Buying toys for cats or dogs is simple enough; you can usually tell if they like the toys if you see the animal playing with them. But what types of toys do you buy for a pet bird? Many people equip their cages with a number of toys, only to find the bird doesn’t play with them or immediately destroys them. This is because, like humans, birds need stimulation and can often become bored.

Your bird may seem bored with the one or two toys they have in their cage and that’s probably because they are. Birds need at least 10 to 14 toys in their cages in order to be happy and healthy. That may seem like a large number, but domestic birds spend their entire lifetimes in a small confined space with little to do but eat and rest. They need the maximum number of toys possible in order to remain stimulated and busy.

It may seem impossible to equip a small cage with so many toys and allow your pet enough flying space at the same time, but it is possible. You can place toys nearly everywhere in a cage, including along the back wall, the sides, and hanging from the very top of the cage. Providing a perch near the toys allows your bird to easily see and reach these toys. You can also hang toys outside of the cage, creating an entirely new way for your bird to play. He’ll enjoy plucking at the toy from inside the cage, bringing it in and out between the bars and creating for him an entirely new form of play.

Birds, like kids, get bored easily. As you increase the number of toys in your bird’s cage, you’ll see your bird begin to brighten up as it becomes happier and healthier all the while.