Looking to refresh your parakeet’s home this spring? The warmer weather, longer days, and budding flora and fauna often inspire families to declutter, organize, and spruce up their homes. And, as part of the family, you can include your parakeet in your home improvements. While pet birds benefit from a tidy, well-planned environment year-round, Omlet can help you refresh your parakeet’s home along with your own.
New season, new home
After being pent-up all winter, we all want to stretch our metaphorical wings – and your bird will be ready to stretch their literal ones. The Omlet Geo Bird Cage offers 44% more space than traditional small bird cage designs, giving your parakeet ample space to take flight.
Our artfully designed small bird cage takes an elegant approach when it comes to displaying your parakeet. The unique design not only allows more space, but was created to look great in any room. Use additional small bird perches that add character to your bird’s home, and choose from different wire and base colors to match your home’s aesthetic.
But it’s not just for looks – the Geo Bird Cage was also designed for practicality. We’ve created this low-maintenance cage to be easy for you to clean, and to prevent accidental messes from your small feathered friends. The Geo’s thoughtfully centrally located feeder and waterer has been thoughtfully designed to reduce spills and waste. An optional solid bamboo stand can elevate your Geo Bird Cage to new heights – offering new vantage and focal points for both your bird and your room.
Try cage covers
Give your bird their beauty rest when you add an optional cover. Parakeets sleep best when it’s dark, but spring brings more daylight hours that can interrupt their sleep schedules. Since they’re diurnal (meaning they sleep at night and are active during the day) and need 10-12 hours of sleep each night, a cage cover can help coax them into slumber even when it’s still light out.
Specifically designed to fit the Geo cage, our Geo Bird Cage Night Cover in blossom pink is the perfect color for a seasonal spring palette. Or, try our Geo Bird Cage Cover in midnight blue for a darker hue if that’s more in line with your style. Both colors allow for more restful sleep by providing cage coverage from the top down, while keeping the bottom open and airy for proper ventilation.
Add new cage accessories
Birds are highly intelligent creatures, and your parakeets are no exception. And, as with all intelligent animals, parakeets thrive in an enriching environment. Investing in new toys is a great way to keep your bird’s cage fresh and engaging. Omlet’s Geo Bird Cage Accessories add flair and fascination to your bird’s enclosure, offering hours of boredom-busting activities.
Keep your birds healthy and happy by providing them with an enclosure that fosters their natural behaviors. Spruce up your parakeet’s space this spring with mirrors and perches to stimulate their critical thinking and add variety to their routine. Or, add a bird bath to appeal to your bird’s love of bathing.
Refresh your bird’s home with a spring clean
For optimal cleanliness, you’ll want to deep-clean your bird’s cage at least once a week. But, if you have more than one bird, you may find yourself needing to clean their cage more often. Thankfully, the Geo Bird Cage is easy to clean in minutes – letting you spend more time with your birds and less time cleaning up after them.
Our included feeder has an enclosed base to catch seeds that are dropped during feeding, reducing the amount of wasted seed littering the bottom of the cage. The bottom itself is easily removed and can be hand washed or sprayed with a bird-safe sanitizing solution and wiped clean. Optional paper liners make cleaning even faster – simply remove the paper lining and replace with a new one for a quick and easy clean in between deep cleans.
Entering a new season with Omlet
Maybe you’re a seasoned parakeet owner, or are considering welcoming one into your family this season. Spring brings lots of changes, and is the perfect time to switch up your bird’s routine or to embark on a new bird-owning journey. From products to help your birds catch more shut-eye during the longer days, to cages that make bird ownership easier and more enjoyable than ever, Omlet has what you need to deepen the bond between you and your bird. See why thousands of people choose Omlet for their pet’s needs, and share in the wonder that our products bring to pets and their families.
Budgies are highly intelligent, relatively low maintenance, and are renowned for their hilarious personalities! And with their beautiful, striking appearance too, it’s hardly surprising that budgies are the world’s most popular pet bird. As with any pet, building a good relationship between you and your feathered friend can take time, so ensuring your budgie feels safe and comfortable around you is key to building a long-lasting friendship. So, you may now be asking the question of how to get my parakeet or budgie to like me?
