Honestly, I need your help. My senior mom is going to get budgies whether I like it or not. How can I help the birds?

[RizzoBryant]

First off, my mom is a very uneducated bird owner who brags about owning budgies/parakeets for almost 50 years

We got into a huge argument (Literally huge) because I felt I needed to stick up for the birds from this point on. I have never had any emotional attachment to any of them aside for 1 of them when I was a little boy, however, I know she was not doing things right for them with this most recent one and decided to put my foot down after it died at 8 years old. After researching them online I just went down a rabbit hole of everything she had been doing wrong.

You may note that my only other post here was last month asking about pest control and relocating the bird to another residence temporarily. The bird was never relocated and the pest spraying was never done. It does not need to be done. (Just in case anyone thinks that was the cause of death)

• In 45 years she has taken a bird to the vet, "once or twice."
• She has never had more than one bird at a time
• Tiny cages
• 100% seed diet
• Rarely cleans cage or changed enrichment (Had mirrors as well)
• Lights candles. I have NO idea if she cooks with the oven over 500. I just learned that and I'm sure she doesn't know.
• REFUSES TO LEARN ANYTHING!!! SHE WON'T READ ONLINE!!! She literally told me, "It's not rocket science" :0
• Does not let bird outside of cage for exercise. Has a dog and I would highly doubt she would take the time to train them

Basically, where we are at is she agreed to do everything except the last bullet point in red from this point forward. I really don't think I can stop her even though I think we here would all agree she still shouldn't get budgies/parakeets. She feels entitled to them... She now knows she needs to take them to the vet when ill, to get 2 (preferably males so they don't have egg issues,) a large cage and all the rest...)

I've been trying to do my own independent research all night on how to best rectify this, "no outside the cage exercise," issue, but as you can imagine, I really can't. Is there anything I can do other than persuade her to get the hugest cage possible and hope for the best? I would help her with that but I cannot babysit her with her life choices. Rather than do my independent research for x amount of hours, I thought I'd come here with my family drama and plead for help.

Thank you

 

[RizzoBryant]

I was thinking about something like this for a cage.

budgies hosted at ImgBB

Image budgies hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

It would likely only be two parakeets though. Thoughts? Would that cage be too big? Too small? Any other suggestions?

I saw a youtube video of this guy with a very small indoor aviary/flight cage that was even smaller than a half bathroom. Or maybe just about the size Do they like, sell these ready to assemble? Like, he had maybe 3 different bird cages inside this bigger flight cage. Do you know what I mean? I definitely would not feel comfortable with my mom releasing what would 100% chance be untrained birds throughout her house but in a small confined area like that with nothing in it like in that video I saw would be intriguing.

Thanks!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I was thinking about something like this for a cage.

budgies hosted at ImgBB

Image budgies hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

It would likely only be two parakeets though. Thoughts? Would that cage be too big? Too small? Any other suggestions?

I saw a youtube video of this guy with a very small indoor aviary/flight cage that was even smaller than a half bathroom. Or maybe just about the size Do they like, sell these ready to assemble? Like, he had maybe 3 different bird cages inside this bigger flight cage. Do you know what I mean? I definitely would not feel comfortable with my mom releasing what would 100% chance be untrained birds throughout her house but in a small confined area like that with nothing in it like in that video I saw would be intriguing.

Thanks!

That cage looks spiffy! I would go for it, even if it's only for 2 birds. I had a flight cage that was very similar in size. It was 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. I had cockatiels and budgies in there and had very few problems. I sold it after about 12 years because I thought i wouldn't be allowed to bring the cage with me (Looooooong agonizing story). If you're willing to invest in a cage like that, it often lasts you several birds' lifetimes

 

[RizzoBryant]

That cage looks spiffy! I would go for it, even if it's only for 2 birds. I had a flight cage that was very similar in size. It was 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. I had cockatiels and budgies in there and had very few problems.

Thanks for your input! Still not enough room to stay in there permanently, I'd imagine.
I'm currently looking at indoor flight cage options but they are like $700.
Is there any way to build one that doesn't involve welding? Does anyone know?

Also, to the poster who made the comment regarding speaking to my mom like Dr. Phil, I saw it in my e-mail. Not sure where the comment went. My dad is in a nursing home and watches Dr. Phil religiously M-F at 1pm so I know exactly what you mean.

