Advantages and disadvantages of having a parakeet
Before you decide that a parakeet (also known as a budgie) will make a perfect pet, you need to do some homework. Talk to people who own one, visit pet stores, and go online to learn more about the pros and cons of owning these cute little birds. They are full of energy and their activities and songs will make you smile and feel good.
Advantage:
The parakeet is a smaller member of the parrot family. They are very friendly and like to be handled, petted and talked to. Most of them can be taught to say a few words, but you often have to listen carefully as they usually speak very quietly. When shopping at a pet store or from a breeder, you’ll want to make sure that the budgie you’re interested in is an active bird that is socializing with other birds.
You should always get a budgie that is young and the way to do that is by looking at the markings on their beaks. Look for a budgie that has bar markings to determine the age of the bird. A young budgie will still have its markings and by adopting a young one, you can expect your budgie to have a long and fruitful life.
One big advantage is that a parakeet is a very low-maintenance pet. You probably have less to worry about with this pet than you do with other types of animals. A pet parakeet will not require daily walks or need to be taken to the park. This is a great advantage if you are not very active or simply do not have time to spend with your pet.
Parakeets are highly intelligent birds that like to learn tricks and while it would be nice to spend 30 minutes a day with them, you can let them entertain themselves as long as their cage has plenty of toys along with another parakeet.
If you are looking for a pet and your apartment or landlord does not allow a larger pet, the parakeet may be the answer to your problem. This pet can keep you company and will interact with you as long as you don’t break the contract with the owner.
Cons:
There are not many reasons not to have a parakeet as a pet. If you let them out of their cages to fly around the house, you will find feathers along with droppings around your house. If you forget to cover them at night, you will be entertained even if you don’t want to.
Your budgie will need a fairly large cage so that it has room to fly around a bit. There should also be enough space for lots of toys and places for them to perch.
Another problem with having a parakeet as a pet is that you have to worry about the chemicals you are using in your home. The budgie is very sensitive to chemicals in the air, as well as the pots and pans you may be using to prepare and cook your meals on a daily basis. Always make sure to keep your budgie a good distance from your home kitchen.
Cleaning your pet’s cage every day can be another problem if you’re short on time, but it’s something you should do. It doesn’t really take a lot of time, but it may be more time than you want to spend every day.
Another thing that can be a problem is that it is almost mandatory to have at least one pair of parakeets. They are very social birds and don’t do as well when you only have one. It’s not that much of a problem to have two instead of one, so get a pair. In fact, you would have to spend more time entertaining just one rather than a pair as they will be entertaining each other.
As you can see, the pros really do outweigh the cons when you think about adopting budgies. If you have children, they can be the ideal pets since they are not very difficult to care for and children can interact with them. Another good thing about these pets is that taking care of them will teach your children responsibility. In general, budgies make a good whole-house pet, especially ones that are busy and don’t have a lot of space.