How to Set up a Parakeet Cage

One of the responsibilities of owning a parakeet is to make sure your new pet has a good cage. Your bird will spend the better part of his day in this cage. You need to make sure the cage is big enough to keep your bird happy and healthy. It may seem like a simple task, but it takes a little work.

Things You'll Need

  • Cage
  • Perches
  • Toys
  • Treats
  • Cuttlebone
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase the cage. Make sure you buy the biggest cage you can afford. A parakeet is a little bird, but has lots of energy. This bird needs lots of room to jump and play. Check the bar spacing to make sure it is not too wide. The last thing you want is for your parakeet to escape--or get hurt. Do not buy a circular or oval cage. Get a cage that has corners. Your parakeet will need the corners to feel safe.

    • 2

      Think about toys. Get your parakeet a wide variety of toys and set them up around the cage. Put them in various places and make sure they are spaced out. Do not arrange them in a way that could injure the bird. Make sure there are no zinc or lead parts. Also, steer away from mirrors. Mirrors can lead to aggressive behavior.

    • 3

      Don’t forget the perches. You will want to get at least two perches for the cage. Put the two perches parallel with one higher than the other. Do not put the perches directly above the food and water dishes. This could lead to contamination of the dishes. Use the dowel rod perches and maybe add in a few yarn and natural wood perches. Do not use the sand paper perches or get sand paper covers. Sand paper tears up the bottoms of the bird’s feet. If you want to take care of the bird’s nails, have them properly groomed. Do not use these harmful perches and covers.

    • 4

      Install liner. Do not use cage litter. This is usually unsanitary and unhealthy for your bird. Use paper towels, plain newspaper or some other paper product. Make sure the liner lies flat in the bottom of the cage. You do not want the bird trying to eat off the liner or pull the liner up to shreds.

    • 5

      Add in a few extras. Make sure you give the bird a cuttlebone to help keep the beak healthy. Of course, do not forget the treats. Give your new addition a little bit of millet. Make sure to not hang the millet over the water dish. You can buy special millet holders, but sandwich ties work just as well. Your parakeet may also like honey sticks and other treats. You may want to get an additional food dish just for special items.