Calling all creative minds!

[BirdCrazy]

Hello everyone!

I have decided I want to try to teach Gizmo (and maybe Skittles and Scooter) some more tricks! He know's 'wave', 'shake', 'turn around' and 'come to me'. He likes to dunk his cat toy balls into his water/food dish (like a basketball). Thus I was thinking that I want to get one of those nifty little birdie basketball hoops...but they're 31 dollars! I'd also like to teach him the ring toss thing...where he has to put colored rings on a post. :)

So, anyone know of anywhere I can get these supplies cheap? or better yet, how I can make them??

Thanks in advance!!

[BuffaloParrot]

Hmmmm, me have to think on this

[steptoe91(tozie)]

ya know those cute little stainless steel cups they sell at ca birdnerds? my walmart has the exact same cups for 97cents. a set of 4. they're in the cooking utensils section, they're called condiment cups. i got some for skittles for xmas. so get some of them. then go to the pet section. they have these little whiffle ball type cat toys with a small jingle bell in the middle.(oh, i just reread your post, ya already got one of those. lol) get one of those (set of 4 is 99 cents here) and start that way. put the cup on the table and let him "throw" the ball in. then get ya a zip tie and zip tie it to a dowel rod and nail the dowel rod to a small bit of wood base. now ya have a "basketball hoop". maybe set up a ladder to climb up and put it in? it has no hole in the bottom so ya gotta retrieve it for him, but that's good. its more interaction between yall.
go by the kids cheapo toys and there should be plastic coins ya can use. getcha a small ceramic pig in the craft section and use a knife or saw to cut a hole in it. then ya can teach him to put coins in a pig.
hmmm, rings... gotta think on that one.

run by the kids finger-sized skateboard and maybe teach them to ride a skate board?

i love all these ideas but me and marley dont have the patience to learn those things... and i'm a sucky teacher. lol

[Ditty]

   tozie, great ideas

[BirdCrazy]

Thanks Tozie! Those are great ideas! I'll have to give them a shot :)

Any other ideas?

[Sondra]

Dollar stores sell the basketball hoops and basketballs as a toy (together), they also sell the stacker rings in the baby section of the store.

[BirdCrazy]

Thanks Sondra!