Hi fellow wisemen/women!!

I can't live without a pet, I just moved and I need a pet, I am alone most of the time and I think it would be nice to have one...

I need one that's low-maintenance, since i go to work on constantly shifting schedules, and I stay at work at around 10 hours a day (including transportation, traffic, agh), nut I have 2 days of weekly, and I also feel like i can't have something boring... I'd like my pet to be pretty interactive but not too needy (e.g, i'd love a dog but he might not like the lack of attention).
I don't mind if the food and housing is a bit expensive, as long as I don't have to clean it too often. (Am I even being reasonable???)

My place is pretty small, no lawn, just garage with a gate, not like those shutters... Sorta open?... If I can keep my pet indoors that would be great.

Thanks for the help anyone!
I'm wiling to adjust these things a bit just to get a good companion

Altenweg

Here is a great link about budgies.

Budgie Information

And pictures of some of the bird cages I found on ebay.



This one can be expanded. I have this cage for my cockatiel only I have the expanded version. It's basically two cages in one. I paid $123.00 CDN for mine, in a pet store.

Sylvanta Sybil

Wow thanks!!! I checked the website, and it's very informative (and full of surprising information, too)

- I suppose I shouldn't clip its wings, the vet should right?
- Can I really give him hard-boiled chicken eggs as a treat? How about hard-boiled little quail eggs?
- If I let it fly around... Won't it make a mess (or is there a way to toilet-train it)?

shazamataz

I used to have a budgie and we never clipped it wings, we used to let him fly around the room for exercise. (Make sure ALL windows are closed!!!)
However clipping is not that hard, just watch a few tutorials or get your vet to show you how to do it once and then you can do it yourself from then on...

Budgies can be kept in pairs so if you want to get a bigger cage then you can get 2 to keep each other company... if not then lots of toys to keep him amused while you are not there so he does not get bored...
A bored bird can become destructive and start tearing their own feathers out.

I love these birds, they are colorful in both looks and personality... and of coarse, they are native to Australia

Silverfoxkit

I have also heard with budgies that female/female pairs can sometimes cause problems between the birds. I'm not a huge budgie expert though. Is here any truth to this Alty?

shazamataz

Good thought... I was only about 7 or 8 when we had mine, they were fine together but I can't remember what sex they were

Altenweg

It really depends on when you get them and how much they're handled. If you get them together then they're usually okay, also, same sex means no unwanted babies.

I really recommend getting a pair because they are very social little animals, they need attention. The only thing bad about having a pair instead of one is that they will bond more to each other then to you. But, again, lots of handling, getting a good breeder, it makes all the difference.

Personally, I'd never get a bird from a pet store, it's a lot like getting a dog from the pet store. These birds are mass bred and aren't handled at all. A real bird breeder hand rears the young so that they imprint on humans and are more tame. My Grandpa hand reared all his birds and every budgie (save one) that we ever owned was from him. I love these little birds, they really are wonderful companions and very intelligent.

It is possible to get a bird from the pet store and train it, but a hand reared bird is just better, in my opinion.

Also, pet stores lie. There are ways to determine a budgies age, it's the lines on their forehead. The more lines, closer to the beak, the younger the bird. As they age the lines decrease, go further back up the head. Am I explaining this properly? Anyway, I've seen many budgies in pet stores that aren't the young birds that the store claims they are.

Right now we have a cockatiel, she was given to us by a guy that hubby works with. She was hand reared, very tame, wonderful bird, very unusual color and just as sweet as can be. I'd like to get another to keep her company because I don't have the time to give her the attention I think she deserves. She's a doll. I had budgies from the time I was 5, love them. They really are amazing little birds.

Let me know what you decide.

Altenweg

One more thing. About clipping the wings.

I've only done this once, with a cockatiel that we found flying around our neighborhood. The poor thing was so distraught that once we caught him and put him in a cage, he wouldn't come out. I had a friend (that breeds cockatiels) clip his wings so that I could handle him without him hurting himself. It worked.

I normally wouldn't recommend clipping a birds wings. This is part of much needed exercise, it keeps them healthier and more well balanced, but, at first, when you're training, clipping the wings isn't a bad idea. Don't let the pet store do it, most of the employ's there have no idea what they're doing and can permanently disable a bird.

If you get the bird from a breeder then ask him/her to do it for you, if they don't know how, walk away, this person doesn't know what they're doing.

The wings should take around 3 months to grow back. I've found that the best way to get a bird used to you is to take him/her in your hand, walk into the bathroom, shut the door and turn off the light. Stay there for around 5 minutes. Birds are prey animals, therefore they're often very skittish and frightened. By taking him/her into a dark room and just holding, you're establishing trust. Actually, my third budgie, Butsie (don't ask) was very tame after just one session in the bathroom. After that, training was easy. Butsie actually learned to talk. He said "Gutter Butsie" (german) and "Ich bin schoen" also german.

Really, I can't say enough about these wonderful little birds, they really are great pets.

Golden_Boy

^ RIP starby!

I live alone but find little time for pets.

I have a koi pond, dozens of tropical fish (in 2 different aquariums) and 2 rabbits.

That's it.

I would recommend to you a Betta or a small aquarium with small goldfish (shubunkins or sarassa comets).

PS: For many years, up until last year, I bred all sorts of birds in my garage. I had over 100 at a point, including tiny finches and canaries to amazon parrots and african greys. It drove me crazy so I sold/gave away most and now I dont even have 1!

Altenweg

Birds aren't for everyone and 100's would drive me crazy too.

I used to breed finches. Well, I didn't actually breed them, they bred themselves. What I wasn't told at the pet store was that two finches will equal 30 finches in about a year. The sad thing is that finches must be kept in pairs, so I bought a male and female. By the end of two years I had so many finches that I had already bought 3 different cages to house them all. The saddest thing, I couldn't give these little guys away. No one wanted a pair. Sigh.

I ended up finding a wonderful home for all of them. They now live in the Muttart, a series of greenhouses that is open to the public. The pavilion they live in is the tropical one, it's warm, has tons of trees, a waterfall. It's bird paradise.

Budgies I adore, but no, they're not for everyone. It depends on how much you expect from a pet. The OP wants something she can interact with, so fish aren't the ideal pet for her. She also doesn't have a lot of time, so a dog, cat, rabbit etc, is also not the best idea for her. Hamsters, hedgehogs or birds, those would be the best pets for someone that doesn't have the time to spend with their pet.

Just my opinion.