How Can You Tell...

[Deleted]

How can you tell if your budgie is lonely? Do they give specific signs or can you just tell?


Random Munchy Update: Since I've been away and come back, he still seems to like me as much and will still step up onto my arm the same as before. Now that we've been letting him fly between rooms by himself, however, he won't sit on my arm once he realises we're moving rooms, he just flies off by himself to where he thinks you're taking him, which is a bit of a nuisance. He also now chirps nearly constantly during the day if he's shut in his cage, like now because nan will be opening the windows when she starts cooking, and if I try to practice anything like 'up' or 'down' inside his cage, he keeps trying to run out of the cage because I only ever really get him to step up to let him out.

He's also become a bit obsessed with a photo on the windowsill of the room where his cage is. He keeps flying to that instead of going into his cage. Then he leans over it to see his reflection, so if you try to get him to step up and use your finger or hand to do so then you always get bitten, actually rather hard too. So I have to shut the door, remove the photo from the windowsill, usually with him on it, keep trying to get him onto the top of the cage until he lands on it, then lure him into the cage with millet. It's actually quite a chore.

I'll be going on the family holiday soon too, so Munchy will be going to my boyfriend's. He won't be allowed out there but he'll be with my boyfriend all the time, who's going to try to get him more used to hands and stuff. I might have to give him the cloth to peg over the door of the cage

[milliej]

They shouldn't get lonely if they have toys and a mirror (or two), thats what I found with my first who was on his own for 9 1/2 years!He was also in the sitting room so had company often with the tele and us (I worked part time then) He was a happy little chappie who loved to dance along his perch, swing, sing, play and generally enjoyed life

[Rachael Kellett]

Yes budgies can get lonely, my Ozzie did when he was an only bird. He used to call to me repeatedly with a high pitched sound, and if anyone walked past the doorway of my room he would call and call. Five playpals later and he is one happy, contented little guy ;D Not that I am saying you should get five budgies lol! Its completely up to you whether you want to get him a friend but I am always one for budgies having a budgie friend You need to think about if you can give him all the time and attention he needs or if there are periods of time that he is on his own and would he benefit from a friend Don't forget though, if you do decide to get another budgie that you will need to quarantine it for a month first. This will also help you to bond with the new budgie

[Deleted]

Yeah, Munchy calls like that a lot when he wants to be let out of his cage. The thing is that once we let him out, even if he calls like that, if we go over to him he'll be interested in us and wander over to see us from wherever he's perched, but he's not really that interested in doing anything with us. There's no door between the room where his cage is and the kitchen but he won't fly out and see us. He won't explore new places either. It's hard to get him away from the few places he always goes, and if it's a new room then he keeps landing on my head. It would be a bit better if I could get him to explore more and try new things.

I think I gave him a mirror too early and he became more attached to his reflection than he did to us, plus I never bonded with him properly or anything. I've spent the months since he became nippy avoiding giving him mirrors on toys, so much so that his old mirror is now just a plastic hoop, but it's hard to find any toys without mirrors and he does like looking at his reflection. There are so many places around the house where he can see a reflection anyway, like his favourite photo frame.

Time isn't too bad. I live with my grandparents, and they're out every morning except Sunday and home the rest of the day and they always take him in the living room with them and talk to him. He likes them a lot, I think, and they've had far more free time for him than I have ^^ He'll always run over to see them and tolerates the many kisses from my granddad even though some of his responses look like he's trying to bite granddad's nose ^^ Since I got him I've had my lectures at uni in the morning with practicals occasionally in the afternoons. Next academic year I have lectures in the afternoon but have mornings free unless I have a prac, so he'll actually have more time with people at home

Sadly when I got him it was Christmas and I had to revise like crazy and my previous experience of a budgie was with an adult that was already really tame (sadly I was too young to appreciate him properly) so I rushed Munchy a lot. But at least I'll know better for the future and I can try my best with Munchy to at least make him happy throughout his life.

I remember the quarantine, Rachael, never fear about that. I'd definitely want to make sure I had a solid bond with a new budgie before introducing them to each other. I don't think Munchy is lonely, or not too lonely. I hope he isn't because I would have a REALLY hard time persuading my grandparents to let me get another, and I probably wouldn't succeed. I kind of prefer having just the one bird, when they're really closely bonded companions, although I seem to have failed with that though I'll definitely keep trying with him. If my work in the future is anything like that of one of my lecturers, however, I wouldn't be able to keep just one anyway. If I'm with someone who likes birds then there shouldn't be a problem with keeping a couple as long as I have room for them and they'll have each other for company when we're working.

Thank you both for your advice, Rachael and milliej