# Am I Caring for my Budgie Enough?



## TimeClock352 (8 mo ago)

Hi all,
When i was around 13-14 i got two parakeets for my birthday. In hindsight, no child this age should be given such a complex and unique companion that can live for so long considering college and life changes. However, i cannot change the past.
Chip sadly died a while ago, my parents were against taking him to a vet because he was “just a bird” and didnt believe any vets existed for birds. Dale has lived on but after a while most of the care went to my mother, and he never got time out of the cage, mostly because he never was tamed.
I am now 17 and recently did research that should have been done much earlier and am horrified at how neglected Dale has been. He has always been fed (seed, but im working on pellets and veggie conversion)and has had a big cage and toys, but i still feel awful for the lack of attention.
My main questions are as follows: is it okay if the only times i can get my budgie out-of-cage time is around 8 pm to 10-11? Is that too late? On weekends and days i dont work i will obviously have more time and earlier but many days this is the only thing that will work, is that harmful to him?
also, my parents are against getting another budgie for him until he is out of their house. Will he be okay without a partner? I am so scared he is lonely  i just want the best for him but im scared rehoming will be selfish and hurt him more, is that true?
Sorry for the long post, i am just very worried. Any and all advice welcomed greatly. Thank you.
EDIT: i want to add that i dont WANT to rehome him, i only bring it up in case its the only thing to do to help him. I would much rather put in the time and money to make his life better with us, which is why i ask about the time management issues. But if there is no way for him to be happy without another budgie , i am willing to do whatever to help him.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I would definitely advice against rehoming Dale. He has been in your household for 4-5 years now and that is the safety and security he knows.
Thankfully he has a big cage. What size is it? Length, Width and Height?

I'm glad to hear that now that you are older you are researching and making the necessary changes to ensure Dale receives the best care possible for his optimal health and well-being.

I would start by trying to give Dale out-of-cage time on weekends and the days you do not work. See how that goes.
He may be so used to being in his cage all the time that he will have no desire to explore beyond the cage walls.

As your parents are against getting another budgie (and, there is no guarantee that Dale would bond with a new budgie anyway), it is up to you to spend as much time as you can with him. Play music or the TV for him when you are not around.

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
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*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of 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.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
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.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
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*Essentials to a Great Cage*
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*Resource Directory*


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forums, 

It's hard to admit that the situation could have been much better in the past, but that's the first step in making a positive change so I'm so glad that you've done that and done the necessary research now that you're older. FaeryBee has given great advice and resources! You've come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices. 

Be sure to read through the forums, including the links provided above, to ensure you're up to date on everything. If you have any questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help! 

I hope to see you around  

Best wishes!


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## TimeClock352 (8 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *I would definitely advice against rehoming Dale. He has been in your household for 4-5 years now and that is the safety and security he knows.
> Thankfully he has a big cage. What size is it? Length, Width and Height?
> 
> I'm glad to hear that now that you are older you are researching and making the necessary changes to ensure Dale receives the best care possible for his optimal health and well-being.
> ...


Hi Faerybee, thank you so much for your reply. I must admit I am very relieved to hear you advise against rehoming, because I would definitely miss him a whole lot.
His cage is 24 in long, 28 inches high and 16 inches wide, so 10752 square inches in cubic volume. Many sites say this is pretty good for a single budgie, but if it is not actually sufficient considering his situation i'm more than willing to get a better cage.
He hasn't exactly been super eager to leave his cage, but he has explored a tiny bit. I got a big ladder that goes from his cage down to the floor and i've gotten him to climb down it a few times, but after a while he always goes back to hanging out in his cage.
I will definitely be spending as much times on weekends on days i'm free with him, but would you discourage also giving him time when i'm home at 8? I would love him to have time everyday, but if that's too late i understand. I don't want to upset his sleep schedule.
Once again thank you 
edit: accidentally quoted you twice, sorry about that.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*If you can afford a bigger cage, I would recommend that you get one. 
If not, then the one he has has served him for this long and he's happy in it so don't stress about it.

You can give him out of cage time at 8:00 in the evening. That's fine. Try to ensure he gets at at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
He will nap in the daytime when you are not around.*


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## TimeClock352 (8 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *If you can afford a bigger cage, I would recommend that you get one.
> If not, then the one he has has served him for this long and he's happy in it so don't stress about it.
> 
> You can give him out of cage time at 8:00 in the evening. That's fine. Try to ensure he gets at at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
> He will nap in the daytime when you are not around.*


I will most certainly look into getting a bigger cage for him. Thank you so much for your help and advice, it means a lot to me and Im sure a lot to Dale as well!


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