Hello

 

I have bought a cotton wreath (see below) and put it in the cage. Cado loved it immediately and spent all the time on the top of the wreath. He didn't move from it.

Today I decided to remove it from the cage and he seems to be more active I think (or it can be just my idea) but he started to play a little with another toy and flied around more than before. Should I leave it in the cage or remove it ?

Will he be depressed if i remove it ?

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13368&prodid=22649&catid=5

 

thank you

Hi KiwiBudige,

 

I've been reading quite a few of your posts about your new little bird Cado over the last few days. Sounds like you want the very best for him.

It's okay to want to make sure he's 100% happy 100% of the time, but take a deep breath and relax a little!

Budgies are pretty happy easy to please little birds and I can tell yours will have a great life with you, just don't worry about the little stuff so much.

 

Now, as for your toy in particular, I have mixed feelings about it. The cotton is good for preening and picking and shredding as long as it is not swallowed. Most birds don't have a problem with swallowing foreign or inedible objects (a condition we sometimes call pica in people or other mammals) but on the odd occassion a bird may swallow the threads off a cotton toy and that can result in medical complications. Personally, I've never had that happen, and I like to let my birds have rope perches to vary the texture under their feet and to give them something to pick at and explore.

 

A slightly bigger risk of the particular toy you have posted is that Cado's toe nails may get caught in the fluffy fibers and that could result in a broken toe or leg. You can reduce this risk by making sure you keep his little toenails nicely clipped. However, this risk, more so than the possibility of him swallowing bits is what would make me personally not purchase this toy for my own budgies.

 

I prefer this type, and when it gets frayed I either snip the frayed bits off or I replace the toy. http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mMQWFVtPNlPb-UTY1Iq__pQ.jpg That way I compromise, my birds get their favourite sleeping spot in the rope ring, and I worry less about caught up toes.

 

As for the toy making him less active or removing it making him sad. The answer is no to both questions. The toy wasn't making him less active, he was just choosing to interact with that toy over the others, and it will not depress him to take it away, Many Budgie owners rotate toys weekly to give their budgies lots of variety so they never get bored.