Short Cuts from Fowl Play

Most of us know what it’s like to buy an outrageously expensive toy, only to watch our bird totally destroy it in a matter of days. Or worse, they nibble at it for a few minutes then never touch it again. For this reason, we love it when we find that perfect toy, one that is inexpensive yet totally absorbs our bird’s attention. I have found many such items at Fowl-Play, an online store that has a nice selection of items for parrots. They carry a variety of toy parts as well, so you can put together your own toys according to your (or rather, your bird’s) tastes.

Shortcuts are an absolute favorite of my amazon Inca and my senegal Max. These are little rolls of compressed cardboard that take a good couple of hours to totally destroy. The nice thing is that you can get a half-pound bag of them for only $3.00. These are great for parrots that like to tear things apart. They never seem to tire of these safe little rolls. They have a longer version as well, called phonecones, aptly named since giving one to your bird will enable you to talk on the phone in peace.

There is an uncanny quiet in the room when Inca has ahold of one of these little devils.

The second favorite of Inca’s are Q Stix. They look like long lollipop sticks. Beth, the creator of these items at Fowl-Play, says that “Q” stands for “Quiet,” since that is exactly what your bird will be while he or she tries to destroy these fun toys. You get 50 of these sticks for $3.75. At that price, destroy away!

Inca loves Q-stix from Fowl Play

Fowl-Play also has a nice selection of toy parts. I like the leather bits and strips. I use the strips to tie together a couple of short cuts so Inca will have hours of fun destroying this inexpensive toy.

These items are perfect if you are getting ready to make a phone call and your bird decides this is the time to vocalize. I hand Inca a couple of short cuts, and silence ensues.

Destroy Away!

Both the shortcuts and Q Stix are unique to Fowl-Play. They also have a regular newsletter for their customers called “The Beakly Reader.”