I love my little budgie (Budgie)

Member Name: Stephoohla

Product:	Budgie
Date:	14/08/09 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Don't need loads of free time to care for one, cute, amusing, affectionate when they trust you

Disadvantages: Budgie cages are fairly dear, you do need to spend lots of time for them to trust you

I've wanted a pet for a very long time, but unfortunately my boyfriend who I live with is allergic to all things fur, which crossed out a lot of things. He also hates lizards, snakes, etc, so really, there wasn't a lot of choice.

We were at our local pet store picking up some fish food and I saw the cages of bird, and, as he's not allergic to feathers, we decided it would be the perfect pet.

Initially we wanted to get a cockateil after reading they are really easy to tame, very friendly and can talk. However, in the pet shop they said that cocktiels bite a lot, and are actually quite vicious. The woman said it definitely wasn't a good idea for a first bird. She recommend the gentle budgie, a lot smaller and not as noisy, which are generally more friendly. There was only one budgie left, and it looked so lonely that I begged my boyfriend to get him/her. Unfortunately, we're still not 100% sure on the sex. The woman in the pet store said it was female, but she's gone through a few changes since then, such as her beak turning blue, but then back to beige, so it could be a boy. We've called her 'pretty girl' for so long now though so there's no going back!

We selected a nice looking bird cage, only to be told it was too small. Surprisingly, they actually need a lot of room. So we chose another, bigger, one and then got all the kit we'd need (food, sand for the bottom, treats, water bowl, food bowl, cuttlefish and some toys) and took it all home.

My boyfriend named her 'Pig'.. lovely! So she's been our little pig since then. When we first got her home, she was very timid and frightened, and we left the cage half-covered for a few hours so it was darker so she could settle in to the new smells and sights of her cage. Budgies are never meant to be left in daylight, but should be in the most used room of the house, so she's currently sitting in the corner in our lounge.

Budgie's need a lot of interaction, so after a few days when she'd settled in a bit, me and my boyfriend were both chatting away to her, and after a couple of weeks I started putting my hand in the cage so she could get comfortable with it there. After a few more days, she let me stroke her belly, and a few more days after that, with a lot of prompting, I got her to sit on my finger by holding my finger out like a perch and gently nudging her belly so she'd get up onto it. She's still not 100% comfortable with doing this a few months on, and it still takes quite a bit of prompting, but because I work full time I probably don't give her as much attention as she'd like.

She's got lots of toys in her cage and a mirror, which she's constantly looking into (taking after her mummy no doubt!) and chatting away to herself, so I think she's happy.

I feed her bird seed, millet and the seed treats. I've tried her with loads of human food, but she doesn't seem at all interested, which is a shame as I'd like to ger her to eat fruit, veg, biscuits, and things like that. Maybe when she's a bit older she'll try it.

I'd definitely recommend a pet bird for someone who's looking for something to love but hasn't got loads of time to spend with the pet. Budgies generally amuse themselves if you make sure they've got plenty of toys, and if you talk to them all the time when you are around, they'll become used to your voice and face and won't be shy. Budgies are also perfect for anyone who might be allergic to fur.

I haven't yet let her out the cage because I'm worried I won't be able to get back in, but when I can trust her more to sit on my finger without lots of prompting, I definitely want to give it a go.

Summary: The perfect pet for your busy home