Any Trusted Etsy Sellers?

[StygianEchoes]

Hello all! Haven’t commented on here in a while but I find myself in need of some advice. I already am aware of the trusted sites to buy bird toys from on here and have checked them out, but certain sellers on Etsy have great deals on perch bundles that are a tiny bit cheaper.

I was just wondering if anyone has any positive experiences with any particular seller on Etsy? Can any be trusted for quality when it comes to perches and toys (for budgies in particular)?

(I already know not to order from Amazon beings that they get flooded with cheap things from overseas. And Temu… I want their ads to go away. I wouldn’t trust buying things for myself on that site. Also iffy on buying toys/perches from PetsMart because I’ve heard about toys being occasionally recalled. (Something about the dye in one particular instance. Are the perches there okay at least?)

Oh yeah… what about Chewy.com? I’ve heard they sell pet stuff but I’m not familiar with them. Just want some extra options sift through!

 

[StygianEchoes]

The toys I’m really curious about are these:

Rotating Flower Perch Wheel With Food Holders for Birds, Foraging Swing Toy, Playground for Budgies, Parakeets, Parrots, Cockatiels - Etsy

This Bird Toys item by guineapigler has 1083 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Türkiye. Listed on Jul 6, 2024

www.etsy.com

Perch Toy With Rotating Balls for Budgies, Budgerigars, Parakeets, Parrots, Cockatiels, Parrotlets, Lovebirds, Ringnecks, Conures and Birds. - Etsy

This Bird Toys item by guineapigler has 1500 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Türkiye. Listed on Aug 4, 2024

www.etsy.com

They’re both by the same seller who has 810 shop reviews.

And I would also like to know… do any of the shops here sell platforms/perches similar to these?:

Amazon.com

(Also the swing version)

Amazon.com

I think they’re really cute but once again… Amazon. For all I know the wooden edges aren’t smoothed down and my budgies feet could get sliced up. Or the wood was treated with something that could make them sick.

 

[April]

@Mizzely is also on Etsy I believe and I know she orders from Chewy but I'm not sure if ever any toys/perches.

 

[Mizzely]

I'm not familiar with the Etsy shop you linked, but dowels would not be my first choice for perches. They can cause issues with arthritis and bumblefoot.

The clips on those platform/ladders are unsafe, and I would be more suspicious of the metal than anything.

The last one I wouldn't buy because I don't know the hardware or what the purple is. I'm assuming sandy coating?

Natural wood perches (not dowels) from PetSmart, Petco, or Chewy *should* be fine.

Last Christmas I saw painted toys in PetSmart marketed to birds, so I wouldn't trust many of the toys there. And not everything that is on those sites is safe. Like this ladder on Chewy? Again has the clips that was unsafe, so I will assume the manufacturer has done no basic research on safety for birds.



Usually if they have a macaw and cockatiel (or other small to large birds) using the same item, it's from China. They just photoshop them on.

Some brands I would trust for toys and perches (but still aren't perfect) on Chewy:

Prevue
A&E Cage Company
Caitec
Super Bird Creations
Planet Pleasures


Part of the reason I started my company is because it's hard to find toys my birds actually liked at pet stores. I have tried to buy a few recently for my Bourke's and Linnie just to save myself some time and they just sit there. Cheap doesn't save me money if they don't play with them

 

[Mizzely]

Also an issue lately is that Etsy has been overrun with people drop shipping. Recently I bought a "handmade" item from Colorado. Well, it came from China and was mass produced.

The guineapigstore shop I'm getting mixed results on. I did a reverse image search and it seems the flower item could to be their own item. They also sell on Amazon.

But the second perch you linked, I can't tell if they are reselling or if someone copied them. My hunch is that someone copied them because their listings are better. Reviews imply you'd at least get what you paid for.

 

[Zara]

Amazon.com

I have this one in my special needs lovebirds cage - I am in Europe so it is under a different brand, so I can't be sure it's identical.

but dowels would not be my first choice for perches

I also would not buy the dowel toy perch. The toys attached mean that perch is designed to be sat on for a while while they play, but dowel is only good for a hop on hop off perch. And at that price tag, I think you could find something better elsewhere.

 

[sunnysmom]

I pretty much only buy from US sellers on Etsy and I always check the reviews. If something is too cheap it's usually a bad sign. I bought a sweatshirt on sale and not only was it misprinted but when I went to complain the seller was gone. Etsy is really good about refunds but I don't think I would risk buying from Turkey.

 

[calibird]

The perch toy with rotating balls has jingle bells inside the balls. Jingle bells are not safe for birds. They can get their nails stuck in the slots of the bells.

 

[flyzipper]

Not a source for toys, but I had a good experience with this shop...

AvalonArtisanGifts - Etsy Canada

Shop Custom Mosaics and Handcrafted Gifts by AvalonArtisanGifts located in Minnesota, United States. Smooth dispatch! Has a history of dispatching on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

www.etsy.com

 

[StygianEchoes]

I'm not familiar with the Etsy shop you linked, but dowels would not be my first choice for perches. They can cause issues with arthritis and bumblefoot.

The clips on those platform/ladders are unsafe, and I would be more suspicious of the metal than anything.

The last one I wouldn't buy because I don't know the hardware or what the purple is. I'm assuming sandy coating?

Natural wood perches (not dowels) from PetSmart, Petco, or Chewy *should* be fine.

Last Christmas I saw painted toys in PetSmart marketed to birds, so I wouldn't trust many of the toys there. And not everything that is on those sites is safe. Like this ladder on Chewy? Again has the clips that was unsafe, so I will assume the manufacturer has done no basic research on safety for birds.

