Exercize and Attention for Your Small Bird

A bird that does not get any time out of its small cage (one that doesn't allow for flight)  may scream  constantly or pull out its feathers. An unexercised bird often gets fat and its life span may be shortened dramatically.  If you cannot give a bird plenty of daily attention and flight time outside of its cage, do not get a parrot! Get some Finches or Canaries (see my resent post about them) instead. 

Some days, my bird Kiki gets let out of her cage around 8:00 a.m. and gets put away around 5:00 p.m. Sometimes she does fly back into her cage to eat or drink and then she comes back out. Kiki is siting on a picture frame on my room staring down at me as I write this! I'm not saying that you need to have your bird out of its cage that long!

A jungle gym outside of your bird's cage is lots of fun, as these budgies show!

But how much time should a bird spend out of its cage? For a small parrot in a cage that is too small to fly in, at least two hours. If you put the bird in a safe place, like a bathroom, then you don't even need to be in the same room as the bird. But for some of the time you need to hold your bird and talk to it!

These two happy Cockatiels are enjoying their freedom!

Foster a Pet

Pet keeping can be expensive. Would you like to take a pet into your home - free? I have some questions and answers about fostering pets.

Where can I get pets to foster?  Animal shelters or Humane Societies will probably have pets to foster.

What pets can I foster? The animals that are usually fostered are dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, or birds.

You may be able to foster puppies to young to be adopted, like these puppies, along with the litter's mother.

What are some problems with fostering? Eventually you will have to give the pet to someone else. This can be sad, especially if you have had the animal for several months.You will probably also have to pay for some pet keeping costs.

What will the shelter pay for? The shelter will probably cover the following: food, vet bills, and litter (if needed.) If you go on vacation, you can often just return the animal to the shelter, saving you the cost of a pet sitter.

What will I pay for? You will probably have to pay for a cage or kennel, bed (for a dog or cat), and toys.

How can I foster a pet? Anywhere from days to months.Some animals never get adopted. Sometimes the shelter will take the animal back after a while, but you might be able to foster it again later. If someone decides to adopt the pet you are fostering, you will have to, of course, give it to them. then you can foster another pet!

Fostering a pet is a great idea. A house is a much better place for a pet then a shelter. (If you haven't already done so, check out my post A Trip to the Humane Society) I personally would like to foster small birds and small mammals.

My Pets

                                       
On New years one of my plans was to buy a bird. I was able to get one that same day! My brother and I had already picked out the name Kiki (named after the bird in the Enid Blyton children's book series). Kiki is a beautiful violet factor budgie. Budgies are often called "parakeets" but the correct term is "budgerigar" or "budgie" for short.
  Kiki was tamed very quickly and loves to perch on my finger, shoulder, or head. So far Kiki has been a wonderful pet.
  Budgies are great pets for people who want a pet that is small, adorable, and easy to care for.

                                                
Yertle and Myrtle are my baby painted turtles.  I think they are the western sub- species. They love to eat. Especially when crickets are on the menu!   They are not afraid of people, having been caught probably the day they hatched. They eat out of my hand or out of a small lid.
  I caught them crossing a bicycle road mostly dried out. Since then they have grown far bigger and will probably outgrow their tank soon.
  Painted turtles can live up to 55 years in the wild and longer in captivity! I hope that they live a long, happy life with me.




I hope to post a lot more pictures soon!