Step 1 – Make Sure They’re Comfortable
The first step to getting your budgie to like you is to make sure that they’re comfortable in your presence and their environment. Providing them with a safe and secure cage is a great place to start. TheOmlet Geo Bird Cage is the perfect space for budgies, with a geodesic, spacious design, offering plenty of room for perching and flying! Furthermore, the Omlet Geo Bird Cage has a choice of Omlet Geo Bird Cage Night Covers to choose from, that not only look great but most importantly, help to protect your bird from any loud noises and provide them with a feeling of security at night when you are not there.
Maintaining your bird’s space is another important step to take to make your budgie feel comfortable. Just as we wouldn’t feel happy in an unclean, cluttered environment, unsurprisingly nor do our pets. Fortunately, the Omlet Geo Bird Cage is incredibly practical and easy to clean. With a no-spill feeder that catches food and a wipe clean plastic base, your budgie’s cage will remain in top condition with very little work from you!
Once your bird feels settled and comfortable in its home, you should begin to make them feel comfortable in your presence. It’s important not to forget that parakeets/budgies are prey animals, so can be on high alert until they have perceived that you are not a threat.
You should begin by sitting down by their cage, making sure not to make any sudden noises that could potentially scare your bird. Talk to them in a quiet voice, gently repeating their name and introducing them to everyone in the household. You can also perhaps read them a book (even if it makes you feel a bit silly!). Patience is key here, but your budgie getting comfortable around you is the beginning of creating a beautiful bond.
Step 2 – Start to Bond with Them
Once your bird feels comfortable and settled in their home, you can begin to strengthen your bond with them. Generally speaking, it will only take around two weeks for a budgie to become used to their home, although bonding with your bird could take months. Don’t let that put you off though, as since these brainy birds all come with their own personalities, bonding time really does vary from bird to bird.
When talking to your budgie, you can provide them withbird treats at the same time to start bonding. If you notice that your budgie is fearful of your hands, you’ll find it helpful to do some hand training, which we’ll learn about later. Alternatively, you can also place abird treat holder in their cage for them to enjoy. Not only will a treat holder keep your bird entertained, it will also help to create a positive association with being in their cage. Being present during this time will also help show your budgie affection. After the initial getting to know each other phase, budgies tend to really love their owners, so you can be assured that your affection doesn’t go unreciprocated. Just be mindful that budgies should only be fed occasional treats, alongside a balanced diet of good-quality seed, fruit and greens, and a mineral supplement block.
While parakeets are relatively low maintenance, you’ll still need to dedicate enough time to them to develop your desired bond. Ideally, parakeets need at least an hour of your time, spent solely focusing on them and their needs. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be with them for an hour in one sitting, so you can split this up into short sessions where you can provide your bird with your direct attention. During this time, continue to talk to them before starting to play.
Step 3 – Start to Play with Them
Playing with your budgie is the next step to getting them to like you. You’ll be able to notice when your budgie is becoming more comfortable around you from their body language, which will let you know that they’re starting to trust you and are feeling content. A happy budgie will have a relaxed posture and slightly open wings. You may also notice your budgie bobbing their head, or even their entire body. A comfortable and happy budgie will also let you know how they’re feeling with their vocalizations. If your budgie is chirping and chattering away, then this is another indicator that you have a happy bird on your hands! Read more about keeping your budgie happy on our 5 Ways to Keep Your Birds Happy and Healthy blog!
Budgie toys are great for providing birds with the physical and mental stimulation they require. To initiate play with your bird, it’s a good idea to get a selection ofbudgie toys to see which they enjoy best.
A firm favorite amongst a lot of birds, however, is the mirror game. It’s the perfect interactive game that both you and your pet can get involved in and only requires, you guessed it… a small mirror! All you have to do is simply hold a mirror in front of your parakeet, to begin with. As your budgie moves closer to the mirror, switch the mirror to face another direction, until your budgie eventually ends up chasing their reflection! Alternatively, using a parakeet mirror in their cage will keep them entertained, even when you’re not around.