View attachment 449018

Usually if they have a macaw and cockatiel (or other small to large birds) using the same item, it's from China. They just photoshop them on.

Some brands I would trust for toys and perches (but still aren't perfect) on Chewy:

Prevue
A&E Cage Company
Caitec
Super Bird Creations
Planet Pleasures


Part of the reason I started my company is because it's hard to find toys my birds actually liked at pet stores. I have tried to buy a few recently for my Bourke's and Linnie just to save myself some time and they just sit there. Cheap doesn't save me money if they don't play with them

First I’m hearing about dowels being bad for bird feet! (I’m assuming dowels meaning those cylindrical wooden perches that are completely smoothed down? You usually get one or two with each new bird cage at most pet stores.)

So I’m assuming buying perches like this is a no-go?

Robot or human?

Anyways,

I don’t think I’ve ever posted a picture of my bird cage here, but here’s a quick photo I took after cleaning the bottom:




The problem I have with most dangly toys is that they kind of… dangle about a foot from the ceiling. And some of my birds don’t like to venture near toys if they’re not close to a perch
So I’m looking for more toys that screw into the walls and perhaps some platform perches if you know of any good ones?

I wish there was a perch with attachments you could hang toys from but I haven’t found any yet.

 

[StygianEchoes]

The perch toy with rotating balls has jingle bells inside the balls. Jingle bells are not safe for birds. They can get their nails stuck in the slots of the bells.

Oh I hadn’t noticed those (was too distracted by watching budgie spin). Thanks for noticing, will definitely not buy now! (I don’t like jingle bells either, or toys with a lot of ropes. My birds nails always seem to get tangled in rope so I’d rather do without. Can’t monitor them playing all hours of the day after all. I only have a rope perch because it’s thick enough where I haven’t had any issues.)

 

[Dartman]

I have a 5 petal version of the rotating flower thing and Pippen loves it. I had to rework the bolts and spacing so it would turn easily and it's pretty light duty but it works and she can't really get to the hardware. She has spun it happily and bit chunks out of it and she's been fine. Nothing seemed to smell bad other then wood smell.
If you don't trust them then don't buy it but Pippens fine and she likes hers. I got it through Vine so it was free but I think the retail price was lower then most of those they show.

 

[Mizzely]

First I’m hearing about dowels being bad for bird feet! (I’m assuming dowels meaning those cylindrical wooden perches that are completely smoothed down? You usually get one or two with each new bird cage at most pet stores.)

So I’m assuming buying perches like this is a no-go?

Robot or human?

Anyways,

I don’t think I’ve ever posted a picture of my bird cage here, but here’s a quick photo I took after cleaning the bottom:


View attachment 449040

The problem I have with most dangly toys is that they kind of… dangle about a foot from the ceiling. And some of my birds don’t like to venture near toys if they’re not close to a perch
So I’m looking for more toys that screw into the walls and perhaps some platform perches if you know of any good ones?

I wish there was a perch with attachments you could hang toys from but I haven’t found any yet.

Yes, the uniform nature of dowels means that no matter where they go, pressure is put on the same spots. This causes issues over time.

I make toys that connect to the cage side:

Sidemounts

Side mount toys do not hang from the top of the cage like other toys do. Instead, they are either tied or bolted to the side of the cage. This gives a different play opportunity as they can be placed in other areas that your bird prefers, and as they don't move around as much as hanging toys...

lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

I also connect toys directly to the side of the cage often. Example:




I've also used stainless steel skewers to hang toys from so that they hang down lower. Example:





The idea of a toy hook for mid level toy hanging is a good one though! I may have to workshop with that a bit!

 

[Mizzely]

The perch toy with rotating balls has jingle bells inside the balls. Jingle bells are not safe for birds. They can get their nails stuck in the slots of the bells.

Also thank you for posting this. I was so fixated on other aspects!

 

[Mizzely]

Another thing I've done before (no photos) is use a zip tie across a couple of bars and use that as a place to hang a toy

 

[Mizzely]

Toy Hanger

Toy Hanger Helper

So many cages have vertical bars, which can make it difficult to find the sweet spot for hanging toys! This 3-6 Inch piece of kiln dried pine is outfitted with 1.25" stainless steel washers (6" has 1.5" washers) and wingnut, just like a perch. At the end, however, is a nickel plated eye bolt...

lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

 

[April]

Toy Hanger

Toy Hanger Helper

So many cages have vertical bars, which can make it difficult to find the sweet spot for hanging toys! This 3-6 Inch piece of kiln dried pine is outfitted with 1.25" stainless steel washers (6" has 1.5" washers) and wingnut, just like a perch. At the end, however, is a nickel plated eye bolt...

lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

View attachment 449057


View attachment 449056

Sooooo freaking cool! Such a brilliant idea and if I still had birds I'd be all over this.

 

[StygianEchoes]

Toy Hanger

Toy Hanger Helper

So many cages have vertical bars, which can make it difficult to find the sweet spot for hanging toys! This 3-6 Inch piece of kiln dried pine is outfitted with 1.25" stainless steel washers (6" has 1.5" washers) and wingnut, just like a perch. At the end, however, is a nickel plated eye bolt...

lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

View attachment 449057


View attachment 449056

Omg that’s almost exactly what I’ve been looking for! Thanks, will definitely purchase some in the future. Do you make them in different lengths too?

 

[Mizzely]

Omg that’s almost exactly what I’ve been looking for! Thanks, will definitely purchase some in the future. Do you make them in different lengths too?

I could! I haven't yet. Just designed it a bit ago

 

[StygianEchoes]

I could! I haven't yet. Just designed it a bit ago

Oh lol, hadn’t realized you literally just made them! That was quick. Went ahead and purchased 2 of them <3