List of Amenities – How To Care For Your Cockatiel If you are getting a cockatiel, you will want to know how to care for your cockatiel and what you will need. Here is a list of Amenities that you are going to need to get. This post may contain affiliate links. How To Care For Your Cockatiel For Beginners These are the things you will need before you purchase your cockatiel. If you want to find out about any of the products below or how you can order them online, simply click on the pictures. It is a little on the expensive side to get set up for your pet, but once you have him the costs every month to keep him are very low. Cage The cage should have enough room for your cockatiel to be able to turn around without having to move his tail feathers. It should also be taller than it is wide. Bowls For Water And Food You will need two sets of each for ease of changing dishes and cleaning. It helps to get bowls with rounded corners as they are easier to clean. Make sure that they fit into the right spaces in the cage that you have bought as cockatiels don’t really like to sit on the floor to eat their food. Food Cockatiel food includes seeds, pellets, and fresh fruit and veggies. A Play Gym This is a nice to have for when your cockatiel is out of his cage. Vitamin And Mineral Supplement It is always a good idea to have some sort of vitamin or mineral supplement that you can add to the water from time to time just to make sure that your cockatiel is getting all the nutrients he needs. Toys Make sure these are non-toxic and safe. Get a few and rotate them to keep him from getting bored. Cage Cover An old sheet or towel will do the trick to cover up his cage at night so that he feels secure. Perches The perches should be made of wood preferably and of varying diameters. Time Last but not least, some time to set aside each day to give your cockatiel some attention. How to care for your cockatiel is easy if you have the right tools for the job. Make sure to keep his cage clean and give him fresh food and water each and every day. Sharing is Caring Share on Facebook Share Share on Pinterest Pin it Share on TwitterTweet Post navigation Bird Perches Parrots Of All Species Will LoveBird Cage Doors And Bird Cage Floors – What You Should Know! 15 Comments My wife and I have always enjoyed the companionship of birds. As a child, I owned a Parakeet, who was a great companion. In the past, we have had an Amazon and Quaker Parrots but never as small as a Cockatiel. Unfortunately, we had to give away our beloved friends a few years ago due to their size. Thanks for this site – it is has answered many of our questions. Cockatiels’ size would make them ideal for our living conditions. They seem active and from your other posts, they seem to have a really great life span. They would make a great addition to our family. How much attention do they need? While my wife is retired, I am still working and out of the house must of the day. Should we plan on getting two, so they do not feel that they are alone when the wife is out taking classes? Reply If you want a really tame cockatiel, then one is best but you would need to find some time each day to interact with it. However, if you find you don’t have a lot of time and you don’t want the bond with your bird to be that strong, then getting two is a great option. Reply To be honest, I myself have never had a bird as a pet. I did, however, work as a companion for a lady who had one named Chico. He was a character. He kept pretty much in his cage when I was over, although he did like to chatter at me if his “mom” was in the room. Kinda like he was protecting her, I think. She had many of the amenities you mentioned here, and I was surprised at how quiet Chico was when he was “in bed” [nowadays, I guess it could be said he was in lockdown]. Of course, when he heard me talking, he knew it was time to come out and chatter. She did let him out of his cage a lot while I was not around, for I saw the evidence in the bathroom [he protected her while she showered] and it was NOT a nice thing for me to have to clean his cage, to be honest! She was his second owner, she said, and he would probably outlive her as well. Beautiful loyal pet. Reply What type of bird was Chico? A parrot can live a long time and in some cases outlive their owners. This is why we need to make provisions for them in case we are not there to look after them anymore. Reply I would imagine birds can be messy eaters. I’ve seen homemade hanging drop cloths to catch food particles that can be reused, saving money and clean up time. For as long as these birds live,that could add up. Materials used were simple and inexpensive, a plastic bag and enough clothes pins to hold bag attached to bottom edges/sides of