Here it goes. Time for the truth to be told. We all know we spoil our furbutts. We pretty much go broke buying things for them rather than for ourselves. We have wheels, vines, perches, ladders, feathers, nest houses, monkeys, playskool toys, and so much more. However, is there such a thing as too many toys? As crowding the cage? And as toys that are unnecessary and we just buy them because people sell them and assume our gliders use them? Do our gliders really use toys or are they actually more content using one or two of them and then just hopping about the cage or play area?
So, let's hear it.. .don't be afraid to say your gliders don't really play with toys.... if we are here for the gliders let's start being there for the gliders.
As for mine, the one toy they could not live without is their wheel. They also love hiding out and "playing house" in the playskool toys I have at the bottom of the cages. Other than that, I have never found them really attached to other toys or addicted to... if they have monkeys yeah they'll use them sometimes.. cubes and ropes and vines.. yeah... fun little h angy things.. occassionally but I never really see them playing with them and rarely see them destroyed or look played with in the morning (with the exception of Torg and Zoe Grace). Someday I am going to put a camera in my glider room to end this nonsense once and for all. I often feel I buy so many toys for them (you should see my stash) and they don't really care.. it's like "Mommy, I just wanna run with my friends in the cage instead of all these other toys you should just save for a 2nd wheel for every cage."
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#86840 03/07/0608:37 AM03/07/0608:37 AM
I never see mine play with toys and they rarely use the Stealth that I bought for them.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOOOO HOOOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!
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#86841 03/07/0608:41 AM03/07/0608:41 AM
My gliders like wheels and anything they can pick up, be it straws, spoons, jacks, monkeys, etc. They also like things they can roll around, like small balls... And anything that they can jump off of is usually popular. It really depends on the glider though. Some of my gliders love to play, others don't.
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#86842 03/07/0608:54 AM03/07/0608:54 AM
Maybe I'm just trying the wrong toys??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOOOO HOOOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!
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#86843 03/07/0608:56 AM03/07/0608:56 AM
All of mine love their wheels. They love to climb on their toys in the tent too. They have a big stuffed horse, the kind that holds a child up to the weight of 140 pounds, they LOVE that horse! They also have a playhouse inside the tent they glide off of and play hide and seek. Straws they love too. Jacks, balls (jingle). The favorites to play tug of war with are the feathers on the long sticks. They went to town playing with those last night! They all have little stuffed animals they carry from place to place, barrel of monkeys sometimes, egg of bunnies they love for some reason instead of the monkeys (they are everywhere every morning). I cut strips of fleece and put around the cages so they can carry them off to their pouches, they love doing that. Ropes, toys, a big frizbee toy is 2 of the gliders favorite. Yep, I have to say that mine love their toys. (and a few of my things too!) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Keeper of Handprints on my Heart, You left your Footprints on my soul. My precious loves that left to quickly, Peanut, Katie Isabella, Kiwi, Bonnie and Monroe.
Spread your wings and glide free of pain, Until the day I see you again.
God speed my precious angels. I love you. Mama.
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#86844 03/07/0609:02 AM03/07/0609:02 AM
One of mine likes to play with his toys. He does play with his eggful o bunnies every night. And he plays with the plastic easter eggs he has in his cage. He also loves his wheel, and probably 5 out of 7 mornings he climbs all over one of his bird toys making the bell ring.
My girls, love their wheels and climbing. I know at least one of them plays with their little bunnies, and I am pretty sure I know which one it is, but I don't see it..they are just always scattered.
My other, Peanut. The only thing I see him do besides his wheel is sits in his little coconut house. I've heard from his previous owner he likes to jump in and out of his nest box, but he hasnt ventured to the floor of his cage much that I have seen since I have had him.
Mama to: T & B ~my bio babies N,C,G & H ~ step babies Wraith & Rayna and soon to be Izzy & Ali~Gliderbabies Max ~ my German Shepherd And wife to the most amazing man I've ever met!
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#86845 03/07/0609:05 AM03/07/0609:05 AM
Remember I was referring to cage toys. Mine LOVE feather teasers but only if I'm interacting with them... feathers and things hanging from the cage do not interest them much as there is not a challenge.
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#86846 03/07/0609:26 AM03/07/0609:26 AM
Thank you for posting this! I just recently saw my girls climbing on one of their toys from Calle Jean. They also LOVE their Stealth wheel, of course! But I have wondered if they're really interested in all those toys, and I try not to clutter the cage, because they do like to run and jump in there a lot.
