Considering a canary
Discussion
Hi all,
I was thinking about getting a small bird or two as a pet. I have no other pets besides a couple of fish tanks and it would only have any company in the evenings.
A canary seems ideal as apparently they are quite solitary birds. I'm not looking to just stick it in a cage and leave it, but it would be nice to know I would not be cruel if I did not have time to interact with it everyday besides the essentials. Some people suggest it is best not to let them out at all as it could be stressful for them. It sounds cruel to me to have a single bird in a cage alone all day. I understand they are not the most tame of birds, though there are lots of guides about taming them and some lovely tame and friendly birds can be seen on youtube. We had budgies when I was growing up. They were not very tame and I recall a fair bit of mess and noise. If I got two would they be happier? Would this mean they bond with eachother, but not with me? I would like to train it to be hand-fed so I could have some interaction with it besides just looking at it.
If I let it out is it going to disappear behind some furniture and not go back in its cage? Will it poo all over the place?
How easy are they to look after? It's quite hard to find information online that gives a good overview of the sort of routine needed to look after a canary. How regularity to clean the cage? What is involved and how long does this take? Do seed and feathers get chucked everywhere? I have seen some pretty cool looking "no mess" feeders for sale, do they work? Do they have to be taken to the vet for routine vaccinations? Do they get ill regularly? Do I have to worry about parasites? Do the cages smell?
Sorry for so many basic questions. I would really appreciate any advice that could help me make my mind up on this. If I feel I can't dedicate the time to look after one or two properly, I'll just stick to my fish! Cheers.
I was thinking about getting a small bird or two as a pet. I have no other pets besides a couple of fish tanks and it would only have any company in the evenings.
A canary seems ideal as apparently they are quite solitary birds. I'm not looking to just stick it in a cage and leave it, but it would be nice to know I would not be cruel if I did not have time to interact with it everyday besides the essentials. Some people suggest it is best not to let them out at all as it could be stressful for them. It sounds cruel to me to have a single bird in a cage alone all day. I understand they are not the most tame of birds, though there are lots of guides about taming them and some lovely tame and friendly birds can be seen on youtube. We had budgies when I was growing up. They were not very tame and I recall a fair bit of mess and noise. If I got two would they be happier? Would this mean they bond with eachother, but not with me? I would like to train it to be hand-fed so I could have some interaction with it besides just looking at it.
If I let it out is it going to disappear behind some furniture and not go back in its cage? Will it poo all over the place?
How easy are they to look after? It's quite hard to find information online that gives a good overview of the sort of routine needed to look after a canary. How regularity to clean the cage? What is involved and how long does this take? Do seed and feathers get chucked everywhere? I have seen some pretty cool looking "no mess" feeders for sale, do they work? Do they have to be taken to the vet for routine vaccinations? Do they get ill regularly? Do I have to worry about parasites? Do the cages smell?
Sorry for so many basic questions. I would really appreciate any advice that could help me make my mind up on this. If I feel I can't dedicate the time to look after one or two properly, I'll just stick to my fish! Cheers.
That's a question I have wrestled with myself. I agree with you to an extent, which is one of the reasons why I have not considered a bird before now. It is also one of the reasons why I thought more about the canary as apparently they can be quite content in their cages and don't necessarily like coming out.
How true this is I don't know and I won't know unless I ask the questions....
I don't think a canary feels about captivity in the same way as a human does. We have very different needs as a species. How do you know it isn't perfectly happy? Do they even get happy in the sense that we understand it?
How true this is I don't know and I won't know unless I ask the questions....
I don't think a canary feels about captivity in the same way as a human does. We have very different needs as a species. How do you know it isn't perfectly happy? Do they even get happy in the sense that we understand it?
That cockatiel is a beautiful bird, but I'm not sure I could give one the attention it would need. Do you really keep the cage open all the time? That's great.
I like cats, just not indoors. They jump all over the work surfaces, furniture, and fur gets everywhere. I live in a flat, so I would have a smelly litter tray to clean out daily.
I was reading about button quail recently. Very cute little things, a bit like tiny kiwi birds. Not friendly unless they are hand-reared and you are lucky.
I like cats, just not indoors. They jump all over the work surfaces, furniture, and fur gets everywhere. I live in a flat, so I would have a smelly litter tray to clean out daily.
I was reading about button quail recently. Very cute little things, a bit like tiny kiwi birds. Not friendly unless they are hand-reared and you are lucky.
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