cage. Clean up requires removing a few clothes pins on one side, particles fall into any catch tray you hold to sort through or discard with minimal disturbance to pet. Have fun. Reply Thanks for the great tips Mike. Reply Hi, this is a nice post for setting up a home for your cockatiel. It is hard to see a sad pet. Thanks for the tip about getting a cage big enough for the bird so that it can turn around without touching the sides. I was thinking about what I would need for upkeep of its feathers and nails. Are there amenities to get for these too? Reply You rarely have to worry about a cockatiels’ feathers and nails. If the nails do get a bit long, the pet shop can file them down for you, but this seldom happens if they are getting enough exercise and the perches are made of wood. If the cockatiel has a healthy diet, his feathers will remain in tip-top shape. Reply I can attest to the fact that these birds are complete characters and entertainers. Keeping them engaged is extremely important. Friends of mine had one, Toby, and fortunately he was very good at entertaining himself. Usually by annoying the cats. And let me tell you, he had both of them under his claw. He could sing Davy Crocket in its entirety, scare men (and then laugh at them) and dance all over the place. And don’t keep them too confined. Do let me reinforce the life span though. Toby lived until his mid thirties so plan to have a cockatiel for a long time. Toby spent most of his time wandering the house and yard and riding on someone’s shoulder. He never strayed. He gave so much joy. A nice succinct summary of what a cockatiel needs and wants.CiaoHelen Reply Wow, Helen, I have never had a cockatiel last more than 25 years so Toby must have been really well looked after and a happy bird. Thanks for your lovely story and hope you have another cockatiel now. Reply Toby was an exception as he was rarely caged. We live in the Tasmanian bush and are surrounded by free flying birds of all sorts. From Wedge Tail Eagles to various parrots, wrens and so on. Different visitors every season. Reply Cockatiels are amazing pets. I had one for 13 years. This little white rosy cheeked bird greeted me each morning with a cheerful song. My young son taught “Pepe” to sing Jingle Bells combined with Jesus Loves Me in the middle of his chorus. Cockatiels are easy to care for and are really good company. They love to be sprayed gently with lukewarm water. Their diet can be supplemented with fresh whole foods; carrots, apples, lettuce are some. Their wings can be clipped so they can flutter about only when an adult is with them. When it was time for bed, we’d cover Pepe up and it was then he’d say “I love you.” Your little feathered friend will love you unconditionally. But a bottle of Kwik-Stop. In case little bird bumps his wings, Kwik-Stop will stop the bleeding. Enjoy, talk, talk some more and sing to your new friend…A Lot! Reply You are on the dot about them being amazing pets Lyn, and thanks so much for the tip about keeping a bottle of Kwik-Stop handy. Reply Thanks for this info. I have not had a bird for many years and did not realize all of these important factors. You have explained the details very well, and given me some good information should I decide to get a bird in the future. I will also share this with friends who have birds to ensure they are aware of this knowledge. I do love birds and now am contemplating possibly getting one. All the Best. Reply You won’t be sorry getting a bird for a pet, and thanks for your comment Joseph. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website
My wife and I have always enjoyed the companionship of birds. As a child, I owned a Parakeet, who was a great companion. In the past, we have had an Amazon and Quaker Parrots but never as small as a Cockatiel. Unfortunately, we had to give away our beloved friends a few years ago due to their size. Thanks for this site – it is has answered many of our questions. Cockatiels’ size would make them ideal for our living conditions. They seem active and from your other posts, they seem to have a really great life span. They would make a great addition to our family. How much attention do they need? While my wife is retired, I am still working and out of the house must of the day. Should we plan on getting two, so they do not feel that they are alone when the wife is out taking classes? Reply
If you want a really tame cockatiel, then one is best but you would need to find some time each day to interact with it. However, if you find you don’t have a lot of time and you don’t want the bond with your bird to be that strong, then getting two is a great option. Reply
