Aggression Towards A Toy - Good or Bad?

[Croix]

Because you can't create enough threads, right? :D


Basically, my local pet supply store gives little toys or treats whenever someone buys something. Last time I went to get toys for Atti, I got an arrangement of colorful plastic toy hangers for her cage. Atti seemed to be more interested in the actual hangers than the toys hanging from them, so I took one out and she started to throw it around in a playful manner which my entire family thought was hilarious. So we continued it. That playful behavior is now turning into severe aggression whenever she sees the inanimate object and will start attacking the hanger, holding it in her little feet and attempting to rip it apart with her beak - essentially looking like a hawk attacking some sort of prey in it's talons. The hanger can be around her and she can completely ignore it, then suddenly it's like a switch in her head flicks on and she goes into attack mode. Atti then tries to attack me when I take the hanger away.

Is there a reason why she may be doing this?
Would it be good if I just took the plastic hanger away entirely?


http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3326/toyg.png

[linda040899]

The color of the one in the photo could be a problem for Atti. Red/bright pink are not always good colors for parrots and some are actually terrified of anything red! Or it could also be that she's just playing very hard and all her concentration is on what she's doing. I've seen videos of lovebirds that will repeatedly push a toy, aggressively too, over to the side of a table just to see it fall to the floor.

[Croix]

That's something I am confused about, she will toss it out/off of her cage depending on where she is then her (presumed) aggression will stop. Sometimes she will actually sit on the edge of her cage watching the toy and waits until one of us will bring it back up for her. Atti will continue throwing it as far as she can and seems to enjoy it, so I'm confused on whether she is actually being aggressive with the toy or just having rough fun with them.

I received a few different hangers, one more like the one pictured and two others like rings. She seems to be more attentive with the rings. Especially the florescent blue one, she really throws that one around.

[linda040899]

She's playing roughly with them and having a great time doing it! She knows that if she throws the toy off the side of her cage and it hits the floor, one of her obedient human slaves will retrieve it for her and the fun starts all over again! She's playing a game and enjoying herself!