by Berlinda Acosta

Created on: November 19, 2009

As one of the most popular bird pets, parakeets are very beautiful and highly intelligent companions. Because of their high intelligence level, they need to be mentally stimulated or they will become bored and possibly destructive. Your parakeet can live for about ten years, so give it lots of toys and have a lot of fun with it!

Fun toys for your parakeet-

You! - This may sound simple, but all animals love interaction and a parakeet is no different. Talk to it, pet it, sing to it, and get to know your parakeet. It may try to use its toys to play with you by dropping it on purpose to make you pick it up. Even peek-a-boo is a popular game with birds. Parakeets are also highly trainable so if you teach it some tricks, you can entertain each other! You should interact with your parakeet at least 30 minutes a day. Consider getting your parakeet a friend if you can't play with it as much as you'd like.

Perches and Ladders- Parakeets love to climb and ladders and perches allow them to experience different views and angles from inside their cage, or you can put it around your house if you want your feathered friend to have a place to rest when you let it out of its cage. Perches can come in a variety of sizes and offer features such as swings. Perches also allow your parakeet to keep its nails and beak short and healthy. Check here for custom made perches and gyms.

Bells- Parakeets love toys that make noise, and a bell can satisfy that need. When choosing a bell, it is important to choose one specifically made for birds so that it will be safe for your friend. They are inexpensive but can provide a lot of fun.

Chew toys and shreddable toys- Parakeets love to chew, and it also helps to keep their beaks trim. Providing them with something safe to chew on will entertain them and help keep them healthy. They also love to shred things, so it is better to provide them with a toy they can destroy than find them shredding something you wanted. The benefit of this toy is that it allows them to shred and also build a nest as well, which is something they enjoy doing.

Mirrors- Although there is some concern that a parakeet could become attached to the reflection in the mirror, parakeets do love mirrors as toys. Find one that secures to the cage with plastic rather than metal, so it can be cleaned easily, like these. You may find your parakeet singing and interacting with its reflection!

In short, parakeets will love any toys that can rattle or make noise when you move them. Also shiny toys, ones that are chewable and ones that have places to hide. You can even make your own toys, as listed here. Try to rotate your bird's toys and mix them up a bit so they don't get bored. And remember that your bird's best toy is you!

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