 

[Gemma Sarracenia]

Lol, sorry. I deleted because I realized you weren't trying to kidnap the birds, which I would have totally done. But yeah, I had to sign a non disclosure agreement with a couple of the classes I had, and he took full advantage of when he wanted to gossip about his old buddy Phil. However, I did NOT sign an agreement for Psych 101, so I will say that Hensley calls Phil on a regular basis to chide him over unethical slanting of research and other misinformation, saying, "Phil, I taught you better than that." Phil would reply, "Yeah, but it makes money." Anyway, Hensley was a walking scandal himself, they became really tight, Hensley was Phil's best man at his wedding. I am very glad Hensley did not go into clinical practice, but the man could teach.

 

[RizzoBryant]

So I've been looking at older threads. What about products such as, "Magic Mesh." Is it viable to just stick a bunch of that up and the birds won't fly through it? Lol. I don't know how feasible that would be... I would obviously have to take measurements and do calculations and learn more about the product like how it sticks. But to get an idea? Or anything like that that wouldn't have us spending $700? My big problem is I want them to just have a little space to fly for exercise. Maybe part of the living room. She won't train them. I don't think it's a good idea for them to have access to a lot of the house.

 

[Terry57]

I think that it's awesome that you're wanting to find out how you can make these budgies lives
better ❤️

That cage is amazing, I didn't know that the corner cages came in 1/2 " bar spacing!
That would definitely give them plenty of room. The only thing is that they may not use the bottom half of the cage, some birds do and some don't. However, the top part has a lot of room even if they don't like the bottom. I have 2 corner cages and I love all the space even for them

 

[Jcas]

It’s great that you are trying to help your Mom’s birds have a better life and that she seems willing to make some changes. If there is any concern about the dog harming the birds, it’s probably safest for them to stay in a cage rather than figuring out how to give them some flight time in a room of the house. Although budgies love to fly, a good flight cage can be a compromise between staying safe and being able to fly. I have the cage that I am linking below for my Quaker parrot. I have the 53” cage but they also make a 64” cage that would actually allow a budgie plenty of room for a short flight from one end to the other. This cage has a removable divider that does leave a small gap when it’s removed so you would need to use something to close that gap to keep the budgies from escaping. But it’s a much less expensive option and I’ve been happy with the cage.

Amazon.com

 

[Gemma Sarracenia]

So I've been looking at older threads. What about products such as, "Magic Mesh." Is it viable to just stick a bunch of that up and the birds won't fly through it? Lol. I don't know how feasible that would be... I would obviously have to take measurements and do calculations and learn more about the product like how it sticks. But to get an idea? Or anything like that that wouldn't have us spending $700? My big problem is I want them to just have a little space to fly for exercise. Maybe part of the living room. She won't train them. I don't think it's a good idea for them to have access to a lot of the house.

I've thought of that as well, I haven't tried it but I will say that I thought of putting it up in a hall with a baby gate in front of the mesh to keep the dogs from going through it. I still might, or I'll build a screen door in that hall. If I figure it out, they can visit my daughter's room as well. If you don't have a narrow place that can be barricaded, maybe one of those dog play yard fences that can be arranged different ways?

 

[RizzoBryant]

I've thought of that as well, I haven't tried it but I will say that I thought of putting it up in a hall with a baby gate in front of the mesh to keep the dogs from going through it. I still might, or I'll build a screen door in that hall. If I figure it out, they can visit my daughter's room as well. If you don't have a narrow place that can be barricaded, maybe one of those dog play yard fences that can be arranged different ways?

Ohhh. Never thought of that. That's a good idea to think about as well. Thanks.

 

[RizzoBryant]

It’s great that you are trying to help your Mom’s birds have a better life and that she seems willing to make some changes. If there is any concern about the dog harming the birds, it’s probably safest for them to stay in a cage rather than figuring out how to give them some flight time in a room of the house. Although budgies love to fly, a good flight cage can be a compromise between staying safe and being able to fly. I have the cage that I am linking below for my Quaker parrot. I have the 53” cage but they also make a 64” cage that would actually allow a budgie plenty of room for a short flight from one end to the other. This cage has a removable divider that does leave a small gap when it’s removed so you would need to use something to close that gap to keep the budgies from escaping. But it’s a much less expensive option and I’ve been happy with the cage.

Amazon.com

The dog would definitely eat them, lol. She is a hunting dog. (dachshund) She has traumatized my mom before by eating a partial nest of baby bunnies in front of her. Her fun in life is chasing the rats and adult bunnies in the yard. She had never actually caught a rat until a few months ago (snow) which was not an ideal situation, resulted in a showdown and a vet visit... I digress...

That is a nice cage and much longer. Obviously it would make sense that they fly horizontally, lol. What do others think about that cage that you linked to above? For 2 parakeets who will unfortunately probably not have any time outside of the cage? Would that be at least an okay life? I would definitely resolve the divider issue beforehand.