Step 4 – Handle them Gently
Now that you’ve started to build a bond with your bird, you may wish to start handling them. Before doing so, along with of course talking to and providing your budgie with toys and treats, raise your hand to your budgie’s cage. Within a few days, your hand will also become familiar to your bird, which is the first step towards handling them.
Now it’s time to put your hand inside the cage. Most importantly here is to not make any sudden movements to potentially frighten your bird. While remaining calm is essential when first having physical contact with your budgie, you should be confident in your approach. Slowly placing your hand inside the cage should get your bird familiar with being close to you, before they are fully comfortable with sitting on your finger. You should keep your hand in your budgie’s cage for five minutes at a time and practice this during your sessions with your budgie throughout the day. Use millet on your finger, so that your bird will eventually get used to having to go between your thumb and index finger to get their reward.
It is important to point out that your bird may initially peck at your fingers when you reach for them. Although this won’t be hard enough to draw any blood, it’s worth noting. As a whole, however, budgies are rarely aggressive by nature, and if anything, they may clash with each other over food and territory, but this temper is often short-lived.
Step 5 – Start to Train Them with Commands
Tricks may look impressive, but they’re also fantastic for helping to build up a lasting bond between you and your parakeet!
One of the first commands you can teach your bird is to hop on and off your finger, also known as finger training, as we briefly touched on earlier. Once your budgie has this initial move down, you’ll be able to move on a few more complicated tricks! However, to finger train your budgie they’ll need to be confident around your hands, as you would have been practicing with step 4 hand training.
After your budgie has eventually perched on your finger with your hand in their cage, you can begin using “step up” and “step down” commands, as they move on and off your finger. Repetition is important, so be consistent with the commands you’re using and reward your budgie when they successfully follow what you’re asking of them. Soon enough, with a bit of patience, your bird should be able to hop on and off your finger when offered it as you open their cage.
As your bird advances, you can spend some more one on one time with them and teach them some more basic commands with a few short sessions. Read our previous blogFour Easy Tricks to Teach your Parakeet and ourTeaching Parakeets Tricks guide for a bit more inspiration!
Step 6 – Tame Your Parakeet
If you followed all of the steps above, you should’ve been able to tame your parakeet. This is all about having your bird’s trust, which would have been built over several training sessions and time spent together. At this point, you can practice letting your budgie out of their cage to roam free. They may initially again need treats and encouragement to entice them out of their comfort zone, so continue to use a soothing tone you’ve used throughout the process to help them. If they immediately fly back into their cage, it’s nothing to be concerned about. As with every step of bird training, patience is key!
So, now you’ve got a tame bird and have created a wonderful, affectionate bond, you’ve got years of great fun ahead. Even after your bird is tamed, you should continue to spend time with them, so that they can live a fulfilled life as the happy, sociable animals they are meant to be!
Some animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, are herbivores. Others, like hamsters, are omnivorous. Finally, there are also carnivores like cats that cannot survive without meat.
All animals need to have their nutritional needs satisfied. However, this does not mean you can’t have a vegan dog. Vegan cats, though, are a lot trickier.
Can my dog have a vegan diet?
If you were to meet a species of animal for the first time and had to make an accurate guess about its diet, you would get lots of clues by looking at its teeth. The teeth of a dog, like the teeth of a bear, proclaim loud and clear that this animal is an omnivore – that is, one that eats both meat and vegetables. If you think of your dog as a domesticated wolf, you get a good idea of its natural diet.
However, as the panda proves, a supposed meat-eater can sometimes get by perfectly well on a vegan diet. A panda’s teeth are similar to any other bear’s – long canines for meat-eating and molars for grinding vegetation. And yet pandas don’t eat anything other than bamboo. So, if a bear can be vegan, does that mean you can have a vegan dog?
The answer is yes – but it’s a yes with lots of small print! A dog requires a diet that contains the fats and proteins it would get from meat. It is dangerous to ignore this basic need and simply feed your pet with whatever you please. Some dogs have delicate stomachs. Also, a low-fat/high-fibre diet can cause potentially life-threatening problems. A diet that excludes meat should never be fed to a dog without the advice of a professional pet dietician.
