Should I Get a Budgie?
By Brandon Westfield
Taking a budgie home is a big responsibility. You're wholly responsible for the well being of your new pet day in, day out. And that will still be true once the novelty wears off. At the risk of sounding like a spoil sport, there are a few things you need to consider before you bring a budgie home.
Time and Effort
Taking care of a budgie's basic need doesn't take up a massive amount of time. But it does take a little of your time every day. A budgie needs fresh food and water, a clean cage and regular companionship.
In the wild budgies live in huge flocks. And within the flock they have an immediate family that they are very close to. It's a common myth that a budgie alone in its cage will be happy. The truth is that they are very social animals that have a deeply ingrained need for company. As your budgies adopted family you will have to spend a decent amount of time with it if it's housed alone. Otherwise it's likely to get depressed.
Cost
Now, budgies aren't expensive pets to keep. Far from it. But there are costs that come with owning any pet. The obvious initial expense is a decent sized cage, but you've probably already realized that. A regular supply of food, sandpaper, grit and mineral blocks does add up. As well as the need to buy new toys every now and again, so your budgie doesn't get bored with them.
Also, it's a good idea to put a little money aside each month to pay for vets bills when you need to. Alternatively you can get pet insurance. Nothing is more heartbreaking than not be able to pay the vets bill that could save your pet's life. Or having your budgie suffer because you don't have any money for treatment. A saying that I heard recently really sums up this point, 'If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet.'
It only costs a couple of bucks to buy a budgie, but then it's your duty to make sure you can look after it.
Is A Budgie The Right Pet For You?
While budgies are great companions that can bring a lot of joy into your life, they're not right for everyone.
A relationship with a budgie is much more hands off than a relationship with other pets. Budgies will sit on your finger and let you stroke them for some of the time, but they're certainly not pets that you can have a very physical relationship with. So, if you're looking for a pet that you can cuddle and stroke often, then you are probably better suited to owning something furry.
Noise is also something that you need to think about. Are you going to get irritated if your budgie squawks all the way through your favorite TV or radio show? If there's a steady stream of sound, like a conversation going on in the room, you budgie will often join in. Also, a budgie tends to create a fair amount of mess. Feathers and seed husks will usually litter the floor under and around your budgies cage. And when your budgie's flying around the room it'll leave stray feathers all over the place. This means that you'll likely find yourself needing to vacuum slightly more often than you do at the moment.
Budgies and Other Pets
You'll often hear tales of a small bird being introduced to a cat, and of the cat getting on well with the bird. Of the cat taking a curious interest and then leaving the bird in peace. It sounds cute and it probably does happen. But it's the exception rather than the rule. Generally, if you have larger animals like cats or dogs they'll need to be kept apart from your budgie. Since your budgie needs time every day outside his cage, you'll need to house him in a room that you're happy to lock the cats and dogs out of while your budgie flies around and explores.
Budgies can be housed with quite a few different species of bird. They're not suitable to be kept with all types of pet bird though.
Budgies and Children
You might be thinking about getting a budgie primarily for your child. If you're child wants a budgie, that's great. They're good pets. And your child can learn about responsibility as well as gaining a loving companion. However, children generally like to be hands on with their pets. The younger they are, the more hands on they tend to be. So your child will need to be taught how delicate a budgie is and supervised when handling it.
Lastly you should remember that as the adult you have the primary responsibility for the budgie's welfare. Your child might want a budgie more than anything in the world right now, but what about in six months time? Are you prepared to look after the budgie in the years ahead, if your child gets bored of it?
Brandon Westfield is the author of Better Budgie Care. Find out more about budgie care by visiting http://www.betterbudgiecare.com today.
