Lovebird doesn't care for toys.

[Bumble]

I bought my lovebird from a pet store and he was just in a cage with a perch and food. He had no toys. Now that he's in a nice large cage with toys, he doesn't bother to play with them at all. He likes to come out of his cage but won't venture very far from it unless he's sitting on my shoulder. He only uses his toys to sit or sleep on.

I'm wondering if anyone else had a lovebird like this or can help me spark his curiousity? Is he just naturally lazy?

I have tried buying him new toys and taking him all around the apartment for him to explore.. In the end, if I set him down to see if he'll check things out on his own, he just runs back to me or his cage.The only thing I noticed that he'll be curious about is if I'm eating food, otherwise he just likes to sit around and groom me. Any suggestions?

[Birkah]

He just sounds laid back to me! Cipher doesn't like traditional birdie toys too much, but he does love Legos, GI Joes, and other actual "kid" toys (with three boys, we have toys everywhere).

Have you played YouTube videos of other lovies for him? Cipher LOVES those.

[bookworm0550]

some birds are just laid back like that. or maybe he just doesn't know how to play with toys yet. my lovebird chomper came from a place w/o any toys and it takes him awhile to catch on. he'll play w/ something when he sees the others playing w/ it. but even so, my birds don't play w/ all their toys. they like some more than others. its always a guessing game at what they'll like. like what rebekah said above, try playing you tube videos. they love that!

[linda040899]

maybe he just doesn't know how to play with toys yetThat's it exactly!! He has to learn how to play and you may have to be patient with his learning curve. Try starting with just a couple of simple things. Swings are usually great for starters. :)

[bird-brain]

Cabo came from a similar situation and he has only just now started shredding paper after 4 months! I thought he was just different, no he just hadn't discovered how fun it was yet, now I can't leave anything paper anywhere! The first toys he really got into were things he could do outside of the cage. He like to pick up little pieces of balsa or beads and drop them into small plastic bowls of water??????? Then we found the coconut toy and he put it all together and now he is a non stop toy freak! It took him a month to figure out to sleep inside his cozy and not ON TOP of it. hehe

[jk1944]

Ethel, my lovie, didn't know how to play with toys much except with her small stuffie, Mr. Giraffe, which came with her ten months ago. Not sure if he counts as a 'toy' as she beats him up if she's irritated. Lately I have noticed her playing with her beads and ball strung onto knotted sisal just as our new baby conure does with her string! Good luck with your beautiful new lovebird and be patient, above all, be patient.

[LeeBee]

Even though my little Pepper is a monster with toys, she loves to bash them and throw them around, if I give her something new she just sits looking at it.
I always try my best to show her how to play with the toy, and have a little play session with it.
When I first gave her a little ball, she just stood staring at it like, "hm.. what is that?!", but after a few hours she was knocking it about with her beak and passing it to me!
Just show your lovie how to play, and you'll be surprised how quickly he'll pick it up :)

[Lawrence]

In my experience they always fall for strings. I usually bait them with a hanged veggie strips and wrap the veggies around the toys after a few days, then they will 'get' it and start beating up / playing with the toys. Also they are usually such a sucker for swings!

[jsaw79]

I know this thread is a decade old, but it's definitely still relevant. Kilo, my PFLB, was re-homed to my good friend for eight years due to my inability to care for him. Now he's back with me and he and I both couldn't be happier. The only thing is when I took him back, his cage had non-shreddable toys, a mirror and a bell that he never played with :( Now that he's back with me he STILL does not play with anything.:confused: He has a birdie kabob and a shreddable converse (He USED to shred them to bits before I re-homed) but now it goes untouched. He does forage for his food, but no playing. Will he re-learn how to shred and play? Any suggestions? :thud:

[linda040899]

In my own personal experience, as parrots age, they tend not to play quite as much as they did in their younger days when everything was fun!!! The fact that he forages for food is a great thing, as he's working to find what he needs to eat rather than have it placed in a dish where it's easier for him. In the wild, parrots spend most of their waking hours searching for food so their time is well occupied. If it's too easy, some parrots can turn to bad behaviors (plucking) to occupy time. I would remove the mirror and bell and just add shreddable toys which are safer. Mirrors are not appropriate for lovebirds because they form strong bonds with mates and they could come to view their reflection as a companion.

I'm glad to hear that he's back with you and you are able to care for him. We are here for you with any questions.