 

[bonitabird59]

being that I used to work at a pet store and was always forced to sell birds to people who I knew were not going to take proper care of them -
1.) tell them that pellets are less wasteful, and will not end up all over the floor. in turn, its technically cheaper. this argument sold pellets for me 9/10.
2.) the biggest cage possible and the LOWEST amount of them. minimum 2 obviously for social reasons but try to keep the number really low. try to get a cage with correct bar spacing on sites like offer up, Facebook market place, etc. a lot of the time, people are selling cages for very cheap or free to get rid of them and they can be of high quality. I've had some luck with craigslist as well but offer up is constantly showing me them so I think it could work!
3.) cheap enrichment: toilet paper rolls, plain scrap paper, safe plastics, metal chains of safe sizing, etc can make for great enrichment for very very cheap. I get easter stuffing, around this year its about a dollar for a LARGE bag, and I stuff it into toilet paper rolls with treats inside for my birds. it is extremely cheap to make and very time consuming for them.


honestly, good luck. I really admire you asking for help, please keep us all updated, we wish you the absolute best and feel free to ask us anything

 

[RizzoBryant]

being that I used to work at a pet store and was always forced to sell birds to people who I knew were not going to take proper care of them -
1.) tell them that pellets are less wasteful, and will not end up all over the floor. in turn, its technically cheaper. this argument sold pellets for me 9/10.
2.) the biggest cage possible and the LOWEST amount of them. minimum 2 obviously for social reasons but try to keep the number really low. try to get a cage with correct bar spacing on sites like offer up, Facebook market place, etc. a lot of the time, people are selling cages for very cheap or free to get rid of them and they can be of high quality. I've had some luck with craigslist as well but offer up is constantly showing me them so I think it could work!
3.) cheap enrichment: toilet paper rolls, plain scrap paper, safe plastics, metal chains of safe sizing, etc can make for great enrichment for very very cheap. I get easter stuffing, around this year its about a dollar for a LARGE bag, and I stuff it into toilet paper rolls with treats inside for my birds. it is extremely cheap to make and very time consuming for them.


honestly, good luck. I really admire you asking for help, please keep us all updated, we wish you the absolute best and feel free to ask us anything

Thanks for the tips! Those will definitely be useful. I will look on Marketplace and sites like that but if I don't see something sufficient I would rather make a one time payment and get the best cage possible. I am not wealthy by any means.. (I am actually disabled and receive pay for my disability) but if she is not willing to buy the best cage I'll help her.

With that being said, can anyone find anything better than this cage that was found above? I will post it again. Like is there anything out there even longer?

Amazon 64L 19D 63H Flight Cage

 

[Terry57]

Thanks for the tips! Those will definitely be useful. I will look on Marketplace and sites like that but if I don't see something sufficient I would rather make a one time payment and get the best cage possible. I am not wealthy by any means.. (I am actually disabled and receive pay for my disability) but if she is not willing to buy the best cage I'll help her.

With that being said, can anyone find anything better than this cage that was found above? I will post it again. Like is there anything out there even longer?

Amazon 64L 19D 63H Flight Cage

I'm not aware of one any longer than the one in the link but perhaps someone else is. That looks like a great cage!

 

[LoveMyFids]

Sorry that you are going through that, but bravo to you for standing up & trying to do better & inform her of correct bird care. The cage in your picture is decent, but I would suggest w/budgies (or any other small birds like finches, etc.) to get a cage that is more long than tall. This way they can at least attempt to fly back & forth better. I think the largest/longest type cages for small birds that have bars spaced for budgies are probably 36" across & maybe 24-26" deep from what I've seen online. They are often referred to as "flight cages" & aren't as expensive as lg. parrot cages. I think amazon even has them & often cheaper than pet store websites. It's great that you are trying to do your best for the health of the birds. I'm going to be totally real w/you though-she is an adult & from all you mentioned, she's going to do what she does regardless of your opinions. I've learned this w/my own mother many a times. Mine is also set in her ways & no matter what I say, she either won't listen or literally gets annoyed at me for trying to tell her what to do, etc. So, I'm forced to have to watch her make mistakes & bad choices in her life all the time, which is totally frustrating to say the least. Unfortunately, you will have to learn to just deal w/that, because there is literally nothing you can do above what you are already doing. It sucks, especially when animal care or self care is the issue at hand. I sometimes think parents don't want to listen to their kids because they feel that there's no way you are wiser than them, but if the same info. came from a friend instead, perhaps she would listen? I'm guessing here, but I often feel this way with my own mom & like you, we have literally gotten into big arguments over her not listening. It's the old school mentality that prevails it seems & she's just unwilling to budge or even be open minded about new info. So, I feel your struggle for sure. Good on you though-trying is all you can do!

