My parents recently found a bird and decided to keep it with us. We already have a dog, one who likes to chase birds and squirrels all the time, no doubt if he caught one he would kill it. Because of this, and because my parents are older and tend to be well... lazy, they bought the bird a tiny cage, gave it some food and water and let it live like that indefinitely. They interact with it for about 30 seconds at a time, maybe 2 or 3 times a day and other than that, ignore it completely.
When I come home, I see that the bird is extremely lonely and sad. It has absolutely nothing to do in the day. I play music to him and talk to him, and while it makes him temporarily happy he really doesn't seem to have any life in him.
My parents have both put all the responsibility on me raising it, yet they refuse to let it out of the cage because of my dog. I don't really know what to do. I don't know much about birds but I know they are very intelligent and seeing this one kind of waste away pains me.
Can anyone with a bird offer insight please?
>>2020880
Unless your dog is a rabid pitbull he won't kill it as long as you supervise the bird when he gets out.
Also it's sad because it's alone all day,get him a companion.
>>2020896
My dog is actually pretty small, but he isn't very friendly with most other animals. Would it be possible to let the bird out for hours at a time with my dog around the house?
I assume he will just stay around the family, I'm just afraid my dog might try to hurt him. Is there any specific way to train him to not hunt the little guy?
My parents, after I pestered them for a long time, have bought him a very large cage with lots of toys, and they are also open to getting another one (same breed, budgie I think). His beak is chipped (we found him outside) and we don't know how old he is. We don't want to buy another one, just for this guy to die within a year.
he needs company, and out of the cage time... and unless you live in a one room place where the dog can't be put into another room sometimes i don't see why it can't go out even if the dog is a concern...
my birds have a playground that hangs from the ceiling, they can fly around freely and they mostly just chill on the playground and then do laps around the room... they never land on anything low enough for a dog to reach desu, and dogs can get used to birds...
i have a jack russell who has killed chipmunks and mice outside, but with the birds all he cares about is that they throw him food... i would never let them closely interact where he could touch them, but them just flying around is whatever for him... you just never let them out while your dog is there without you to supervise
that + high up places for them to go that they'll prefer anyway, and it shouldn't be an issue
with the bird's age, you could easily get another adult budgie rather than a baby... and budgies lifespans can vary a good deal cuz of the way they're bred... they can live for 10+ years or not long at all, it really depends... i had a budgie that i got as a baby that died very young from cancer but i also had a budgie as a kid that was an adult when i got it that lived significantly longer in spite of being older when i got it... you just never know, so don't let his age keep you from getting him a companion...
but how long have you had him and did you try finding the owners first? it's likely a lost pet...
>>2020923
I put up an ad but no one claimed him. My dog is a maltese, so I'm pretty sure my bird can fly above him at all times. The bird likes him though and I'm afraid he might go near him only for my dog to bite him. My parents are also very attached to my dog, they wouldn't like the idea of keeping him in another room just so the bird can play. They hand feed my dog all the time and basically let him do anything. Anyways thanks for the help, I'm sure I can get the bird some time out of the cage. And maybe a companion.
>>2020924
you couldn't put the bird in your room and just let it out while they give the dog attention?
the thing with birds is unless it's out most of the day spending time with you it's going to need a companion... loneliness is a big deal with birds
You should probably just take the budgie into your room and play with him there. It's that easy to keep him safe. Once he's properly trained and trusts you, you can take him out into the living room since he'll most likely sit with you or on you.
Don't let your parents' stupidity hurt a poor animal. Especially when you have such an easy solution. It's not like they're going to yell at you for taking the bird out in your room.
Maybe take the bird to a rescue since the bird isn't getting the proper care. It'll probably be better for the bird in the long run.
>>2021049
cover your mirror
Speaking of birds in rooms, I have a question about bird keepers lung
Will an air filter below the birds cage help prevent it? I plan to keep the bird in the same room I sleep in, and it's only a little bigger than 6x10. I'm only going to be keeping one budgie.
Get a second bird his age. It's zero extra effort and he'll have a friend to play with and they can groom each other. They are cheap as hell too, maybe you can even get one for free from a shelter.
Unless you can be with your bird for hours each day, you really should get him a friend.
>>2021357
Also, to elaborate, I was in the same position as you a few months ago. My mom picked up a bird from someone who no longer wanted it and the cage we got with it was tiny.
We have a dog as well who gets really excited whenever small animals are around so I didn't dare to let it out either.
The bird was really scared of everything and when I was away it climbed around its cage all day in boredom. I did try to put the cage in my room but it's just sat there in horror because I was so close all the time so that might not be a good idea. Also your room will get really dusty with pieces of feathers.
Eventually, we bought a larger, tall cage, about 0,7m x 0,7m x 1,5m with rollers on the bottom, and put it in the living room and got a second bird too. The cage was about 150$ i think.
I put the second bird into the first one's small cage at first and let them get accustomed to each other for around a week and then let them both into the larger cage. They did quarrel a bit when getting too close to each other at first but they became friends really quickly. They even started grooming each other the next day. I still needed two food cups though because they like to fight over food still.
The second bird is much better at flying so he comes out of the cage much more often and stays out of reach of the ground so the dog can't get to him. The other bird can't fly as well so I have to be careful whenever he crashes on the floor and doesn't know how to get back to his cage, but most of the time he doesnt even dare to go out. But when inside his cage, he has the second bird to play with so he's not bored. It's fun to just watch them together.
