Читать книгу Parakeets For Dummies - Nikki Moustaki - Страница 15

Your parakeet relies on you for all of its needs: proper housing, nutrition, playtime out of the cage, and safety. You’re responsible for every aspect of its life. In the following sections, I let you know what your parakeet needs from you, but here’s a short list of the basic things your parakeet needs:

 A clean cage: You’ll need to clean the bottom of your parakeet’s cage nearly every day, or your bird’s waste will become crusty and turn into a fine dust, which your parakeet (and you) can inhale. This is not healthy. Once a week, clean the cage and the surrounding area more thoroughly. (More on how to clean the cage in Chapter 9.)

 Water: Offer your parakeet fresh water twice a day if you can; at least once a day for sure. If the water dish isn’t empty (it shouldn’t be anyway), throw out the remainder of the dirty water and replace it so that your parakeet always has a fresh water supply.

 Food: Provide and change fresh and cooked foods once a day. Just as with water, if your parakeet hasn’t eaten all the fresh or cooked foods you gave your bird the day before, throw out the old food and replace it with new. Uncooked foods like seeds or pellets can remain in the dish and you can just top them off. (Note: You should change the water twice a day if possible, but you need to change the food only once a day.)

 Playtime: Your parakeet needs safe playtime out of the cage every day unless the bird is in a large flight cage at least three to four feet in length, or a larger aviary. Be sure to keep a close eye on your bird — and on your other pets — whenever your parakeet is out of its cage. Also, check your bird’s cage and toys daily for wear and tear.

 Attention to his health: Your parakeet 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.