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#86847 03/07/0609:41 AM03/07/0609:41 AM
We have lots of toys in our cage and I love watching them play with them. Just the other day my husband caught Quiggly and Shiela in thier convertable car and Quiggly was driving! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> Jerald wanted to get a picture but they didn't stay there long after he turned on the light. We have hanging toys and floor toys and I do see them playing with them. Since I have so many cages toys are washed every week and changed out so they think they have new stuff every week. I do think the most important toys in the cages is thier wheels though, they love them and some run more than others. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" /> Angie
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#86848 03/07/0609:53 AM03/07/0609:53 AM
Mine do LOVE their wheel, they love to move their monkeys or now bunnies around the cage, they have some baby rattle balls they play w/. they like all the fleece toys I've made them, so yea, they do have a fair amount of toys they play w/. Their favorite thing though is (I won't be a name dropper) a pouch w/ different holes, that they can run in and out of and hide and pop back out of.
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#86849 03/07/0610:09 AM03/07/0610:09 AM
Hmmm...Tinky does like her wheel and her monkeys, and she likes to be desructive- like with foam cat balls (no she doesnt eat the foam, just shred) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />
She doesn't play with any of those cage toys that are like mobiles, or hangy fleece things...I never even see her get near those. Honestly, one of her favorite toys are empty toilet paper tubes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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#86850 03/07/0610:50 AM03/07/0610:50 AM
I agree, mine are not crazy about toys. They of course love the wheel, anything the can carry (but is that playing or a behavior they might have had if they were wild, carrying things around, placing things in the nest?) and picking leaves off fake vines and putting them in their pouch (I think this is a nature thing). I think most cage toys are used as launching pad, to climb on, a way to get somewhere, etc. But that's fine, it gives them more options and hopefully keeps them active.
I think some people get discouraged when they say they won't play, expecting them to chase a ball like a dog (I have never seen one play fetch) or play with the beads and things we hang in the cage. I do think my gliders use a lot of these things, but not for the purpose they were put in the cage for. But.... others swear that their gliders do play with toys, but if I'd have to put a vote in, I'd say no mine don't really play with toys.
Alicia aka Queenduck, Bentley's Nana
We need role models who are going to break the mold ~ Carly Simon
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#86851 03/07/0611:22 AM03/07/0611:22 AM
I too would have to say that they don't actually play with the toys I have put in, but they do climb on them to get from A to B. The wheel is almost constantly used, Badger will go back into his cage during outside play time just to use his wheel (I've neve understood why he would do this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> I guess he really loves it).
They sometimes look like they are playing peek a boo in the coconut huts. And Roxy especially, will use the foraging swing thing to get mealies (Again, not really playing.)
They will remove every single straw from the dangle thing, and fling them every where... this is the only think they do that doesn't seem to have a purpose.
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#86852 03/07/0611:26 AM03/07/0611:26 AM
ours like to rearrange things.. and the toys with mirrors and bells get used... because they like to attack the mirrors and I think they like making bells ring and they love anything they can climb on... and the swings work as landing/takeoff zones... so those go in regularly...
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#86853 03/07/0611:39 AM03/07/0611:39 AM
Gobo and Mokey LOVE their wheel, but I had to stop using newspaper in the bottom tray of their cage because Mokey would spend all night shredding it and throwing it outside the cage bars. I tried the Barrel of monkeys, and Gobo attacked them and took them down, but they got stuck in the wire bottom and he couldn't really carry them around. I may try again with them now that I have lined the bottom in fleece instead. I was given a few of the really hard plastic pacifiers in a grab bag, I washed them and hooked them onto the teething rings I have in their cage, and Gobo went nuts trying to pull them off and carry them around. I also put in a paper towel cardboard roll, and they spend hours running through it and shoving each other out of it. I am tempted to hang it a few inches from the bottom of the cage and see if they will like it even better. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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#86854 03/07/0611:40 AM03/07/0611:40 AM
Well, most of my gliders are older now, and the older they got, the less they would play with their cage toys. Lily, a youngin, loves to play with her toys...anything in her cage gets attention <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. I have noticed though they do have their favorites, which even the older ones play with consistently. I think it really depends on age, personality, and trial and error. You really never know with these guys since each one is so different <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" />. Karin
Miss Lily and Bud Prada and Armani Tessa, Deuce and Cami
No, I agree with Queenduck. Mine don't play too much except for the wheel and monkeys. Now when I FIRST put a new hanging toy in their cage they will go over to it and climb on it and check it out, but as soon as they know what it is, it's just cage furniture/launching pad.
