Thinking About Bringing Home a Budgie? Consider These Points First

Is a Budgie the Right Companion for You?

Budgies can be wonderful companions. They are clever and amusing, and they often form strong bonds with their owners. A number of them even pick up human speech. Still, caring for one involves more than many people initially expect.

Could a budgie fit into your life?

Keep reading to work that out.

Why Budgies Are So Commonly Kept

Suppose you have made up your mind to adopt a pet and a bird is on your shortlist. After looking into several species kept in homes, you have landed on the budgie for the time being. Budgies rank among the most popular pets and are often recommended for those new to bird keeping. Even so, responsible ownership carries a substantial set of obligations.

You already understand that, which is likely why you are reading this. You want to determine whether you are the right match for such a small creature over the course of its life. And the responsibilities extend beyond offering suitable food, supplying toys, and maintaining a tidy cage.

So, should you bring home a budgie? Working through the questions below can help you reach a decision.

Budgies can make good pets for the right owner. Ask yourself the questions below before you buy one of these birds.

Madison O'Friel via Unsplash; Canva

Questions to Work Through Beforehand

Would your personalities be compatible?
What is your reason for wanting a budgie?
Are you prepared to purchase not one, but two budgies?
Do you have enough space and time for the budgie?
Can you cover the cost of keeping it healthy?
Who will look after the budgie(s) while you are away on vacation?
What happens if you lose interest in the bird?
Do you keep other pets that could pose a risk to a small, very inquisitive bird?
What if you later decide you want even more budgies?

1. Would Your Personalities Be Compatible?

Budgies are highly playful and inquisitive, yet they can also be headstrong. That combination means they will sometimes behave like a toddler: grabbing things they should not, chewing furniture apart with their sharp beaks, and leaving droppings everywhere (they go roughly every 15 minutes and cannot be housebroken). Even a budgie that is thoroughly tamed will sometimes decide it does not want to return to its cage, fly away, and ignore your instructions.

Like people, they go through a puberty phase: pushing boundaries, acting stubborn, and even showing aggression toward you. Fortunately, they will not hang around with bad budgies, wear all black, and listen to loud metal music all day, but they can still try your patience if you are not a patient person.

They Scream!

Budgies also emit loud screams for minutes at a stretch at least once per day. Some will scream multiple times a day, for half an hour each time. You can find recordings of the sound on YouTube. Before committing to one, I recommend listening to a screaming budgie. It might get on your nerves! If you have a small child who needs to sleep, do not get a budgie!

They Are Intelligent!

Budgies are smart enough to learn your routines and your tricks for getting them back into the cage (or for getting them to do just about anything). They will work it out. One of my own budgies even learned that a specific expression on my face signaled I was about to lock the cage again. At that point, whatever he was doing, he would immediately go sit in the opening and carry on with his activity, poised to fly out.

Naturally, all of this might make budgies sound like terrible pets. Please do not take that as the whole picture, though. They are also quite affectionate, and they can grow very attached to the person who cares for them. So make sure you would be willing to spend time with the budgie. It is not meant to sit alone in a cage all day.

2. What Is Your Reason for Wanting a Budgie?

Be truthful with yourself here. Is it simple curiosity? Is it for display, or would it serve as a living television? A budgie is a living being that requires care. If you are likely to buy one and then surrender it to a shelter within a month, spare yourself the trouble and the expense.

On the other hand, if your motivation is that you are charmed by budgies, admire their appearance, enjoy how comical and adventurous they can be, and want to tame one and make it your best friend, then you are an ideal candidate for budgie ownership, and the budgie would be fortunate to be adopted by you!

3. Are You Prepared to Buy Two Budgies?

Budgies are social animals. They cannot live alone. The best approach for any budgie owner is to get another budgie, bringing the total to at least two budgies. It is not merely more entertaining for you as an owner to watch the two interact. The budgie will most likely be more active, happier, fitter, and live longer! See "How to Introduce a Second Budgie" for further details.

4. Do You Have Enough Space and Time for a Budgie?

A budgie needs a roomy, well-sized cage with quality perches, an assortment of toys, and a wide variety of food. It needs to be able to stretch its wings periodically to stay fit. So, do you have the space for a cage large enough to allow that?

A budgie also needs your presence. It will not thrive spending the whole day on a perch, staring at a wall, entirely alone. You would not enjoy that either. The budgie needs you to devote a great deal of time to it if it is alone. If you get a second budgie, you will not need to spend as much time interacting with them, but you still need to keep the cage clean, refresh the water and food bowls daily, and monitor their health closely.

5. Can You Cover the Cost of Keeping It Healthy?

Purchasing a budgie, a cage, some toys, and food is one part of the expense. But what if the bird falls ill? A vet visit costs money, and you genuinely owe it to the bird to pay for its treatment when the need arises. So set aside roughly $200 in your budget before you decide to get a budgie. Keep that money stored somewhere safe and leave it untouched. Reserve it solely for veterinary costs.

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6. Who Will Look After the Budgie(s) While You Are Away on Vacation?

A budgie will die if left without food for 48 hours. Bringing it along would cause the bird a great deal of stress, and a hotel would most likely not permit it. So is there a reliable person you can ask to care for it? Confirm that they will actually take care of the bird! I once asked someone to look after my birds, and it was fortunate that I came back early: he forgot.

7. What Happens if You Lose Interest in the Bird?

Will you still keep it and care for it properly? Or do you know someone who is good with pets and could love your budgie? Shelters are overcrowded, so think carefully before risking adding to the population.

8. Do You Keep Other Pets That Could Pose a Risk to a Curious Bird?

This one is fairly clear. Dogs, cats, snakes . . . We can all think of many household pets that could injure or even kill a small budgie.

9. What if You Later Decide You Want Even More Budgies?

Budgies can become an addiction! Many owners end up buying more budgies, and several even decide to give breeding a try. Will you be able to say no if you lack the room or time for it?

Have You Answered Everything?

Have you worked through all these questions or come up with solutions for any possible problems that might arise? Do you genuinely want to get a budgie or two? Then the next step is preparing your home to welcome a new family member! You will be adding love, life, and laughter to your house! Look forward to an article by me on that very topic.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.