Finding the right toy for loki

[NICrosis]

I've been working with Loki for a while now as far as independent toy play goes. So far, I've experimented with the following:

Various acryllic toys
Various wooden toys meant to be torn apart
A few wooden toys that are meant to be ripped while the bird is clinging to them

Here's the thing. Loki won't play with a single toy. It's like he's afraid of the toys. Even when I drill holes in them and cram sun-flower seeds into the easily chewable wood, he goes as far from them as possible. I've even gone as far as to hang the toy up by his outside cage and literally drench it with Flax seeds. He seriously didn't touch a single flax seed within six inches of the toy.

I'm thinking of some more excercise oriented toys. Things to climb on, but not to forage on. Before anyone asks, yes, I have tried playing with the toys to make him jealous. Nothing. I don't want my bird to go stir crazy bored, but it's like Loki wants nothing more than to sit on my shoulder, or watch me play games/play music.

[Wolf]

Based on your post and my experience with my own Grey, as well as some miscellaneous sources, it does appear that your Loki is afraid of the new toys and the only way to overcome this is to place them where he can see them without feeling crowded by them, along with you playing with them occasionally. But it also appears to be a trait that once they bond with you that you become their main interest in life.

[Pajarita]

Yep, the "my gray just wants to perch on my shoulder all day long" is typical and exactly what they all like. Very demanding and time consuming birds, grays are. They just don't do well alone. They are known for not been able to entertain themselves and if anybody tells you differently, they are not been as honest as they should or not observing their birds enough. There might be exceptions to this rule but I've had six grays and none of them played more than a minute or two with anything, if at all. Try rolling up an unread catalog or thick magazine (they like to chew) but not if the bird seems scared of it. Grays are like that, they don't like change and anything new has to be given in small doses, starting far away from them and slowly and gradually move a tiny bit closer until the bird no longer reacts to it so, please, no more putting things in his cage that he doesn't trust, you don't want to traumatize him and start plucking.

[NICrosis]

That's where I kind of stand right now. I have the toy I want him to play with in his cage, and I'll remove the others. Leaving him a few perches, a climbing ladder, his food and water, and the giant chew toy. Personally, I'd love it if he could play with his toys, but if he won't then I won't love him less. I'm just worried it may not be 100% healthy for him.

[Wolf]

My Grey likes to shred newspaper best of all and she has stainless steel feed dishes and she likes to beat on the top of her cage with them. Drives my Lady nuts, but I don't mind as long as she is happy.

[NICrosis]

My Grey likes to shred newspaper best of all and she has stainless steel feed dishes and she likes to beat on the top of her cage with them. Drives my Lady nuts, but I don't mind as long as she is happy.

Keep it simple and shreddable? I just hate how lazy it seems with him. Like, I love Loki to death, but he'll give up on freaking balsa wood if he can't just tongue his seed out. I'm seriously worried about the damage control I've had to do in the last few weeks of owning him. It's like his old owner kept him as a freaking piece of decoration.

[Wolf]

If he knows that there is food available and won't dig a little to get it, either he doesn't like it or perhaps you are feeding him a little too much.

[Pajarita]

My Grey likes to shred newspaper best of all and she has stainless steel feed dishes and she likes to beat on the top of her cage with them. Drives my Lady nuts, but I don't mind as long as she is happy.

Keep it simple and shreddable? I just hate how lazy it seems with him. Like, I love Loki to death, but he'll give up on freaking balsa wood if he can't just tongue his seed out. I'm seriously worried about the damage control I've had to do in the last few weeks of owning him. It's like his old owner kept him as a freaking piece of decoration.

Not lazy! It's actually much less work to fill up their cages with toys and tell yourself the bird is content with this! It's much more and harder work to keep the parrot happy with our company but parrots in the wild don't play with anything, they just hang out with each other and that's what grays want most of all. But banging things around and shredding are two things that most parrots like. Problem is, both activities are short-lived and that's why parrots are always bored and depressed when left alone for hours and hours.