What Kind of Toys are Safe for My Pet Parakeet?

Small bird toys designed for small birds like parakeets should be carefully evaluated before letting your parakeet play with them. Many of the plastic toys intended for parakeets are actually unsafe and can be very hazardous to the health of your bird.

Cheap (and some not so cheap) plastic toys can easily break with excessive play or normal wear and tear. Unfortunately, many types of plastic will break into small, sharp shards. Your parakeet can easily cut itself on the sharp edges that can be formed once the plastic breaks or (in extreme cases) can even be swallowed and cut your parakeet's intestines, stomach, and throat.


Clear, hard plastic bird toy parts are most likely to break into sharp pieces. Plastic toys built for chewing are safer, but you have to know your bird. Will your budgie just chew up the toy, or is she the type of parakeet that eats plastic given the chance? Ingested plastic can impact a bird's intestines or crop—either way the parrot will need veterinary attention.
Rope toys are great fun for all types of birds, including your parakeet. Rope and thread can be groomed and shredded if it becomes frayed. Some birds will love swinging on rope toys. If you use rope toys, be sure to check them on a regularly for signs of fraying and tangles. Your parakeet can easily get a claw caught in a frayed or knotted rope. The result can can cause the bird to panic and possibly even lead to broken bones. If the bird gets caught in the rope toy when your are away from the home, its frantic efforts to free itself could lead to panic-induced heart attacks. Yes your bird can literally over exert itself.

One way to avoid such accidents is to only let your bird play on them under close supervision in a special play area separate from their bird cage.

A similar fraying problem can occur with “happy huts,” soft cloth burrows that hang in bird cages. Many parakeets like to burrow into these huts to roost. They’re a great bird accessory, but should be frequently checked for frayed corners and other loose strings in order to prevent accidents.

Many parakeet toys include bells. A bell can be a great addition to a parakeet toy, but only if it’s made out of the right material. For example, metals coated with zinc are sometimes used to make these such toys. If your parakeet chews on bells or other metal toy parts that are zinc coated, it can develop zinc toxicity. This can lead to death.

Symptoms of zinc toxicity include regurgitation, diarrhea, weight loss and, in sever cases, seizures. Feather plucking can also occur due to zinc toxicity. Treatment for zinc toxicity is often successful with an early diagnosis. However avoiding zinc coated parakeet toy parts and cages altogether will always be the best prevention for zinc toxicity.