The collagen, elastin and keratin found in meat diets are not easily replaced by veggie equivalents. Your dog will also need the ‘long chain’ omega-3 fats found in animal products such as egg, fish and some meats. Vegan omega-3 fats are not the same as animal-derived ones.
All of which presents a headache for the vegan dog owner. There are, however, products available that claim to let your dog live a healthy, meat-free life. Before you take the plunge, it is essential to seek professional, scientific advice and guidance. Compromise is usually the best choice here – a vegan diet supplemented by some of the animal-derived essentials. Crickets, for example, can provide lots of the amino acids and keratin a vegan diet lacks, and they’re 65% protein.
Can my cat have a vegan diet?
The compromise approach is even more important for cats. These are amongst the planet’s true carnivores, obtaining all their dietary requirements from other animals.
The main challenge with minimizing the meat in a cat’s diet is that, unlike many mammals (including dogs), cats cannot produce certain proteins. They have to absorb these from the meat and fish in their diet. Amino acids are another issue – cats deficient in the animal-derived amino acid taurine, for example, usually succumb to a specific type of heart problem.
Even a fortified vegan cat food cannot be confidently recommended. Turn the situation on its head, and try to imagine weaning a rabbit onto a meat-only diet, and you will get some idea of the challenge – and the ethics – involved.
There are some lab-grown ‘meat’ products in development, with vegan and vegetarian cat owners in mind. However, whether these will arrive – and remain – on the market any time soon is hard to guess.
For many vegan pet owners, there is a huge ethical issue involved in feeding the animals they share a space with. Ethics, however, include the animal’s needs too, and it’s an almost impossible issue to resolve when it comes to cats. If you are able to reduce but not eliminate the meat in your cat’s diet, that’s the safer option.
Top 10 pets for vegan households
There are, of course, plenty of other pets that don’t eat meat, or that eat some meat but can still thrive on a meat-free diet. Here are our ten favorites.
1. Rabbits. No problems here – rabbits are happy vegans, with diets based on hay and vegetables. You could argue that the soft pellets they eject and then eat are animal products of a sort, but they are simply semi-digested vegetation.
2. Guinea pigs. Like rabbits, these wonderful little characters thrive on a 100% vegan diet.
3. Hamsters. Most hamster owners give them store food, you don’t always know what’s in it. However, hamsters, like rats and mice, can do without meat.
4. Gerbils. Like hamsters, gerbils are omnivorous. They have sensitive stomachs and need a quality pellet mixture. Too much fresh produce can harm their digestive system.
5. Mice. Although they will eat pretty much anything in the wild, mice can thrive on vegan diets; but it is still best to use a food mix prepared specifically for them. This ensures that they will not be deficient in any of the vitamins and minerals they need.
6. Rats. These are the most omnivorous of rodents, but as long as you feed them a vegan mix that has been fortified with all the nutrients they need, they will thrive. Be careful, rats who eat too much animal fat tend to become fat and die prematurely.
7. Chickens. If you watch a free-range hen, it soon becomes clear that she will eat anything – grass, beetles, worms, and everything in your vegetable patch if you’re not careful! Most chicken feed emulates this mix of plant and animal products. However, it is possible to buy vegan chicken feed, and circumstantial evidence suggests that hens can thrive on it. However, they are likely to produce fewer eggs, and you will not be able to stop them scratching for worms and bugs, no matter how vegan the layers pellets are!
8. Parakeets and parrots. Vegans will have no obstacles to face with budgies and parrots, unless the birds are being bred. Egg-brooding female birds need a protein boost, normally delivered via an egg-based food or cooked meat. Vegan alternatives are available, though.
9. Finches. Many finch species enjoy bugs and mealworms as treats, but these are not an essential part of an adult finch’s diet. These birds thrive on a mixture of seeds and fresh vegetables.
10. One for reptile fans. When you think of pet snakes and lizards, you probably have an image of dead mice or doomed crickets. However, there are a few commonly kept pet reptiles that eat a 100% vegan diet, the most popular being the Green iguana. Getting the balance of vegetables just right is very important for the animal’s health, but meat is certainly something you won’t have to worry about.
There is no shortage of choice when it comes to vegan pets. Keeping a vegan cat or dog is a much trickier proposition, though. And with all these animals, a balanced diet that matches the pet’s nutritional requirements should be your primary goal.
You can keep chickens with other pets when the proper preparations and precautions are in place. Some pets like cats and dogs may have an innate prey drive that chickens can trigger, so it’s important to take introductions slowly to ensure success. With these tips, you’ll be able to confidently introduce your current pets to your chickens, or introduce new pets to your existing flock with confidence.
Keeping chickens with dogs
Dogs are the most common pets in the world, with millions kept as pets across the country. So, if you’re among the many dog owners, adding chickens to your family is possible once you consider your dog’s temperament and trainability.
Assessing your dog
If you’re a dog owner, the first thing to consider is their temperament. Different dog breeds may also react differently to birds as part of their nature. For example, breeds like Labrador Retrievers or German Shorthair Pointers may become easily excited around birds due to their natural hunting and retrieving drives. Other breeds that may have increased prey drives include:
Regardless of their breed, if your dog becomes excited or overly curious around small animals, their behavior will likely carry over to chickens. If your dog loses their mind over the birds at your backyard feeder, or drags you to investigate the park ducks on your evening walks, they’ll likely stress out your flock – and themselves.
Dogs without a prey drive or with little interest in birds will likely not pose a problem to your chickens, but all dogs react differently when new pets enter their territory. Usually, most dogs will adjust to the new backyard occupants just fine after an acclimation period. You will likely see your dog expressing interest in your chickens at first – hanging around and sniffing the coop. They may even express a desire to interact with your chickens through playful postures and behaviors. Understanding your dog’s body language around your chickens will help you determine what their relationship will be like.
Chickens are prey animals, and can be hurt easily. Dogs cannot play with chickens as they would with other dogs or even other pets. It’s important to teach your pup that chickens are fragile friends – not toys or something to hunt.
Teaching dogs to get along with chickens
Unless leashed walks make your dog overly excited, their first encounter with your chickens should be done with a dog collar and lead. Make sure their collar is tight enough that they don’t slip out, but not so tight that it’s uncomfortable. Walk your dog up to your chickens’ enclosure and let them sniff. Maintain a tight leash until you see your dog’s reaction, and allow the lead more slack slowly to reinforce good behavior.
Let your dog watch you spend time with your chickens. This should be done with your chickens in the safety of a strong walk in chicken run. If your dog does more than sniff or hang around the run, take a step back and approach their interaction from a different angle.
It could take several weeks for your dog to fully accept your chickens. Some other ways to help your dogs adjust to your chickens include:
Setting up chicken fencing around the outside of your flock’s run for your dog to observe them at a distance.
If your dog has a run or playpen, place it next to your chickens’ run and slowly decrease the distance over several days until they are side-by-side.
Reward your dog with their favorite treats each time they are calm around your chickens.
Make sure to never leave your dog unattended with your chickens – especially in the beginning. Even if they can’t get into the run with them, an excited dog’s barking can easily stress your flock out.
Keeping chickens with cats
Cats are more difficult to train than their canine counterparts, and are decidedly less predictable in their behavior. But the good news is that most cats don’t see a large hen as potential prey the same way a dog might. Most cat owners will agree that their cats show little to no interest in their chickens. In fact, cats and chickens have a somewhat symbiotic relationship.
Birds and their feed attract rodents, which a cat would much prefer over your hens. So, when your cat is able to patrol your chickens’ surroundings, chances are good that any potential rodent problem will be nipped in the bud.
Some cats may show increased interest in your hens. This largely depends on your cat’s breed and temperament. Cats will pose a greater threat to chicks rather than grown hens, but by keeping your flock in a strong chicken coop and run, you’ll ensure they stay safe from your cat.
Keeping chickens with guinea pigs
It may be tempting to keep some cute cavies in with your chickens, but in reality it’s not wise. Chickens will likely pick on them, and with their short legs, guinea pigs can’t get away from them quickly. Their dietary requirements are also very different, and your chickens may eat your guinea pigs’ food in favor of their own, which means neither animal will be getting the nutrients they need. If you have cavies and want to house them near your chickens, it’s best for them to have their own guinea pig hutch and run.
