How To Add a Parakeet to an Existing Parakeet Cage

Parakeets are a common household pet. These small birds are easy to care for, easy to tame and are available in many different color variations. Because they seem so docile, it may be surprising to find that parakeets can be just as territorial about their space as other animals. An established parakeet cage will often resist a new member, and the resident parakeets may react so aggressively that the new parakeet is injured. To minimize risks to your parakeets, take the time to properly introduce the birds before adding the new parakeet to the existing cage.

Things You'll Need

  • Parakeet cage
  • Food and water dishes
  • Towel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the new parakeet in a separate cage. Put food and water dishes in the cage.

    • 2

      Position the cage with the new parakeet near the existing parakeet cage. Keep the cages about 1 inch apart so that they cannot bite each other or nip each other̵7;s toes.

    • 3

      Watch the parakeets in both cages. Parakeets that show signs of aggression should not be introduced. Signs of aggression include feather fluffing, lunging at the other bird, pecking at the bars that separate them and squawking.

    • 4

      Wait for both cages of parakeets to relax and feel comfortable in the other bird̵7;s presence. Signs to look for include normal vocalizations, eating at will and ̶0;singing̶1; to the other cage. It can take as long as a week for the parakeets to relax and not feel threatened.

    • 5

      Place enough extra food and water dishes in the established cage so that the parakeets won̵7;t fight over food and water once they are in the same cage.

    • 6

      Open the doors, or raise the feed slide doors, and position the cages so that they open into each other. If the cages won̵7;t provide a sealed, common opening, drape a towel around the openings to allow passage but prevent escape. Do not leave the cages unattended at this point.

    • 7

      Allow the parakeets to move freely between the cages. Watch carefully for any signs of aggression, and separate the birds immediately if they begin to fight.

    • 8

      Close the door of the established cage when the new parakeet has joined the others and all of the birds are getting along. Continue to observe the parakeets until you are sure there are no signs of aggression.