# What?! No more bird toys!



## RavensGryf

I went into my local Petco today in search of some plastic toys. Griffin the parrot loves demolishing the cheap plastic budgie toys that I have hanging on the boing in the bird room. I figure that although he ruins them fairly quickly, they help keep him out of trouble when he's out of his cage, and they are inexpensive enough. 

When I walked into the store, I saw it was recently remodeled. I saw the budgies, then I walked down the bird aisle to see the toys. I couldn't find any. I walked all around the aisles near the birds and a couple aisles away, and found plenty of rodent toys and ferret toys. This was strange I thought...:dunno:. I got some new vegetable clips and walk to the cash register to pay for it, and ask about the bird toys. The girl told me that they got rid of the bird toys!  They still sold birds (budgies), yet no toys. I think that's ridiculous when they have a huge selection of toys for every other kind of pet (besides fish and reptiles). So the birds are in the intelligence category with fish and reptiles I guess.  

It was a corporate decision I'm sure, so simply complaining to management to bring bird toys back won't do any good. They did have yucca wood kabob toys, but that's all. At least she said it was not a company wide change, and that it was just that particular store. Well, they lost a customer, because that's what I go there for! I couldn't believe it.


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## StarlingWings

Wow, that's ridiculous! :wow:

They devote over half the store to dog and cat irrelevancies like clothing and pastries and yet they can't even think to have one aisle for some of the most intelligent animals on earth? How unbelievable  

Well, Julie, there are going to be some bird toy companies very happy to have you as their customer very soon


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## FaeryBee

*In the DC area, many of the Petco and Petsmart stores are discontinuing selling bird toys (and a lot of the bird supplies as well) in the stores but still offer them on-line.*


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## RavensGryf

StarlingWings said:


> Wow, that's ridiculous! :wow:
> 
> They devote over half the store to dog and cat irrelevancies like clothing and pastries and yet they can't even think to have one aisle for some of the most intelligent animals on earth? How unbelievable
> 
> Well, Julie, there are going to be some bird toy companies very happy to have you as their customer very soon


Exactly!! I guess they needed more room for more dog pastries and clothing :laughing: so sad!

One of my favorite places is My Safe Bird Store | Discounted Bird Products | BIRD FREE ENVIRONMENT| Free Shipping Available 



FaeryBee said:


> *In the DC area, many of the Petco and Petsmart stores are discontinuing selling bird toys (and a lot of the bird supplies as well) in the stores but still offer them on-line.*


Wow. Do the stores still sell live birds?


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## Cody

They probably don't make enough profit selling bird toys, a better choice would have been not to sell live birds.:glare: If they are selling live birds it would be nice if they had a good assortment of everything else for them.


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## RavensGryf

Cody said:


> They probably don't make enough profit selling bird toys, a better choice would have been not to sell live birds.:glare: If they are selling live birds it would be nice if they had a good assortment of everything else for them.


Right, I'm sure they felt the profit wasn't there. Sadly we know that many people don't give their birds _any_ toys at all. I wish they'd stop selling live birds.


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## Therm

Our 'big brand' pet store is the opposite. Most don't sell birds at all any more but have a small bird section. It's with wild birds and chickens but they have a better range online which you can have delivered to the pet store or home- whatever is best. 
It seems wrong to me to sell an animal and not have the adequate items to sell along with them.


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## lbeckman

Hmm. What I've seen around here (SE CT) is that the smaller PetCo's have discontinued selling live birds AND bird related items. Since PetCo actually sells a lot of good bird items, I asked and was told that only the larger stores sold bird items, and told me which one in the area that would be. Not as good as their online selection, but they did have some of what I was looking for. The did have budgies, but there was a sign up that due to CT state law, the budgies were not yet for sale. They had to be in the store for a certain amount of time before they could be for sale. 

I agree that it is particularly ridiculous to sell live birds and not sell bird toys!!!


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## FaeryBee

*Unfortunately, both Petco and Petsmart stores in the No VA/MD/DC area are still selling live birds. :mad1:

I keep hoping responsible people will stop buying from them and go to reputable breeders instead. 
Unfortunately, untilthey do, these big box stores will continue to support the birdie-mills.

The last few times I've gone into either Petco stores or Petsmart stores the availability of items in the bird section was almost non-existent.*


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## Bearnoname

I live in a small N. CA town and we have 1 big pet store (PetCo) a small pet store, and 2 feed (farm) stores. I only go to the PetCo for reptile supplies and the odd item that may not be at the other places. 
Every now and then after shopping at my local PetCo I get email surveys sent to me; which I fill out and always note in the comments that they should have MORE bird toys, perches, and higher quality food options.
One time I was called by the local manager because of my poor review of their store, which complained that the budgies they did have for sale didn't have enough toys (one plastic chain thing didn't cut it) and the baby birds wings were clipped incorrectly. It was so sad because the "display" cage has no climbing walls or bars, just plexi glass, and a couple poor baby birds couldn't even get up on the perches because they couldn't climb up, the hard clip caused them just flutter, fail, and fall again and again. 

I went back a while after they claimed that they would make changes (to get lizard food) but other than only one toy added to the cage nothing changed. :mad1: 

They have a few of the same old toys for sale, but then I haven't been there in months. I am curious now if they will eliminate them here now. GRRR
I wish they would stop selling birds especially since they are doing away with supplying the BASIC supplies for them.


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## RavensGryf

I went to PetSmart today and ended up finding a pleasing array of bird toys of all sizes and types . 

Such a night and day difference from Petco, and in the birds too. 

:wow: I had to tear myself away from the bright and healthy looking budgies in many unusual color mutations! Wow, I wasn't prepared to see such nice budgies and be tempted like this! I always have a penchant for unusual colors and mutations, and I found 5 that I really wanted to take home. Sometimes PetSmart stores here do have unusual ones. 

I just have to remind myself that it's Russian Roulette on the health. That's where we got our first 2 budgies (a different PetSmart store) and they only lived 2-3 years .
Besides I have 3 parrots and 2 budgies, which is already plenty of birds for me personally. However, I know I will have to remain a lifetime member of the Budgaholic Support Group! :laughing2:


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## FaeryBee

*I'm glad you found the toys and supplies you were looking for, Julie!

I think it is appropriate to re-post the link reminding everyone of exactly why it's best to seek out a reputable breeder rather than purchasing from these big-box petstores.

Any person considering buying a budgie should carefully read and consider the information in this link:

http://talkbudgies.com/articles-buy...l]-breeder-rather-than-big-box-pet-store.html*


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