Giving the Conure Toys
1. Give them something to chew.
Good chew toys will keep your conure busy while sparing your furniture from their chewing. A conure should always have a few items to chew in their cage. Good chew toys include
- Wood blocks made out of balsa wood or pine
- Leather strips and ropes
- Vine balls
- Grass mats
- Wicker baskets
- Old books and newspapers
- Fruit and veggies (like carrots, celery, lettuce, and apples)
2. Stick in some foot toys.
Conures love playing with their feet. Try giving them a few toys that they can grip, turn, and kick. Wiffle balls, rattles, blocks with holes, and small wooden dumbbells are all great choices.
3. Provide toys that make noise.
Conures enjoy making noise. Try putting a bell inside of their cage that they can ring and shake. Rattling balls or key rings with jangling metal toys can also provide endless fun.
4. Hide treats that they can find.
Conures like foraging for food. Even if they’re happily fed, they will spend a long time hunting for hidden treats in their cage. Put sticks and branches with leaves in their enclosure and hide toys and treats among them to provide your bird with a natural environment to forage among. To keep them occupied, you can also hide treats and toys inside of:
- Cereal boxes
- Rolled-up newspapers
- A drilled piece of wood
- Egg cartons
- Wreaths of grapevine or willow branches
- Finch nests
- Condiment cups filled with bird seed
5. Rotate new and old toys.
If your conure stops playing with their toys, it may be time to introduce new toys. Don’t throw out the old ones yet. Remove them from the cage until the conure grows tired of the new toys. You can then rotate in older toys. Your conure will play with the old toys as if they were new.
- If your conure is not playing with a new toy after a day or two, take it out and try again another day.
- If the toy is dirty or sticky from use, it may be helpful to clean and freshen it up to make it attractive again to your conure.
Playing with Your Conure
1. Let them roam around your home.
Conures will enjoy a chance to spread their wings and explore your home. They may even come hang out with you for a while. Give the conure at least an hour outside of their cage every day.
- Always supervise your conure when they are out of their cage so they don’t get into trouble!
- Make sure to bird-proof your home before letting them roam. Close all windows, and turn off any fans. There should be no electrical wires or scented candles out in the open.
- Always supervise your conure around other pets and children. If your other pets are aggressive toward small animals, put them in a separate room.
2. Bathe your conure.
Conures love a good bath every couple of days. Fill a tub with water, and place the bird in it. Once in the water, the conure will bathe themselves. If they don’t, splash the water to encourage them. When they are done, wrap them in a towel, and pat them dry gently.
- You can use Tupperware containers or dog dishes to bathe your conure. The dish should be big enough that they can walk around comfortably in it.
- If they don’t want to bathe, take them out and try again another day.