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How to Choose the Right Bird For You and Your Family
By Lydia Quinn
Choosing the right bird for your family is crucial. It's important to note that birds are not necessarily an easier pet to take care of, train, feed or groom than a dog or cat. In fact, many birds require more time, energy and money to take care of than other types of household pets. This is why it is so important to choose the right bird for your family. Here are some tips for choosing the right pet bird:
Size
Large birds can make great pets, but are you able to make the kind of commitment they require? If you've never owned a bird before, instead consider getting a smaller bird that is easier to take care of. Large birds require much more space, larger cages, more food, more maintenance and cleaning and more attention. Also, make sure you choose the right bird for the space you have. A large bird will require a larger cage. If you are in a small apartment or have little room in your home, this could be a problem.
Maintenance
Are you able to commit to the amount of maintenance a bird will require? Remember, you need to change the paper in your birds cage and clean the food and water dishes daily. In addition, weekly cleanings of the entire cage, toys, perch, playgym etc. are also required. Regular grooming is also important, do you have time for it?
Time
All birds need some attention. Some birds even require daily exercise as well as time out of their cage. Other birds are more independent and require less time and attention. Make sure you or a family have enough time to devote to your bird.
Temperament
Every species of bird has different temperaments and behaviors. Do you want a bird that will interact with your family a lot? Or do you prefer a bird that doesn't mind being left alone? In addition, a birds activity and energy levels will be different, affecting the amount of money you need to spend on toys and accessories.
Budget
Some birds cost in the thousands of dollars, others are quite inexpensive. No matter the bird you choose, remember that you will also be required to buy a cage, food, accessories and other supplies on a regular basis, as well as provide any medical care. Carefully consider your budget when choosing a bird.
Whatever bird you choose, be ready to commit time, money and attention to it and you'll have a happy, healthy pet for the long term.
SuperParrots offers a wide range of parrot products including parrot foods, toys, training aids, treats, cages, perches, play gyms and other parrot supplies and accessories. Visit us at: http://www.superparrots.com
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Bird Adoption
By Peter Gitundu
There are several birds that you can keep at home as pets. Bird adoption is another common adoption that goes on such as adopting dogs and cats. However when adopting birds you must be prepared to take care of them, because unlike other pets birds need a lot of care.
When you adopt birds you must be ready for feathers flying all over and in the case of certain parrots mimicking of your voice. But birds do need constant care because you have to ensure you have put the right amount of bird food and water in the cage. Secondly the cage will have to be cleaned out all the time due to the fact the bird poop should not accumulate. The cage must be kept outside, at least most of the day because it is not nice for the birds to be in the house all the time. However if you do leave outside be sure the cage door can't open by mistake.
Birds are some of the most beautiful creatures ever created. They have beautiful voices when they sing such as the mockingbird which however is very rare to have as a pet. There are few birds you can make pets such as parrots, owls and many more. However birds like hawks, crows and eagles are not the kind you will find as home pets, they will probably be found in bird shelters.
When people decide to choose bird adoption they must know what birds eat and drink as well as what is necessary to take care of the animal. This information can be provided via the internet or from your local bird center or sanctuary. Most birds like seeds and fruits.
Peter Gitundu Researches And Reports On Pet Adoption. For More Information On bird adoption, Visit His Site At BIRD ADOPTION
You Can Also Post Your Views About bird adoption On My Blog Here BIRD ADOPTION
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Know the Nature of Birds Before Buying One
By Chanvit Phupook
Choosing a bird for a pet requires more than thinking of it as a cute little thing. Many pet owners commit the mistake of buying out of impulse. It is true indeed that the displays in the pet stores are very interesting and cute. But these factors are not going to be the basis for your decision to pick out any one of the displays. You should get to know the very nature of these animals before purchasing them.
Here are some significant ideas that you have to consider.
The right size. As the general rule goes, the bigger the bird, the more commitments come along. The big animals can be genuine companions for you but they can also be messier, noisier, and more demanding. So if you are yet a beginner when it comes to raising this pet, you need to first start out with the small to the medium size. Its size should make you distinguish the responsibilities that you should execute in terms of housing, food, and training.
