Budgies are only little birds but they are tougher than they look. However, you need to be aware of safety precautions so that they will stay healthy and you can enjoy their company for their full life span.

When your birds are out of the cage

Keep all windows and doors closed. Budgies are inquisitive little souls and if they see an open door or window will head straight for it and away. The chances of getting them back before a predator gets them are small.

If you have plants in the house, make sure they’re not toxic for budgies. There are quite a few sites on the web which will help you identify toxic plants. That’s not to say you can’t have your favorite plants; just keep them in a room from which the budgies are banned.
If you have other animals, e.g. dogs or cats, don’t leave them anywhere near the budgies without supervision. This also applies when the budgies are in their cage.
If you have small children, always keep them under close supervision when the budgies are out. Small children can get over-enthusiastic and frighten the birds.

When your birds are in the cage

Make sure the cage is not in a draught. Budgies are quite tough but although they can stand reasonable heat and cold, draughts can be a killer for them.

If picked from the garden or hedgerows, green stuff such as dandelion leaves may be contaminated by pesticides. If in doubt, don’t offer it to your budgies, give them lettuce (well washed) or peeled carrot instead.

Never use air fresheners in the room where your budgies live. My solution to this is to use my scented candles in the bathroom which is far enough away from the living room for any fumes from the candles to have dispersed, just leaving the scent. The same applies to carpet freshening powder – I use this everywhere except the living room. If you can get them, scented sachets to put in vacuum cleaner bags work quite well for freshening up the room where you keep your budgies. The floor gets vacuumed and you’re left with a pleasant smell afterwards.

On sunny days

If you want to take your budgies outside on a sunny day, again avoid strong breezes and also direct sunlight. I put mine under the washing on the clothesline as that does offer some shade for them. Never leave them unsupervised even if you’re only going a couple of steps back to the house to get yourself a glass of water. Cats and predatory birds will soon notice that the budgies are on their own and will be after them as soon as you turn your back. If you think you’ll be to and fro all the time, leave them in the house – it will be safer for them and you’ll be saved the anxiety.

Traveling with your budgies

I have quite a long journey to take my budgies to the vet. Fortunately they don’t need to go very often. When I take them out, the cage goes on the passenger seat and I strap it down with the seat belt. Make sure that lids to all pots are firmly fastened down and when you arrive at your destination, make sure that all clips fastening the base to the top of the cage are secure before you take the cage out of the car. If you need to travel with more than one cage, one can go on the passenger seat and if you move the passenger seat back as far as it will go, the other can usually fit in the well in front of the passenger seat and be quite secure there.

Pet Safety in the Garden
Submitted by Member Kathy M.

Safety
Submitted by Member "Orca"

I was made aware a couple years ago of the dangers of what NOT to feed your pet. I knew about chocolate, but was surprised to learn about onions, garlic, and to keep the pets away from bulbs of any sort. Garlic and onion can cause body anemia, resulting in a breakdown of the red blood cells and anemia. Cats are more sensitive than dogs, but I wouldn't chance it. Signs are vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, discolored urine, weakness, liver damage, allergic reactions, asthmatic attacks, and in case of skin exposure. It is highly recommended that you contact a vet immediately!

Other human foods that are poisonous to pets include: Macadamia nuts, Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide posioning), Potato peelings and green looking potatoes Rhubarb leaves, Mouldy/spoiled foods, Alcohol, Yeast dough, Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine), Hops (used in home brewing), Tomato leaves & stems (green parts), Broccoli (in large amounts), Raisins and grapes, Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars.

Pet Safety
Submitted by Member, "Selena"

Dogs, cats, birds, they are all pets. Although they are different animals, they are all prone to danger.

Dogs are prone to danger from chewing on your shoes/clothes. If you have a dog that stays out side the danger is more than you can imagine. If you have rocks outside such as pebble sized or a bit bigger than that, your dog may be subject to chewing the rocks and eating them. This will cause a world of hurt for your dog. Another factor of dogs being outside is that if your dog continues to bark your neighbors will get mad about this. As your barking dog is interupting their business. Your neighbors might call the cops on you to have you do something about this. On the other hand some neighbors will take matter into their own hands. By this I mean they will poison your dog. The most 2 typical ways to poison your dog they will use rat poison, and raditor fluid. Both of these taste sweet. So keep your dog inside of the garage. It is non humaine to have their barkers taken out. In the cold weather do not keep your dog outside. They need a warm dry place to sleep too.