Keeping chickens with rabbits
Rabbits on the other hand are fast enough to fend for themselves against chickens, and if raised together from a young age, can do well around chickens. Still, they require their own dietary needs and clean sleeping quarters. They don’t roost like chickens, so they’ll need their own burrowing space in the run or under the coop.
The easiest way to achieve this is by adding walk in chicken run partitions. This will allow you to create “rooms” for each species to ensure they all get what they need. You can open the partition doors to allow everyone to be together whenever you’d like, or create a third space as a common area.
Remember to try to give each species as much space as possible in their respective areas to make them feel safe and comfortable.
Chickens and other pets
Chickens can also mix happily with goats, and with female ducks (males will tends to bully them). Ironically, they do not mix with birds in an aviary. They will eat anything that falls to the aviary floor, but they will also happily peck the other birds whenever they can and may attract rats and mice, which will cause problems for the smaller birds.
If you live in a rural setting, you can keep chickens with other barnyard animals. Chickens mix happily with:
Goats
Sheep
Cows
Alpacas or llamas
Pigs
Female ducks, guinea fowl, peacocks, geese, or pheasants
Any other avian species kept with chickens should be docile and preferably female, as males can bully hens. Smaller birds like quail or pigeons will likely get pecked at by chickens, so it’s best to stick with larger birds as run-mates. Small pets like hamsters, gerbils, turtles, or frogs should never be kept with chickens – they will be pecked at and killed.
Omlet and your pets
Omlet has all of the pet products you need to keep your furry and feathered family members healthy and happy. Having multiple types of pets is exciting, and through our line of chicken coops, chicken runs, and walk in run partitions, you’ll be able to create a safe haven for all of your animals to enjoy. And, by knowing that Omlet products are protecting your flock, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve provided them with the best chicken housing solutions available.
Like most kids, as a child I had a budgie I, nor my parents, knew nothing about. At the age of 17 I hadn’t had birds since that time in kindergarten but my boyfriend (and soon to be husband) did. It kind of forced me into a world I didn’t understand but wanted
to.
What does a typical day look like for your budgie?
I half-wish there was such a thing as a “typical day” in my life at all! Because there’s a lot of different areas of my life, it keeps things interesting for my birds based on the fact that I travel so much. My budgie has been to a lot of states and hotel rooms
already, and one of her favorite things is actually road trips because she enjoys being in the car with us!
When we are home, she owns the house and we even screened in an outdoor porch area for her to fly around in as well. The cutest part of the day is when she wakes up and flies herself into the main living area of our home to greet everyone, and when you notice in the early evening she is nowhere to be found because she went off to find the quietest room in the house to sleep (we keep foraging trees in each one – and her open Omelet cage in my daughters room.)
How can you tell your budgie is happy?
All animals make happy noises – cats purr and birds sing. Our budgie is no exception and has her own set of content and happy noises we’ve grown to love to hear. She also flies laps daily around our home which is always fun for us to watch!
What is your budgie’s favorite treat?
Like a typical budgie, she loves herself some spray millet.
What would be your best advice for someone thinking about keeping budgies?
Ask yourself “why” you want a budgie. Make a list of the reasons why and ensure you’re committed because budgies can be really discouraging pets – they spook easily, they’re flighty and they can become hand and human shy if not interacted with and instead left to their own devices inside a cage. A lot of the typical things humans interpret as “budgie loves” like mirrors, will work against you creating a meaningful relationship with your bird.
What is it that you like about the Geo bird cage?
The first thing that attracted me to the Geo cage is its unique design and how well it looks in the home. The footprint is also nice, and it fits easily in any room and looks great in it too. Of course, my main concern with any budgie cage is design and materials and once those both checked out for safety, I was hooked!
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If you were to meet a species of animal for the first time and had to make an accurate guess about its diet, you would get lots of clues by looking at its teeth. The teeth of a dog, like the teeth of a bear, proclaim loud and clear that this animal is an omnivore – that is, one that eats both meat and vegetables. If you think of your dog as a domesticated wolf, you get a good idea of its natural diet.
1. Rabbits
