(02-23-2012, 11:50 AM)OnyxGuide Wrote: I haven't had a bird in YEARS but recently have been toying with the idea of having one again.
As a kid, we had a cockateil, and before him- a parakeet.
As a college student I had a monk parakeet that my roomate left behind. The bird HATED me to the extent that once I was moving, since he got along with the latest roomate I had I left him with her
For about 3 years I kept a friends moluccan cockatoo. Very nice, but with the changes in the house I don't have room for a large cage. Once he returned home with his owner I REALLY missed him, but his owner was back from overseas and I knew they deserved to be reunited.
About 6 years ago I took in a splay legged english budgie and kept him through his lifetime, though due to his severe deformities his lifespan was shortened to just 3 years once his quality of life started to fail.
I hate to admit this, but after losing Chance (the boy mentioned above) I bought a pair of Gouldian Finches. Very short stint here, one passed away almost immediatly after I got her home and as the male started to mourn the loss of her I took him back to the breeder, explaining the situation.
So now, I'm considering another bird. I have to admit, I like the parakeets and saw a nice one once at Petco- a pure yellow with red eyes. It was a beauty! I didnt buy it right away and before I decided fully, it was sold.
Anyhow, Im tentatively thinking about looking at getting a parakeet, unless two is a better choice
I have nothing yet for a bird and figure that if I decide to go this route I'd buy a bit at a time so I can do it right and be prepared beforehand.
One immediate question I have is- if I were to get a parakeet, could I use the finch flight cage that Petco sells for it? That seems to be the 'largest' small cage they offer for the value. The others, more for parakeets or cockateils, seem to be awfully narrow in the width, but then they are taller than the finch flight cages. I'll try to look up the size, or I'll stop by petco to get the measurements of the cage... and then I guess, if anyone knows- if it's good for one parakeet, would it be good for two? I wouldn't want more than two birds and consider that amount since I wouldn't want one to get lonely.
HI. Getting a bird is a great idea. The cage you are talking about is fine. The bigger the better for any bird. As long as it can fully expand its wing and flap away then it is big enough. But birds love to climb and have plenty of toys. Just make sure the bar spacing is correct for the size bird. I would suggest getting one parakeet instead of two. That is if you want it to bond with you and be a hands on bird. If you get two they usually will want to pretty much be together and not bond as well with you. They may even get over protective of each other. Ways to make sure one does not get lonely is to put plenty of toys in with it, give it lots of attention. At least devote 1/2 hour a day or night for just bird and you time. Leave a t.v. or radio on when you are not home or even when you are. If you find that you don't have a lot of time to spend with it then I would suggest getting two. Many times two birds will bond with a human and it works fine. But in my experience it has always been better to start with one if you want the bird to bond and be a hands on pet. Good luck. I hope you find a great bird or birds. : )
