Things we looked out for when finding the best budgie toys
First of all, safety should always be your priority when buying a toy for any pet. Always aim to buy toys of the highest quality to avoid being disappointed or subjecting a budgie to potentially dangerous, poorly constructed toys.
The main things to avoid are toys with sharp edges, large gaps or dangling loose threads where they might get caught or trapped. You might think these are hardly a recipe for disaster in such a small cage, but the facts are that a stressed or panicked budgie can very easily die from fear or injury. We avoided any which had comments regarding issues with safety.
Budgies actually have incredible colour vision unlike a lot of pets, and so fantastically coloured ropes and swings may encourage them to play with a toy more frequently. We looked for brightness and variation to attract your pet.
But do be cautious of this, too. Don’t go for anything which doesn’t state it uses bird-safe non-toxic paints. Most made for this reason will be fine, however, we did find some cheap options on sites such as Amazon which were dubious.
Wooden or plastic toys are the best bet for budgies when it comes to material, although wood often offers more chewing and pecking options. Rope and ladder toys are alternatively often made out of cotton or sisal. Make sure to never use ropes constructed from nylon as they can result in injury.
With so many different species of pet birds out there, toy manufacturers have a hard time categorising what toys are suitable for what bird. And as it is so confusing, It’s quite often that most toys are just listed as suitable for every bird type, leaving you uncertain whether to go for a product or not.
Thankfully, in the main, this is more a problem for owners with larger birds, as finding out a swing or rope is far too small for them to even grasp with a talon can be very frustrating. Budgies on the other hand are unlikely to ever have the issue of something being too small for them!
The main issue with size for budgie owners instead usually comes down to how much room they have in the cage. Make sure to study the product dimensions and the dimensions of your own cage before buying, as you don’t want a huge obstruction stopping a budgie from spreading its wings.
However, even if it fits well, if it looks to be quite a big, boisterous toy, then it of course still might not be entirely suitable, as you don’t want something so large it might hurt your feathered friend. While this can be in your hands mostly, all of our picks are budgie-friendly in general.
Types of Toy
Swings
A toy that clips or attaches to the roof of the bird cage, they’re not too dissimilar from a classic garden swing seat. Often in the form of either a platform or perch, they provide a gentle swinging motion for your budgie and can also have bells attached for added amusement.
Climbing
Things like ladders, hanging spirals and hanging rope all offer opportunities for your bird to jump from place to place, practising their stability, coordination and balance by climbing up them.
Chewing
It might sound strange but budgies get just as much an urge to chew and nibble as say a hamster or a mouse. Therefore toys that offer foraging and pecking opportunities are often a big hit with birds. These will often be simple things like a collection of rattan, or perhaps a more complicated toy with various different chewable ropes and wooden blocks amalgamated together!
