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can’t just fly out to the vet’s office when it feels a little under the weather. You need to watch your bird closely for signs of illness and take it to the veterinarian if you suspect something is wrong or if your bird has an accident.

       Empathy: Your parakeet is relying on you for a hundred percent of its care and its recreational activities. Keep in mind that your parakeet is a bird of boundless space that must live in cage in a human home. Be sensitive to this and give your parakeet enough outside time on your shoulder, in a closed room or a safe area of the house, or offer a large flight cage or aviary.

       A safe home: When you bring a parakeet into your home, you need to make sure it’s a safe place for your bird to live. (See Chapter 4 for more information on parakeet-proofing your home.) Also make sure that your parakeet’s housing is away from drafts and that the room where it lives doesn’t get too cold or too warm.

      In addition to these basics of bird care, your parakeet needs other things from you, covered in the following sections.

      A good home

      Parakeets need as large of a cage as your space and budget can afford. If you can’t buy a large cage, then save up until you can. A cramped parakeet will be quite unhappy.

      A parakeet’s environment needs good lighting. It can be indirect natural lighting with some direct sunlight during the day (though the bird should always have half the cage in a shady spot where it can retreat in order to avoid sunstroke). Or, you can use special bird lamps, which you can get at the pet shop or online. A clip-on lamp and a full-spectrum bulb meant for birds should keep your parakeet healthy.

Ideally, the temperature in your parakeet’s environment should be between 68° F and 72° F (20° C and 22.22° C). Make sure that your bird doesn’t get too cold or too warm, and that it has clean, fresh water at all times in hot weather. You can tell if your bird is too cold if it sits with its feathers fluffed up; if it is too hot, it will open its wings at the shoulder joint and pant with an open beak. If your home is below 68° F (20° C) at night, make sure to cover the cage to keep in the heat and keep out drafts. (Chapter 4 offers some advice on how to keep your bird warm in the cooler months.)

      

Before bringing your parakeet home, make a space for his cage in an area where he’s bound to get the most attention. I like to place my companion birds’ cages in an area where they can see me most of the time, like in a family room or living room. They get the added bonus of being able to watch television (and believe me, they like it!). Your parakeet is unlikely to get a lot of attention in a garage, child’s room, or patio.

      Time

      Expect to spend at least two hours a day with your bird. Spend more time with your parakeet on the days when you have more time — but two hours is the bare minimum. That’s a commitment of at least 14 hours a week, possibly more.

      Cleaning, feeding, watering, and playing with your parakeet all take time. You’ll also spend time making arrangements for it when you go away on vacation and you’ll spend some time in the veterinarian’s office as well.

      

If you’re thinking, “Oh, she’s exaggerating — I’ll be able to take care of my parakeet in fewer hours than that,” you may want to ask yourself why you want the bird in the first place. Spending time with your parakeet — even doing the not-so-fun things like cage cleaning — should be something you enjoy. If you’re looking for ways to avoid it, perhaps a bird isn’t for you.

      Routine

In the wild, parakeets schedule their day around the sun. They understand the seasons and how to behave when water or food is scarce or plentiful. In nature, the same events happen day after day, year after year, and these birds are programmed to go with the flow.

      

Create a daily routine and try to stick with it. Your bird should know exactly when you’re going to feed him, when you’re going to clean his cage, when he’s coming out for playtime, and when it’s time for bed. If you keep a routine with your parakeet, it will eventually alert you when you’ve missed a step. If your life is hectic, just do the best you can. The good news is that parakeets aren’t as fussy about a daily routine as some of the larger parrots.

Deciding Whether a Parakeet Is Right for You

      If you’re still not sure whether a parakeet is right for you, thinking about who you’re getting the bird for (yourself or someone else, like your son or daughter), how much money you’ll need to spend taking care of the bird, and what kind of home you can provide is a good place to start. Parakeets bring joy and happiness into millions of homes, and your bird can bring the same to yours if you’ve thought seriously about what you’ll need to give.

      VACATIONING WITHOUT YOUR BIRD

      Some people don’t think about things like vacations when they buy an animal. Try to recruit a responsible friend, neighbor, or loved one who will take care of your parakeet when you’re away. If you can’t find anyone, call your local avian veterinarian and inquire about boarding there.

      If you’re away from home more often than you’re there, you may want to think twice about getting a parakeet. Parakeets are great companions — which means that they like your companionship as much as you like theirs.

      Looking at why you’re getting the bird

      If you’re an adult and you want a parakeet for yourself, you’re off to a good start. Parakeets are not just for children, and they’re not starter birds. Parakeets and adults can have a wonderful relationship, as can parakeets and children.

      Here are some good reasons to buy a parakeet:

       You’ve always wanted a parakeet.

       You’ve had your eye on a particular parakeet in the pet shop and you’ve fallen in love with him.

       Your child wants a parakeet very badly and you (the parent) are willing to assume full responsibility of the bird.

       You had parakeets as a child, you loved them, and you want to have one again.

      

Some not-so-good reasons to buy a parakeet include the following:

       You need something to match the drapes.

       You want a bird and a parakeet is all you can afford.

       You want a pet that’s not going to live very long for your child.

       Your cat ate the last one you had.

       Your other parakeet died of a disease (you didn’t take it to the veterinarian) and you need a replacement bird.

If you’re buying a parakeet for a child, realize that you will likely be the one who ends up taking care of the bird, even if the child promises to feed the bird and water it and clean the cage and play with it and love it every day. Though your child may have the best of intentions, more often than not, the parent assumes responsibility for the animal. (See Figure 2-1.)

Parakeets can provide a child with a sense of responsibility, compassion,

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