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Need help choosing between a Budgerigar and a Cockatiel!
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BirdLady13
Sprinting down the street
I had the same thought - get a fish instead.
Mizzely
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TAILGATING
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How big is the cage that your bird would be confined in?
One of the biggest problems for captive parrots is heart disease, and beyond diet, the main piece of that puzzle is lack of exercise. Their whole body is designed for flight, and even those of us who have birds that have more or less free range of the house still are getting much less exercise than they would in the wild, which puts them at risk for many health issues. And, if you ended up with a female, flying actually strengthens the same muscles needed to push out an egg. So birds confined to a cage are at risk of heart diseases as well as egg binding.
I currently have a cat and a dog, and have had both cats and birds many years, so I totally understand wanting to keep your bird safe! The cat is locked in the upstairs while my bird is awake - which works out well as she sleeps all day anyways
My dog is trained to go to his kennel if the bird leaves his cage. When other dogs are around, my bird locked up and a baby gate is put up around it to prevent any issues.
There are ways to ensure your bird is safe while still allowing them to leave their cage. The honor of a bird coming over to sit with you is one I hope everyone gets to experience. It is magical and humbling
One of the biggest problems for captive parrots is heart disease, and beyond diet, the main piece of that puzzle is lack of exercise. Their whole body is designed for flight, and even those of us who have birds that have more or less free range of the house still are getting much less exercise than they would in the wild, which puts them at risk for many health issues. And, if you ended up with a female, flying actually strengthens the same muscles needed to push out an egg. So birds confined to a cage are at risk of heart diseases as well as egg binding.
I currently have a cat and a dog, and have had both cats and birds many years, so I totally understand wanting to keep your bird safe! The cat is locked in the upstairs while my bird is awake - which works out well as she sleeps all day anyways
My dog is trained to go to his kennel if the bird leaves his cage. When other dogs are around, my bird locked up and a baby gate is put up around it to prevent any issues. There are ways to ensure your bird is safe while still allowing them to leave their cage. The honor of a bird coming over to sit with you is one I hope everyone gets to experience. It is magical and humbling
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Every time my parakeets choose to land on me, I feel like a Disney princess. It is an awesome feeling. Would recommend!The honor of a bird coming over to sit with you is one I hope everyone gets to experience. It is magical and humbling
Trust is precious.
Mizzely
Lil Monsters Bird Toys
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Ahh so cute! That cute little dumpling in the back!
Sticky Feets
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I have 2 dogs that would absolutely go after Isla. I just find time where they can be separated so she can safely come out of her cage to fly. When I first got her, her wings were so deconditioned that she could only land but would often just fall to the ground. Now she can do laps around the room and seems happier overall
GreenThing
Jogging around the block
Not at all disparaging your love for your previous bird, who sounds just charming, or the care your family gave the bird, but a budgie just comes to life in a different way when they feel safe to explore outside the cage. For now mine are restricted to my bedroom, but I would love for them to one day feel comfortable a whole house or apartment. They have multiple play areas with different kinds of stimulation and they can choose what to do with their time (including flying in wild circles)-- sometimes they choose to play in the cage for 15-30 minutes before coming out for a bit, then going back in.
As a few other users have said, a big big flight cage for a pair or so of finches would be ideal, if you are set on caged birds. ALL parrot species thrive with out of cage time, and it would be such a delight for YOU and your family! Why pass on the opportunity to interact with a little companion who trusts and chooses to come to you? They are in some ways smarter than dogs and cats, too-- I know my boys learn somethings even quicker than our poodle-- and deserve the same freedom.
I don't want to suggest you didn't love your bird-- budgies have come to our current era after surviving ocean voyages, the smog of London, having cigars blown in their faces (Churchill was a budgie fan), circus training, climates and diets nothing like what their ancestors knew in Australia, and so many generations of people have loved them in their own way. I have talked to older folks who kept clipped or caged birds who still talked and sang their little hearts out and brought so much joy to their lives. But we can do more than have affection for animals-- if you ask a question HERE you are going to get the recommendation for the best captive care we are able and informed to give with the research and experience that is available right now.
So many budgies live a less than ideal life, many of them a truly awful life, and it does not sound like your old bird lived an awful life-- but when you ask on this forum people are going to answer in terms of the BEST life.
As a few other users have said, a big big flight cage for a pair or so of finches would be ideal, if you are set on caged birds. ALL parrot species thrive with out of cage time, and it would be such a delight for YOU and your family! Why pass on the opportunity to interact with a little companion who trusts and chooses to come to you? They are in some ways smarter than dogs and cats, too-- I know my boys learn somethings even quicker than our poodle-- and deserve the same freedom.
I don't want to suggest you didn't love your bird-- budgies have come to our current era after surviving ocean voyages, the smog of London, having cigars blown in their faces (Churchill was a budgie fan), circus training, climates and diets nothing like what their ancestors knew in Australia, and so many generations of people have loved them in their own way. I have talked to older folks who kept clipped or caged birds who still talked and sang their little hearts out and brought so much joy to their lives. But we can do more than have affection for animals-- if you ask a question HERE you are going to get the recommendation for the best captive care we are able and informed to give with the research and experience that is available right now.
So many budgies live a less than ideal life, many of them a truly awful life, and it does not sound like your old bird lived an awful life-- but when you ask on this forum people are going to answer in terms of the BEST life.