Outside the cage, they do like the feather teasers and my make-up counter is Jeeper's favorite playground during out of cage time. I always have to make sure eveything has the cap on it and remove any make-up sponges, etc. from reach.
Jeepers also likes to go hairband diving. We have a box of all my daughters' hair stuff and Jeeps loves to play in it. I've posted this picture before, but I'll put it up again. Jeepers found herself a lovely blue collar while hairband diving one day. I don't recommend it as an unsupervised activity!
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr /> I also put in a paper towel cardboard roll,
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If you let them play with these, be sure you cut them up the side so they can't get stuck in them. I've heard of gliders getting hurt with those because they are just the size that they may be able to get in but not get out.
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#86858 03/07/0601:46 PM03/07/0601:46 PM
Jeepers is a classy lady! Looks like she is using them for necklaces. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Keeper of Handprints on my Heart, You left your Footprints on my soul. My precious loves that left to quickly, Peanut, Katie Isabella, Kiwi, Bonnie and Monroe.
Spread your wings and glide free of pain, Until the day I see you again.
God speed my precious angels. I love you. Mama.
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#86859 03/07/0601:47 PM03/07/0601:47 PM
My female glider who is disabled and caant climb or glide doesnt play with toys really but my male LOVES his eggs full of bunnies that I just got yesterday, I found them all scattered all over the cage levels and floor, I guess he had a ball knocking them down and playing. I dont have much toys yet because I just got my gliders, but they like the feather teaser thats in the cage but they dont play with any of the bird toys and Duke likes to climb on the ropes that are hung all over the cage. I still need to get a stealth wheel which will happen in 1 1/2 weeks and then I will see if my male likes it.
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#86860 03/07/0602:04 PM03/07/0602:04 PM
Most of my gliders do play with toys. They don't seem to care much for tunnels but they do love anything with bells on them. I hear bells jingle all night long. They like anything they can pick up and carry around. Some of them seem to like to play tug of war with each other. But I have to agree, their Stealths are the favorites!
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
I could have missed the pain But I'd of had to miss the dance
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
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#86861 03/07/0602:13 PM03/07/0602:13 PM
Well I have looked at this thread about three times… and I am just not sure…lol… I mean the wheel (stealth) goes with out saying… and I may add a second one.. but as for the toys.. well I am just not sure… I have Jacks, and Monkeys, and I got a bunch of these playschool ‘balls’ that have things in them that move… and I can’t say that I have seen them ‘play’ with any of these… I don’t really consider fleece cage things as toys themselves….
Wow this has ended up being an interesting topic.... I never see mine actually "play" with anything but their playskool big barbie hosues and what not and their wheel.. the rest they just bounce off of and some I paid quite a bit for could've probably hung some random thing and they'd be the same LOL....
I think someday I am going to set up a video recorder to see what happens during the wee hours <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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#86863 03/07/0602:30 PM03/07/0602:30 PM
I noticed with my babies, the more bells the better. I have this bowl that is lined with like 30 little bells and full of pompoms and they play in thatlike everynight. All of my gliders love their swings and love to jump on them and swing al around. Anything with feathers they go crazy for, all of my mobiles have feather tassle so they are always climbing all over the mobile trying to get to the feathers w/o falling off. Tunnels, they love hiding out in those. they love pulling the baby links up to the perch with them. Ummm, I don't know, I guess I may just be lucky and have active gliders.
Of course their stealth..and those feather teasers, man, if I leave them in the cage they are absolutely demolished the next morning. I have no idea what they do with them but all the feathers are ripped from that ball! I never thought they played with all their toys, but in the middle of the night if i hear them playing, and I spy on them (they would automatically stop playing and run to the side of the cage to come out if they saw me) they are actually jumping and playing all over their toys. I think they use them at their leisure, whenever they are in the mood.
~Christine
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#86865 03/07/0602:32 PM03/07/0602:32 PM
Mine will play with strings and feathers outside the cage but not in the cage... they want me to interact with them when they use those.
I have a pair that will tear anything apart but I'm not sure if it's playing or they are just psycho.. that's my torg and zoe grace... they will tear the limbs off stuffed animals... they are something else.
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#86867 03/07/0602:37 PM03/07/0602:37 PM
Mine are mostly only interested in running in their wheels. Besisdes that, they do like to rip the wood off wodden toys/branches and the leaves off vines, but to get them to actually use the toys as more than a launch pad or marking area, I actually have to interact with them with the toy. A toy just hanging in the cage rarely interests my gliders unless it's brand new. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />