New parakeet, any tips?
@faln_angel1205 (1192)
United States
July 13, 2008 6:28am CST
We just bought my son his first pet, a parakeet, I have had one before when i was a kid, and had a cockateil until about 5 yrs ago, but any tips that maybe the Pet Store didnt tell me, that you can suggest. Things to make him more playful, but still keep him calm, right now he is very calm, i can put my hand in his cage, he comes on my finger, but once i bring it near the cage door he says forget it..lol. We only have had him a day, so am i doing too much too soon?
1 response
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
30 Jul 08
As with any bird you need to take things slow. Your bird needs to get to know you and trust you. I know you are excited with the prospect of all the fun times you can have with your bird, but trust is the first step. After that anything is possible.
@tikiselene (129)
• United States
1 Aug 08
Everytime that I get a new bird, I leave it in the cage, go and talk to it and slowly put my hands on the cage and leave my hands there. I do that a lot so the bird will get used to my hands. After it is used to my hands I will start putting my hand in the cage and eventually put my finger out and press it against its belly to train it to sit on my finger. If you have a really big problem with the bird, another thing you can do is take the food out and only feed it a couple of times a day. This teaches the bird that you give it food and he has nothing to fear. You might then try putting food in your hand at feeding time and the bird will be so hungry it will eat from your hand. OF course you need to move slowly and be gentle and not scare it. Train your 5 year old how to be with the bird and he will be a bird lover for life. That's what I did with my kids. I started them out young and they know how to treat animals, esp. birds properly!
@faln_angel1205 (1192)
• United States
2 Aug 08
Those are some great tips. I do approac the cage slowly, and talk to him calmly and he lets me rub his belly, but wont get on my finger yet. My son is getting better about how he approaches the bird, he loves the bird and talks to him all the time. I see the bird acting differently towards him then he use to so im pretty sure things will progress ok. I am going to try to take his food out though and do what you said, he has a tendency to squawk non stop if he wants fresh food, if i dont do it the first thing in the morning..lol. Thanks again.
@faln_angel1205 (1192)
• United States
2 Aug 08
Tiki, i took your tip of leaving my hand in his cage for a while. usually i will reach in and pet him and take it right out. This time i put my hand in there and he fluttered areound not hapy with the idea. Then he realized i wasnt going to remove it, and slowly i noticed him calming down. At one point i even put a treat in my hand and held it between my fingers, and he took a cpl nibbles from it. I will do it again before i go out for the afternoon, and continue to do it daily..thanks again so much for the suggestion...my son was so excited when he seen Buddy eating from my hand. Now to get my sons hand in there without him pulling away the minute the bird starts fluttering around.
