Your expenses will include not only the one-time investment on a quality cage and the bird but also the recurring medical expenses for any treatments they might need. Parakeets are less expensive birds and detecting any illness early can save you high medical expenses. It's always advisable to consult people who have been keeping parakeets as pets for some years, so that you can contact the right kind of bird store, or breeder to buy your bird from. This may also help you know about local vets. Everybody might not be fortunate to have an experienced parakeet owner in his or her vicinity; the other alternative is to do some research. Also, select a pet store where the staff is friendly and answer your queries regarding diet, cage-size, etc., satisfactorily. Selection of Parakeets Certain types of parakeets, such as the Quaker or Monk parakeet, are banned in certain states of America, as they are considered an agricultural pest. You don't need to change your lifestyle, when you bring home a pet parakeet. The ideal cage to house your parakeet… Perches Ideal size of your bird's cage Cages come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Parakeets are intelligent and active birds and they should never be kept in tiny cages. Buy the biggest cage that you can afford, with dimensions of 45cm long by 20cm wide and 30cm high being the absolute minimum size for one or two birds. Most cages come equipped with two food and water dishes, a removable floor for cleaning and two or three perches or swings. Your pet should have enough places to climb and fly freely; rectangular cages with horizontal bars are better than round cages. The perches should preferably be natural, non-poisonous sticks or twigs, which vary in thickness to provide variety and exercise for your birds' feet and beak. Plastic and metal perches are totally unsuitable. If your bird is to be housed alone without a friend, it is a very good idea to stock up on a selection of toys. For a single parakeet a 21" by 14" by 19", is a perfect-sized cage. A pair will obviously need a larger cage. It is important that the bird Selection of Parakeets gets enough exercise inside the cage, and that is possible only when there is ample space available. It is cruel to keep the birds in cages where they cannot stretch or exercise. The bars of the cage should not be more than 12mm apart, or your pet will escape. It is not advisable to leave gratings on the bottom of the cage since it doesn't allow the parakeets to search for food on the ground, like they do in the wild. The cage should be kept in a lively area in your home. The widely held view is that male parakeets are generally more talkative than females, but my opinion is that communication depends upon your interaction with them. Your local pet store should be keeping the birds in a clean environment. The conditions of their cages, and the quality of food and water are some Why a large cage? Six vital points to help you get a healthy and happy parakeet as a pet: • Selection of Parakeets Parakeets are known to survive, in extreme temperatures. |