 

[Birdgirl24]

Thanks for your input! Still not enough room to stay in there permanently, I'd imagine.
I'm currently looking at indoor flight cage options but they are like $700.
Is there any way to build one that doesn't involve welding? Does anyone know?

Also, to the poster who made the comment regarding speaking to my mom like Dr. Phil, I saw it in my e-mail. Not sure where the comment went. My dad is in a nursing home and watches Dr. Phil religiously M-F at 1pm so I know exactly what you mean.

I have Zero clue if this is feasible for you however, I had a friend who wanted birds, and they have 2 spare bedrooms we 100% birdproofed the one bedroom took off the door bought a full-length aviary door, and installed it to the room so it basically made the whole bird proofed room like a bird gym? All 100% bird-safe stuff inside it basically turns it into a full-on aviary. I have no clue if that's something you could even do, though. Just an idea I suppose

 

[LoveMyFids]

I have Zero clue if this is feasible for you however, I had a friend who wanted birds, and they have 2 spare bedrooms we 100% birdproofed the one bedroom took off the door bought a full-length aviary door, and installed it to the room so it basically made the whole bird proofed room like a bird gym? All 100% bird-safe stuff inside it basically turns it into a full-on aviary. I have no clue if that's something you could even do, though. Just an idea I suppose

Not sure if you are located in the US, but Chewy.com has some flight cages for $130 & up, but under $200 I believe. Check that out. They ship pretty quick too. I've bought from them before.

 

[Birdgirl24]

Not sure if you are located in the US, but Chewy.com has some flight cages for $130 & up, but under $200 I believe. Check that out. They ship pretty quick too. I've bought from them before.

Oh, I already have a flight cage, loll.

 

[4 way borbs]

First off, my mom is a very uneducated bird owner who brags about owning budgies/parakeets for almost 50 years

We got into a huge argument (Literally huge) because I felt I needed to stick up for the birds from this point on. I have never had any emotional attachment to any of them aside for 1 of them when I was a little boy, however, I know she was not doing things right for them with this most recent one and decided to put my foot down after it died at 8 years old. After researching them online I just went down a rabbit hole of everything she had been doing wrong.

You may note that my only other post here was last month asking about pest control and relocating the bird to another residence temporarily. The bird was never relocated and the pest spraying was never done. It does not need to be done. (Just in case anyone thinks that was the cause of death)

• In 45 years she has taken a bird to the vet, "once or twice."
• She has never had more than one bird at a time
• Tiny cages
• 100% seed diet
• Rarely cleans cage or changed enrichment (Had mirrors as well)
• Lights candles. I have NO idea if she cooks with the oven over 500. I just learned that and I'm sure she doesn't know.
• REFUSES TO LEARN ANYTHING!!! SHE WON'T READ ONLINE!!! She literally told me, "It's not rocket science" :0
• Does not let bird outside of cage for exercise. Has a dog and I would highly doubt she would take the time to train them

Basically, where we are at is she agreed to do everything except the last bullet point in red from this point forward. I really don't think I can stop her even though I think we here would all agree she still shouldn't get budgies/parakeets. She feels entitled to them... She now knows she needs to take them to the vet when ill, to get 2 (preferably males so they don't have egg issues,) a large cage and all the rest...)

I've been trying to do my own independent research all night on how to best rectify this, "no outside the cage exercise," issue, but as you can imagine, I really can't. Is there anything I can do other than persuade her to get the hugest cage possible and hope for the best? I would help her with that but I cannot babysit her with her life choices. Rather than do my independent research for x amount of hours, I thought I'd come here with my family drama and plead for help.

Thank you

I used to be like your mom. Andy was my first pet and I didn't pay attention to her needs, same diet, same toys, small cages, cage kept bird, lonely, untrained. when i got Sky, she was finally free from her cage with sky because I NEEDED to learn, they say "the older the wiser" that's me. show your mom this please. I hope she sees that birds aren't just a "thing" you have and get to show off but instead a living, intelligent, creature of God's creation. keeping a bird in a cage is like keeping a toddler in time-out for life. experts say that the average parrot has the intelligence of a 5 year old. you can make lifelong memories from birds, ask her what lifelong memories she has with all of hers. don't be surprised when she says "I don't remember any" or "I guess I don't have any". from Eagles to Parrotlets all birds deserve a good life. I never needed to train my dog not to eat the birds after he got pecked in the eye by our chicken. but many parrot owners don't allow the cats or dogs in the same room.