Also, if you want to train him, do it very slowly. Don't touch him and just hold a piece of millet and wait for him to come closer to eat it. You need to be patient and might need to stand there for 20 minutes before he comes closer. Just keep doing this every day until he puts a leg on your finger by himself while trying to eat.
>>2020880
Man that beak looks overgrown and ugly, does he have anything to sharpen it?
>>2021364
i had a budgie who had trouble flying when i first got her, i just let her practice in a tent every day for hours until she strengthened them enough to fly around the room... when birds are in cages too long they lose a lot of muscle and then have trouble flying around, but they need to be out every day exercising to improve
>>2020880
>they refuse to let it out of the cage because of my dog
Here is your problem.
>My parents
here is your biggest problem
>Get your little burd to the vet, let them trim the beak - do NOT do this by yourself
>Get a good book about budgies or at least find a site about them.
>birds are NOT goldfishes, they can be as smart and loving as dogs or even more
>get a goddamn book about budgies
>do not let your guy (it's a guy, he has a blue nose) outside of the cage when your dog is around - NEVER
>get a book and read about budgies
>don't rush anything and be patient - it can take months to make your parrot sit on your arm
>any sudden move or trying to catch him when he is outside of the cage can ruin the trust he has towards you
>get a book
>if you really don't have time for him [spoiler]it's not an excuse - find it[/spoiler]
>you can get a lady for him, but it's not that obvious they will like each other from the beginning - you will need a second cage for her for first few days/weeks
>Read.A.Book.About.Budgies.
>give him lettuce leaves and pieces of apples and carrots, they love it
>read a book
Seriously, there are some great books about parrots where you will find most things you have to know about them. With patience and understanding he can be your best buddy
I had a budgie for close to ten years when I was young. For the first while, he stayed in my bedroom and was undoubtedly lonely 95% of the time. We eventually moved him to the den and his mood changed completely. His cage was left open when the dog was outside or the door was closed. He would explore, chirp and appeared to be very happy. Budgies need attention.
OP here update:
I think he is fully trained, he goes on my finger easily. I took him to my room and let him out the cage for nearly 2 hours. I played music and he was perched on my shoulder like it was natural to him. He seemed pretty happy.
However I won't be here for the longest time. When I'm gone, I asked my parents if they would give him time out of the cage. They tried to dodge the question and when I pestered them they got angry. I'm pretty sure once I'm gone they won't ever let him out of the cage of even care to.
My dog is very attached to my mom, so my mom doesn't ever want to leave him to spend time with the bird. They have bought him a bigger cage, and think that a big cage will suffice as exercise for him. They are also planning to get him a companion.
Any other tips/words of advice?
>>2021820
Also he keeps fluttering and flying around the cage when he's in. He repeats the same motions, and he keeps trying to go to the top of the cage. My parents say this is normal and to pay him no mind but I'm pretty sure he's trying to get out of the cage.
The best thing to do would be to rehome him with someone who knows how to take care of a bird.
In addition to a (very) large cage and a companion a budgie forced to stay in a cage all the time would need lots of toys and opportunities to forage for food. A pellet diet and fresh fruits and veggies every day. It's still not ideal for the bird.
Maybe you should get your parents a good book about caring for parrots and they will see what they're getting into.
>>2021862
They already bought him a cage, so if I suggest to rehome him now they will be angry. I did find some ads online, people saying they are willing to take in unwanted birds, but I am unsure how trustworthy that is. I don't want him going to some abusive fuck or something.
I have told them all the things tehy need to do, I've been researching but they don't listen to me. They think he is fine and once he gets a bigger cage they won't have to bother with him anymore. I am honestly quite uncomfortable in this whole situation. I don't think our family is suitable for raising this bird but at this point I sound like a neurotic fuck to them.. I just really care about animals and don't like to see ones sad and suffering.
>>2021886
where are you at?
>>2021886
How large is the new cage? You could tie a bunch of large branches on the sides or somewhere high where the dog can't reach and let them out and play on the branches.
It all depends on whether your parents care enough to pay attention to what the dog is doing when they open the cage door.
>>2021942
>>2022839
Second update: After me causing ruckus, he's got quite a large cage, and we got him a companion (a girl). She likes him a a lot, but he seems quite weary or her, they're in the same cage right now. I am pretty happy for him at this point. He's definitely not lonely.
My only slight little concern at this point is that he seems very sleepy during the day.. He closes his eyes and drops his head forward a little a lot, but the girl seems to keep him awake. I think maybe at night it would be okay to put him back in the small old cage so he can sleep in peace?
He seems quite tired, but I don't know if it's because he's adjusting to a new cage or because he's unwell?
>>2022883
Oh, and I will bring both of them to my room daily and let them fly freely for a few hours. The girl is very young and not trained, not to mention her wings are not clipped so she crashes into everything. I will have to train her.
>>2020880
>>2021820
I for one have nightmares about what life is for
caged birds. Just fucking let it free. Have some heart
>>2022922
If we didn't have a dog already, I would. But we have one so I can't let them fly free 24/7. I give them about 40min-2 hours a day to fly freely before they go to sleep. They get tired out just in time for bed.
>>2022883
he might be bored or depressed, he isn't getting enough attention or time to fly...
>>2022975
Today morning he seemed better. I think he just didn't get any sleep the night before. We're going out again today so we'll have time to rest, and hopefully his companion won't bother him too much if he isn't up for it.
