Anyone have parakeets?

[Lauren8211]

BF and I are considering buying a parakeet or two.

Anyone have any advice or warnings before we jump in? I''ve never kept a bird before!

 

[dockman3]

I grew up with parakeets. In my experience, they''re actually really easy to maintain, depending on how you keep their wings. If you want to let them fly all over the house/apartment, then be prepared to find little parakeet droppings all over the place. They don''t make a big mess, but they do seem to leave quite a few droppings around the house. Also, the claws can scratch certain materials, but that''s usually not a huge issue.

As for keeping them clean, just put some newspaper at the bottom of the cage and change it once a week maybe. New food and water everyday, or even every other day if you have a big enough food container. The area around the cage will get messy with seed shells, but a quick vacuum will clean it up in a hurry.

On the good side, they can be great companions. We had one parakeet who actually would fly downstairs into my sister''s bedroom when she whistled to it. It was pretty cool. They can be trained to say some words, which is also pretty cool. They are relatively quiet most of the time, but can be pretty loud at times. Overall, they are a great first pet and are much easier than a cat or dog, IMO. They are also really pretty!!

 

[KimberlyH]

I''ve had two at different times in my life and my parents currently have two that live together. The singletons were quiet; one was a great companion, the other was a biter. I''m not sure if it''s because my parents'' are just two noisy birds, happy (I know birds don''t have the capacity to feel happy, but they seem to communicate with one another), live together, or all three and something else, but they are LOUD. I don''t mind them, but my husband goes crazy when we''re at my parents because the birds never stop chattering. Just something to consider if you''re not a fan of noise. I really enjoyed having them, but didn''t pay them enough attention.

 

[Lauren8211]

Thanks for your help, guys!

Do either of you know if it''s "unfair" to a parakeet to keep him alone? Are they OK without partners?

 

[dockman3]

Ours never had partners. We always only had one, and that one always seemed fine.

 

[purrfectpear]

They love to have a partner but the downside is that they tend to ignore you then. They''re fine alone. Be sure you keep them far away from the kitchen if you have a gas stove, or exposed hot water tank. My vet says it shortens their lifespan since they are so sensitive to even the tiniest bit of gas.

 

[Linda W]

I love parakeets. I had them when I was living at home. They are adorable and very very loving. Mine used to say little words too.

Linda

 

[diamondsrock]

I had a parakeet as a teenger and he was really cute. Problem is he wasn''t too friendly and tried to bite. I think he was lonely, or didn''t get enough attention from us. I''ll admit I was busy and didn''t give him enough of my time. I actually feel pretty bad about it now.
I bought my grandmother a pair for Christmas and they are super awesome! They are ALWAYS together, they eat together, drink water together, eat treats together, sit together, you get the point. They are quiet for the most part but can be quite chatty later in the afternoon, which seems to be their favorite time of day. Also, since they have bonded to each other, they are not hand tame and won''t sit on my finger like I want them to. If you have one and give it a ton of time and love, it can become hand tame I think.
It''s important to get as large a cage as you can afford since they don''t do well in very small cages from what I''ve heard.
I"m not sure if they can actually be "happy" but I think they can. I can tell when they are enjoying themselves, they tweet and move around a lot more than other times.

 

[Beacon]

I had parakeets over the years and they are nice pets, pretty hassle free.

If you are not home often, I think it is nicer to get a pair, however, if you have time for the bird then a single bird is ok. Birds are by nature flock animals and very social, so they need company either bird or human.

If you can find a hand fed budgie, this is very good. They are hard to find, but you can get them at bird shows. A pet store will very rarely have one. Even if you get a wild one, if it is young and you invest time in the bird, it can become very tame. It depends if you want more of an ''ornamental'' bird that you just look at, or one you can take out and play with.

My last one could talk quite a bit, he was a rascal. I think they are pretty birds, and many beautiful colors are available. Mine lived 10 years.

PS, if you get a bird, never use a Teflon coated pan for the fumes can kill birds.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/21/2008 5:25:09 PM
Author: Beacon
My last one could talk quite a bit, he was a rascal. I think they are pretty birds, and many beautiful colors are available. Mine lived 10 years.

PS, if you get a bird, never use a Teflon coated pan for the fumes can kill birds.

i didn''t know parakeets can talk