Our two budgies have the run (fly?) of the house but spend most of the time in my bathroom. I have a planter pole in there, they like to perch on the arms of the thing. I had to take the plants off it though, and the macrame hangers. They were digging out the pots (hydroponic pebbles) and eating the macrame. They'd only eaten one of them mainly (it was jute, I never liked that one anyway) but I hope to use them later on, maybe in a different room where the birds won't eat the hangers.
They have a play gym husband made, it's a small portable one. Here's something for you, Abbey - I made a small vase for the play gym out of a plastic test tube which I've firmly attached to the play gym. I use it to hold milk thistle or Aussie native flowers like banksia. It keeps them fresh for long enough for my birds to party and tear them to pieces. I also have two bird baths for them, one in each of the main rooms the birds hang out in.
Because they've got each other (important for budgies) they fare better. The older female was very wild and I suspect she was a bit psychotic as well. She's changes so much now we've got the younger male, and because we tamed the male quickly when we got him, he's now helping us tame her. He's gotten over his extreme fascination for her, he's now back to wanting to play with us again too especially me. I sit down next to the play gym and he flies down to play with me. She often follows.
If I'm in the kitchen with a budgie on my shoulder, he wants to explore whatever food I'm working on, to try it out. He's constantly looking for stimulation. So I'm constantly changing their toys around, making toys for them and finding lots of new things.
When I was a kid, I had a pet budgie who just stayed in the cage. I think my mother would have had a fit if I'd suggested letting him out to fly around, or if I'd tried to finger-tame him. I wish I'd known how to do it back then. Looking back with what I know now, I feel very sorry for that little bird.
Mind you, I do wonder what it would be like going to parties and telling people what you do for a living by saying, "I work in a rehab centre for parakeets."
I think they'd be calling for the men in white coats...
Marg
