By Jennifer Gardner

To some people, parakeets are kind of like hamsters with wings: A good starter pet for a child or family.

In reality, though, both hamsters and parakeets require some specialized care to keep them happy and healthy. While it’s true that parakeets often don’t live very long if not properly cared for, in the right conditions a parakeet can live for 12 years. With decent care and no significant health problems, a parakeet will live to 5 to 7 years.

And, parakeets are more than a stepping stone to a larger bird or a dog — they have their own distinct personalities and can be wonderful companions if they are socialized and trained correctly. Also called a budgerigar or budgie, these birds actually belong to the family of true parrots and can even learn to talk under the right circumstances.

The first step to becoming a parakeet owner is to read up on how to care for these creatures. What do most people do wrong?

• Keep a single bird. Parakeets are very social animals, and if you only keep one you must act as its friend. That means, if you’re not at home some or most of the time, a pair is the way to go. Once parakeets find a mate, it’s usually for life so they are very dedicated to their companions.

• Feed an improper diet. Parakeets need a lot of variety in their diet, and they require a mineral block and cuttlebone in their cage to get the minerals and trace nutrients they need. You should be feeding a food mix made for parakeets, along with fresh foods like fruits and vegetables. There are some food that birds can’t have, so be sure to avoid cabbage, potatoes, beans, most citrus fruits, plums, and avocados. Parakeet owners often debate the benefits of a seed vs. a pellet food — whatever you decide to do, start with the kind of food your bird was eating in its previous home and gradually change over.

• An unsuitable or dirty cage. Parakeets need at least two — and preferably more — different kind of perches for the health of their feet, narrow bars that it cannot get caught in and plenty of room to move around. I’ve been told the best size is 3 feet long by 2 feet deep by 2.5 to 3 feet high. That’s quite a bit larger than the typical pet store bird cage! It’s also more difficult to clean, but that’s important too. A dirty cage can lead to contaminated food, poor foot health, and respiratory problems (not to mention, it’s not much fun to have around your house).

• Don’t trim the wings. Parakeets are great at flying. So great, in fact, that an open window or door and the right opportunity means they are gone. And in our environment, they have two strikes against them — they’re used to warmer temperatures and no rain; and their bright colors make them stand out for predators. Under a veterinarian’s supervision, you can trim their wings so they can still fly short distances around the house and enjoy being birds.

You’ll still have to watch for those open areas where the birds can get out, but the odds of them getting far are lessened.

• Cook with Teflon coated pans or burn candles and room fragrence oils near the bird. Teflon is raising some questions about its health to humans, and it most definitely can harm your pet birds. Never have your budgies in the same room when you cook — and if possible, toss your Teflon-coated pans entirely. Remember to check baking dishes and cookie sheets that go in the oven too. Lots of household chemicals are problems for the very sensitive respiratory systems of birds, so research and make sure you won’t be using any problem items near your bird.

• Lack of awareness of common household dangers. Open toilets, halogen lamps, ceiling fans and electrical cords can all be hazardous to a parakeet.

So you know what NOT to do when you bring your pet budgies home. How about some tips on what to do right?

• Spend lots of time with your pet. Socialization is very important.

If you take an adult bird from its previous home, a rescue bird, or even a baby that’s had little contact with humans, you may have to work at earning its friendship and trust. This can be a fun and rewarding process for the right person — but that is generally not a child. Children can be part of the family adopting the bird and can enjoy working to socialize and train a bird too, but many lose interest because the process takes time. An adult should be in charge of handling the bird, at least initially.

• Identify a veterinarian who can treat birds. Not every vet has experience or interest in avian health, so you may not be able to take your bird to the same vet you use for your cat or dog.

• Give your bird plenty of toys. Parakeets are very intelligent (the phrase “bird brain” does not apply to them!) and enjoy being distracted by toys. Some birds like mirrors and will rock back and forth in front of the mirror making friends with the reflection.

• Let your budgie bathe. Parakeets like water (which is why keeping the toilet seat up can be dangerous) and will gladly take the opportunity to splash about in a pan of water. Be prepared to clean the cage after the bath, as parakeets do make a mess.

Parakeets can be fun and entertaining pets if they are brought into the family on their own merits, not as a starter pet on track to something that requires “more responsibility.” These little birds need quite a lot of care, but can be great companions. For more information, visit www.budgies.org.

Jennifer Gardner is a free-lance writer and editor and a board member at Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis. She enjoys writing about all animals but specializes in rabbits and other small pets. If you have questions or comments about this column or other pet issues, please e-mail Jennifer at jennifer@visualpeople.com or write c/o The Gazette-Times.