Parakeet, a Perfect Pet?

One of the most inexpensive pets and most popular starter pets to purchase seems to be the poor little Parakeet. Parakeets are originally from Australia (Budgirigars) and have become a fairly popular starter pet in America. They love warm weather but are fine in any climate since they are caged and indoors. They are seed and fruit eaters. People seem to think since Parakeets are so small that they won't need much when it comes to care andmaintenance. In actuality, they each have very different personalities and do require regular attention as does any pet. Birds are flock animals and need companionship. They are not just decorative though they do come in a variety of fabulous colors.

Parakeets can learn to speak, males more so than females. My sister had a Parakeet, Mr. Becker , who had an enormous vocabulary. Birds live quite a long time and she inherited this bird from an elderly gentlemaan who passed away . This bird would introduce himself, saying; "I'm Teddy Becker, I'm just adorable. Come here, give me a kiss". Some people use tapes to teach thier birds to talk. I prefer one on one.

Parakeets are very intelligent and will often bond with one particular person. They have long memories, as do most birds. They need at least 30 minutes of attention a day at the minimum. You can train them to do tricks, the more time spent with them the better. They love a variety of toys, they love being snuggled and having their feathers picked. This is what the flock would do for one another in the wild. Scratching the little casings of their new feathers feels very good to them and is good for them.

When shopping for a Parakeet it's important to be aware of signs of health. The bird should be active, alert with dry nostrils (cere) and bright eyes. They should not be missing feathers or look picked over or be sitting fluffed up. Do not choose a bird that is sitting on the floor of the cage. This is unusual behavior indicating illness. You would be safest buying from a breeder not a pet shop. This way you can see how the birds are kept, their parents,talk to the breeder and turn to them for help if you need. Bird in pet shops are too much of a commodity.