To be honest, I myself have never had a bird as a pet. I did, however, work as a companion for a lady who had one named Chico. He was a character. He kept pretty much in his cage when I was over, although he did like to chatter at me if his “mom” was in the room. Kinda like he was protecting her, I think. She had many of the amenities you mentioned here, and I was surprised at how quiet Chico was when he was “in bed” [nowadays, I guess it could be said he was in lockdown]. Of course, when he heard me talking, he knew it was time to come out and chatter. She did let him out of his cage a lot while I was not around, for I saw the evidence in the bathroom [he protected her while she showered] and it was NOT a nice thing for me to have to clean his cage, to be honest! She was his second owner, she said, and he would probably outlive her as well. Beautiful loyal pet. Reply
What type of bird was Chico? A parrot can live a long time and in some cases outlive their owners. This is why we need to make provisions for them in case we are not there to look after them anymore. Reply
I would imagine birds can be messy eaters. I’ve seen homemade hanging drop cloths to catch food particles that can be reused, saving money and clean up time. For as long as these birds live,that could add up. Materials used were simple and inexpensive, a plastic bag and enough clothes pins to hold bag attached to bottom edges/sides of cage. Clean up requires removing a few clothes pins on one side, particles fall into any catch tray you hold to sort through or discard with minimal disturbance to pet. Have fun. Reply
Hi, this is a nice post for setting up a home for your cockatiel. It is hard to see a sad pet. Thanks for the tip about getting a cage big enough for the bird so that it can turn around without touching the sides. I was thinking about what I would need for upkeep of its feathers and nails. Are there amenities to get for these too? Reply
You rarely have to worry about a cockatiels’ feathers and nails. If the nails do get a bit long, the pet shop can file them down for you, but this seldom happens if they are getting enough exercise and the perches are made of wood. If the cockatiel has a healthy diet, his feathers will remain in tip-top shape. Reply
I can attest to the fact that these birds are complete characters and entertainers. Keeping them engaged is extremely important. Friends of mine had one, Toby, and fortunately he was very good at entertaining himself. Usually by annoying the cats. And let me tell you, he had both of them under his claw. He could sing Davy Crocket in its entirety, scare men (and then laugh at them) and dance all over the place. And don’t keep them too confined. Do let me reinforce the life span though. Toby lived until his mid thirties so plan to have a cockatiel for a long time. Toby spent most of his time wandering the house and yard and riding on someone’s shoulder. He never strayed. He gave so much joy. A nice succinct summary of what a cockatiel needs and wants.CiaoHelen Reply
Wow, Helen, I have never had a cockatiel last more than 25 years so Toby must have been really well looked after and a happy bird. Thanks for your lovely story and hope you have another cockatiel now. Reply
Toby was an exception as he was rarely caged. We live in the Tasmanian bush and are surrounded by free flying birds of all sorts. From Wedge Tail Eagles to various parrots, wrens and so on. Different visitors every season. Reply
Cockatiels are amazing pets. I had one for 13 years. This little white rosy cheeked bird greeted me each morning with a cheerful song. My young son taught “Pepe” to sing Jingle Bells combined with Jesus Loves Me in the middle of his chorus. Cockatiels are easy to care for and are really good company. They love to be sprayed gently with lukewarm water. Their diet can be supplemented with fresh whole foods; carrots, apples, lettuce are some. Their wings can be clipped so they can flutter about only when an adult is with them. When it was time for bed, we’d cover Pepe up and it was then he’d say “I love you.” Your little feathered friend will love you unconditionally. But a bottle of Kwik-Stop. In case little bird bumps his wings, Kwik-Stop will stop the bleeding. Enjoy, talk, talk some more and sing to your new friend…A Lot! Reply
You are on the dot about them being amazing pets Lyn, and thanks so much for the tip about keeping a bottle of Kwik-Stop handy. Reply
Thanks for this info. I have not had a bird for many years and did not realize all of these important factors. You have explained the details very well, and given me some good information should I decide to get a bird in the future. I will also share this with friends who have birds to ensure they are aware of this knowledge. I do love birds and now am contemplating possibly getting one. All the Best. Reply