The temperament and behavior. Do you prefer one that knows how to socialize or that which is more of an introvert? The way on how your pet would relate to you as the owner calls for your experience to raise it. Hence, the personality of the bird must be carefully looked into before you decide on which breed to pick out.
The nutrition maintenance. It is important that you are able to determine which diet is proper for your pet. Some species requires the diet which is composed of fruit, pollen, and nectar. However, this diet prompts the liquid droppings so that calls for your responsibility to clean the cage more often.
The financial budget. Having a bird for a pet entails a good deal of expenses on your part. The financial requirement depends on the type of bird that you intend to keep. The bigger animals are often more expensive and they can reach up to some thousands of dollars. The cages as well as the accessories to buy are also more costly. But generally, the smaller ones also call for your financial responsibilities. Moreover, veterinary care is very much essential. So, before you choose a specific species of this animal, you should first determine if you can afford all of the expenses.
Your commitment. You just don't buy a pet and then put it in its cage. You should interact with it. Let it exercise and from time to time let it out of its cage. For your pet to grow happy and pretty close to you, you should be willing to spend some quality time with it.
Below are the bestseller species of birds.
Budgies/Parakeets. They make wonderful pets for kids. These are colorful and call for lesser space as well as maintenance. In spite of being small, they sing, whistle, and can learn to say a few words. It can live between 12 up to 14 years.
Cockatiels. They are medium-sized and can sing and whistle. They belong to the parrot family and can live from 15 until 20 years.
Canaries and Finches. Because they are only 5 inches or even lesser, they would only need a small space. These are perfect for owners who don't have much time to bond with them.
Lovebirds. They are among the smallest member of the parrot species. They are intelligent and quiet. Their life span covers up to 20 years.
African Greys. These birds are regarded to be the most intelligent. However they are demanding and easily get bored especially if unpaid with any attention.
So there you go. Take a look at these pointers before attempting to purchase any type of bird.
For more information please visit: http://www.luckypetsla.com/.
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Best Pet Bird
By Ian Pennington
Depending on what you want, a bird may be the perfect pet for you. Birds require some care of course but not so much as other pets that you might have. Some of the best pet birds are the smaller variety, such as finches, parakeets or canaries, although they do require a bit more attention to their climate and surroundings they are essentially self caring birds so long as they are fed and watered and cared for health wise, and they tend to be pleasant companions.
The best pet bird for you purposes if you have a lot of time to spend will likely be one of the larger varieties such as parrots, macaws or conures, or a cockatoo. These are larger varieties of birds which are good companions and great at interacting and are super pets if you have the time to invest in them. The best pet bird for someone with some extra time will be the larger variety.
These types of birds can easily be taught to talk to you if you have the time to spend with them. They are easily cared for, require some attention to detail but can spend some time alone if you are someone who is gone a great deal of time during the day.
Medium sized birds that might be on your list of the best pet birds, depending on the time you have to care for them are the Lorikeet, peach faced love bird, cockatiel, African Grey Parrots, or one of the other medium sized parrots. These too require minimal care, other than climate, health and regular feeding and watering, however they can be taught tricks or to talk if you have more time to spend with them.
The best pet bird for you will depend on how much time and energy you want to invest in your relationship with it. Parakeets, Lorikeets, or finches require only clean surroundings, and regular feeding and watering. They are fairly low maintenance and don't take a lot of energy and time. If you're working 8 hours a day and don't have a lot of time to give to a pet, this will be one of the best that you can have. The best pet bird for a busy person will be a lower maintenance pet bird.
If your wish is for something that will take some time and effort but will eventually interact with you and be companions as opposed to simply something to watch and enjoy, then you're going to want to select one of the larger variety and work with it consistently to get it to do its tricks and learn to speak. If you do have time, and wish to find this kind of pet relationship then a larger variety is the best pet bird for your situation.
Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about best pet birds, please visit Caring for Birds for current articles and discussions.
