* Daily Care
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| - Your pet budgie needs daily attention if he or she is an only bird. If
he is tame, take time each day to take him out and talk to him. If you're having a busy day,
try to take him out on your shoulder while you're doing housework or doing your homework. If
he is not hand tame, take some time and give him some attention. Talk to him or watch him
sing and hop about. Every night it is a good idea to use a light sheet or blanket to cover
the cage. This will not only provide security for your budgie, but will also help to keep
him quiet if he has a sing-in-the-morning personality and you want to sleep past sunrise.
Just be sure to uncover him every morning. |
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| * Food and Water |
| - You need to check your pet budgie's cage every day to make sure he or
she has plenty of food and water. Especially when the days are hot, change the water every
day to keep it fresh. It is important to supplement your budgie's diet, as a seed-only diet
will not provide adequate nutrition. At least every other day try to provide your budgie
with a fruit or veggie to munch on. Don't leave fresh foods in the cage too long, perhaps
a couple hours at the most. Budgie favorites include carrot tops, dark leafy greens, and
strawberries. You will learn what your particular budgie has a preference for. Just make
sure to keep his diet varied to ensure your budgie's health and longevity. |
| * Cleaning and Maintenance |
| - About once a week you will need to change out the liner in
the bottom of the cage. I recommend using black and white newspaper as liner. (Some caution
against using newspaper pages with colored inks.) You may also use paper towels, or lining
or bedding you can buy at a pet shop. Maybe about once a month you will need to take out
some of the perches to scrape any accumulated poops off. If the cage has a grate on the
bottom, also scrape the accumulated poops off it, letting them fall onto the liner below,
and then change out the liner. About once a year it may be a good idea to do a "spring
cleaning" and thoroughly clean the cage. Take your budgie out of the cage and either put
him in a room with someone for safekeeping or put him in a temporary or travel cage while
you clean. Wash the perches with unscented soap and let them dry in the sun. Do the same for
the cage and the tray. Hand rinse & scrub the food and water dishes. Also give the toys a
good cleaning. When you're done and everything is dry, replace all the equipment, put the
cuttlebone and mineral block back in, and refill with fresh food and water. |
| * Hazards |
| - You want to do everything possible to keep your budgie away from hazards.
Place his or her cage away from places where household cleaners and spray products such as
hair spray are commonly used. And be sure you don't spray these things near the cage. It is
also a good idea to keep the cage away from the kitchen, where fumes from cooking mishaps
(such as a Teflon pot or smoke from burnt food) could harm your budgie. Also be
sure to place the cage away from drafts, such as near an A/C vent. When you take your budgie
out of his cage, be sure that any fans have been turned off and that there aren't any other
potential hazards looming around. Even a budgie with clipped wings can manage to flap his
way into a fan or out a window, especially if he becomes startled for any reason. Just be
sure to exercise caution while your budgie is out of the cage. |
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