you could try hanging it up if they aren't showing any interest in playing with it. It might turn out that after all that, it isn't a toy they will ever be interested in anyway! I had a budgie who didn't even batter an eyelid at a fancy toy I bought him... my current budgie thinks that same toy is god's gift to budgies!

I've gotten those plastic balls for my birds too (I have two now, although I don't believe I wrote an introduction for my second bird! lol).

 

I do the same. I tie them up. One hangs from the handle of the cage on the roof (outside), and the other hangs inside the cage with some string and beads attached.

 

Here's a picture of what I've done with the balls. Both have bells inside, which Janus LOVES. He's obsessed with bells

 

The most recent toy, inside their cage.

 

 

 

Apollo (my new bird) and the other ball attached to the top of the cage.

 

Mine have the plastic balls too - they took a while to warm to them, but they like the ones that hang up, better than the ones that just sit on the bottom.

 

Budgies take a while to get used to new toys... give it time and their natural curiosity will entice them

my bird took about 2 months too even actually acknowledge his balls as toys, he was so scared of them when i first put them in the cage, but i also gave them to him when they were out of the cage, start a few metres away from their cage, start playing with the ball allowing the bell in the ball to ring loudly, slowly get closer and closer and they shouldn't be as scared...

 

good luck

I agree with everything everyone has said, new toys can freak them out so you just have to do some adjusting. I can tell you though once they like they they end up LOVING them both my birds loved their plastic balls.

I agree with everything everyone has said, new toys can freak them out so you just have to do some adjusting. I can tell you though once they like they they end up LOVING them both my birds loved their plastic balls.

 

Charley adores the plastic ball. Its on the floor of his cage, he picks it up, carries it up to his water bowl and throws it in, then he looks at it (with one eye!!) and takes it out again, then throws it high in the air, swearing it at it (I presume!) for getting itself all wet!

 

Maxie has one on the bottom of her cage but never looks at it, walks around it, keeping a wary eye on it, in case it decides to attack!!!

 

So I guess its a "personal" thing.

My birds don't seem to want to play with the balls- I didn't tie them and will try that tomorrow. They just sit on the bottom of the cage and get pooped on till I throw them out... I do use plastic rings- slinkies as toys on the side of the cage...

All my toys are tied up or higher so they don't get poo'd on, also you can weave millet through the balls and food they make good enrichment toys.