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Essential Guide to Choose And Buy A Pet Parrot
By Jimmy Lee
All bird lovers listen up!! Do you know how many bird species are there in the world? Answer: Over 9000 species. And out of which the parrot group itself consists of about 330 species and are particularly popular with pet owners.
If you are also thinking of keeping a pet parrot, read below for the tips I am going to provide for selecting the suitable parrot for yourself and the family.
Parrot Buying Tip (1) -- Buy a young parrot
Rearing a new parrot from young helps to facilitate taming. An older parrot can also be tamed just that it takes more time and patience. However, the tricky part is in determining the age of the bird. However, some basic things to look out for are the scales on its legs, color of the eye and the color of the body. A young parrot often has a dark gray iris that becomes white or brown when it grows up. The scales of young parrots are also much smoother than that of mature birds. Their body color also appears initially to be much duller than when they are matured.
The best option is to buy one which is newly born which is independent of its parent.
Parrot Buying Tip (2) -- Choose the right species of parrot
Do you know the characteristics of the parrot you are interested in buying?
Do they
-make tremendously loud voices which can cause huge disturbance to the neighbours?
-have powerful beaks that can damage your personal belongings if let free in the house?
-need special accommodation, which will potentially incur higher costs for you. Bigger birds would require bigger cages made of metal so that the parrot cannot damage it.
-need special nutritional foods? Some birds such as the lorikeets need special foods since they feed on nectar. This also relates to cost.
Parrot Buying Tip (3) -- Check the condition of the parrot
If possible, ask for a certified health certificate by the veterinary so that you have assurance of buying a healthy parrot home. If that is not available, don't worry, you can check out the below factors for some tell-tale signs on the conditions of the bird.
i) Inspect the living conditions of the bird. Dirty or poorly maintained perches, food and water containers, excess fecal wastes in the cage, all show poor management of the birds leading to bad health. The eyes should also be clear and not showing any discharge. Also look out for any swelling signs which will indicate rising health problems.
ii) The bird feathers should be tidy and clean. Any bald areas on the parrot body could indicate an infection which is very unsightly and may not be able to cure, or it may also be due to the parrot being a feather plucker which means it is getting very bored. This activity may stop when you start to show it more attention. Then again, it is better to stay clear of such birds, since they could be carrying diseases on their bodies which you don't want it to spread to your family members.
iii) Support the bird on its back and check the vent for cleanliness. Also check for any crusty appearance on and around the beak which could indicate a mite issue subjecting from unclean environments.
iv) Also feel the flesh on both sides of the breastbone, and ensure it is solid and not hollowed. If protruding, it also indicates a nutritional deficiency, and should be avoided.
v) Ensures all claws are there. There should be 2 toes pointing forward, 2 facing backwards. Check for any protruding leg scales as they could be potential sources for leg mites.
vi) Beware of birds that act aggressively towards you when you try to approach it. Symptoms include fluffing up feathers and eyes dilating when you try to move your hand close to it. These birds are probably not young birds, and they will likely bite you if you cross its safety zone.
Parrot Buying Tip (4) -- Buy from reputable, reliable sources
Buying from well-established and reputable pet shops assures you the best quality services, and often the pets you are buying through them have been certified to be in good health before they release it out for sale.
Avoid open markets, and buying through mail order. It is always good to see and feel what you are buying so that you don't regret your buying decisions later. If you don't, how do you implement parrot buying tip 3?
Conclusion
To summarize, it is great to have parrots as pets, as they can be good source of fun and companionship. However, it is important to know some essential tips on selecting and buying the right parrot, and this can be categorized into 4 great tips namely to buy a young parrot, choose the desired parrot species, check condition of the parrot, and always buy from reputable pet shops.
Originally Written Article here.
The author Jimmy Lee is involved in article writing, publishing, and website design on a freelance basis amid a daytime job as an electrical engineer. His favourite works can be found at http://flashgor.blogspot.com/ and http://www.diypc.wordpress.com/
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