# failed bonding



## default (Aug 29, 2017)

Hello budgie friends,
As the title might give away, I failed as a pet owner.
Before I can ask my question, some backstory might be required.

My parents are the (not so) proud owners of four beautiful budgies, which were purchased about half a year ago.
As I have never expressed much interest in them and my parents failed to see the care these creatures require, they have never been socialized.
Trough unfortunate Events, one of them passed on to a better place today.
Digging his grave, I realized how we basically treated them as decoration, not as living beings.

Well, a heated discussion with my parents later and now the three birdies found their new home in my room.
Now for my question. Is it possible to bond with animals after basically ignoring them during their whole stay at our home or would it be better to find them a new owner?

Thanks in advance


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

Since these guys have been together since they were acquired they
have bonded with each other, and assuming that they've had regular good care(although minimal socialization with humans)
bonding with you individually is not likely, although getting them
used to you being closer space wise when you're around them is
possible. They know they're birds and humans are outside of their 
cage home. As they adjust to having you more close to them you could start seeing how they response to outside of cage time by
just leaving the cage door open, to give them time to explore.
This is not bonding but it would be one type of enrichment you can provide for them. Baby budgies are very flexible and are usually easy to bond with humans, but since they're older, that type of bonding although not likely, they're just acting as normal budgies...they have each other....which is fine. Make sure to check stickies on this site for other things you can provide them for good care. It's good they are getting more attention from you.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

As mentioned above, it's not likely that they'll become "tame" as in handleable and bonded to you. They are bonded to each other, which when given a choice budgies nautually prefer. Also remember that not all budgies are cut out for bonding with humans even as a single pet. 

BUT, with some consistent time spent with you (even just getting used to you in the room even when you're not directly talking to them), you should be able to get them to the point of not being afraid of you, and maybe even attentive when you talk to them. You can have out of cage time as long as your room is budgie safe and escape proof, and train them to go back into their cages on verbal command. Myself and others have done this with birds. It all takes time. Sometimes it's much more time than many people expect. Good luck! Any more questions, let us know.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice  I'm so glad you're truing to give these budgies the love that they deserve. I agree that it is possible to get them used to you, definitely. There's also a chance that you may find a deeper bond forming between yourself and one or more of the budgies with regular interaction. The trick to gaining the trust of any animal, be it young or old, is to work slowly and patiently. Best of luck with this!

Meanwhile, be sure to read through the forum's many Budgie Articles and "stickies" (threads "stuck" to the top of each subform for easy reference) to ensure you're up to date on all the best practices for budgie care. You'll find information on all your questions (including some you don't know you have yet ) on the forums. 

If you have any questions after reading through everything, be sure to ask!

Good luck :urock:

Cheers! :wave:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi Simon and :welcome: to Talk Budgies

I'm glad you've come to realize that your budgies need to have more interaction and care. :hug:
You've definitely come to the right place to learn about your budgies and how to help them adjust to their new reality.

As the budgies have only been with your family for about 6 months, there is a very good chance that with time and patience you will see them come to trust and accept you. Even though they probably will not want to be handled, you can have a great relationship with the budgies without them being "hand tame". I have 9 budgies that have out of cage time everyday. Although they are not "hand tame" they have the best care and they often come to sit on my head, on the back of my chair on on my computer to visit with me. These are things that in time may be possible for you with your budgies as well. 

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

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http://talkbudgies.com/articles-general-budgie-info/227841-50-common-budgie-dangers-watch-out.html

http://talkbudgies.com/budgie-breeding/327881-heartfelt-plea-forum-members-new-old.html
When We Don't Want Eggs

http://talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/24411-cage-sizes.html
http://talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/31719-essentials-great-cage.html
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Glad you decided to join us and looking forward to seeing you around the forums.

:wave:*


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