Ask Lafeber

Will my parakeet get used to being held?

I purchased my parakeet November 1 of last year and she is very sweet, hardly ever tries to bite and when she does it’s very easy not hurtful. But he does not want to come out of the cage. I have to take him in my hand to get him out of the cage. He won’t get on my finger Because he doesn’t want to get out of the cage. I provide toys for him and when I take him out of the cage he will stay out for a while but doesn’t want to do much except maybe look at himself in the mirror a little bit. I have provided for him to be able to fly from one window to the other where I have his toys. I have even left my iPad on for periods of time so he could listen to other parakeets. Do you think this will ever change?

Hi Judy,

He sounds like a very sweet bird, but isn’t particularly outgoing. Birds have their own personality and this may be how he is. Some cage doors are very small and many birds don’t like coming through them. If you can get him out by holding him, this is OK if he doesn’t seem to mind. Does he know how to step up when he is out of the cage? You may need to do some basic training. Also, a bird that can fly will generally be more independent than a bird with clipped wings. Please check the link below for some articles that may be helpful for you.

Caring For Your Bird

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda