is this abuse?

Question

ok my sister been having this parakeet for 6-7 years, and at first we had another one, but he died of old age so the other one is alone, hes been alone for 3 year, he plays with his mirror, and i feel that is not enough for him, my sister hasnt given him a bath!! should he have one? anyway tell me what should i do, buy another parakeet and give him a bath?

Answer 1

Well, Parakeets need a bird bath about 2-3 times per week. How the bath is given will be decided by your bird's preference. Some like the mist from a spray bottle. Some prefer a flat dish of water at the bottom of their cage where they can get inside and bathe themselves. Others like to get in the bathtub and be sprayed with a hand held shower. It will just depend what your pet prefers. It is better to give the bath in the morning so that the feathers are dried by bedtime.
A mirror is practically a must. A lone parakeet will enjoy your company, but a mirror helps them feel less alone when you are not around. You can also buy bird stand-ins from pet stores to give your keet company, but that seems rather silly to me. Consider getting a second bird for ideal level of companionship for your parakeet.

If you have had a parakeet by itself for some time, you might be thinking of getting a second bird as a mate or friend for the first. This is a good idea, but don't put the birds together right away. Just imagine if you have your own apartment, and one day you come home to find some stranger watching the TV. You would get very upset, to say the least! Birds are just the same. Put the new bird in a different cage next to the original pet. When you see them playing through the bars, they can be placed together. Just to be on the safe side, do keep an eye on them anyhow for a day or two.
Good luck! I hope I was a bit of a help!

Answer 2

He might need a friend but I would just try getting some more toys other than a mirror. Also, the people in the birds life should play with him, and give him some out of cage time. Bathing is not usually necessary (unless the bird looks dirty), but the bird might enjoy it. If you put a towel in the sink and have him sit on it, then use the sprinkle hose thing and spray luke warm water. Make sure the sprayer isn't too strong. If the house is cold make sure to put the bird in a warm area and dry completely. If those suggestion don't seem to cheer up the little guy then I would get him a buddy, he may miss his old friend.

Answer 3

Yes, birds do need baths! You should try putting a shallow bowl of warm water in his cage or some where he comes out to play. Or try spraying him gently with a mister bottle (make sure the bottle is new and hasn't been used for anything else before) He should have a bath a few times a week as it helps keep his feathers and skin healthy. Make sure you give him a bath early in the day so it gives him time to dry before bed time and try not to give him a bath when it is too cold. Keep him out of drafts too!

As to whether he is lonely and needs a friend. It all depends on how much attention he is given. Budgies are very social birds and need their flock around them. If he is getting a lot of attention and you or your sister are acting as his flock then he may not need a new friend. If he isn't give much attention (remember the minimum is 2 hours a day) then he would certainly need another friend! However be careful when you pick another bird to be his friend. Introduce them slowly and remember that even if you get him a friend you will still have to pay attention to him. Maybe thinking of getting an older bird (perhaps one someone is giving away, or an older bird from a breeder) to be his friend as a younger one might have too much energy for him to handle! Also, budgie live for 15 years, so if you get a friend for him and in a few years he dies you will still have your new budgie and someone must take care of him. Always think very carefully before bringing a new bird into your house. However, I think your bird would benefit from some company of it's own kind.

I'm wondering if your sister does not give him baths, whether she knows all the other details of taking care of birds? Budgies need more then just a seed diet, they need lots of fruit and veggies everyday and a few other types of food too! They need a lot of free flying time out of their cage, at least 2 hours a day and their cage should be as large as you can afford. They need a lot of toys as they are very smart, and these toys need to be rotated and changed often. This is just the basic stuff!

Good luck and thank you for worrying about your sister's bird! It wasn't your responsibility and you didn't have to, but you did anyway.

Answer 4

yes it is good for them to have a friend if u dont spend much time with him, but getting another bird can detach him from u.....and u can either put a bird bath in his cage or wash him yourself cause my birds love playing in the water when its hot...but u still may need to give them a bath youself evry now and then.

Answer 5

close the door for it does not run (fly) away then take it bath if it does not want it a take a bath buy him another parakeet (if you never took him a bath do not take him a bath)

Answer 6

All birds need to bath twice a week.

Answer 7

yes put a bath in the cage thats what i do and you should get another bird

Answer 8

Please get him a friend, he already lost his buddy so knows that he is alone. Parakeets are very social and love another one to snuggle up to.
Make him a joyful bird, find him a friend.
good luck

Answer 9

Yes, bathe him and find him a new friend.
i had a bird die and the other was lonely and sad till we bought anouther one for him