Originally posted by tikeyas_mom
you are so lucky, my mom said I can have a cockateil, a budgie, or a finch but only ONE and it has to stay in MY room and it has to be payed with MY own money, I am leaning toward finch because cockatiels are hard to care for and need constant attenion and the one I have now is evil . Budgies I am not really fond of "other then spanky miss you baby". I have never had a finch befor so, I might try them pluse they are cheep lol. The cockatiel at total pet are hissy and mean jordan, good luck .
A finch over a cockatiel? Wow. LOL Although I love finches, I wouldn't ever take one over a tiel or other *parrot*. They aren't easy to tame, and they don't like to play or hang out with people as tiels do. I don't see how cockatiels would be harder to care for than a finch though. Its just that cockatiels need/love more attention, and are much more friendly and intelligent. BTW, for a finch, you MUST have a pair and not one. Finches are not like parrots who like human companionship and are happy single. They NEED a finch companion, so getting ONE finch should be out of the question.

Wolfsoul, how cool! Congrats! Just one thing. You mention your rats old outdoor cage.........

You need to make sure the bar spacing is right for a bird. They shouldn't be *squares*, and they should be spaced 1/2-3/4 and inch apart. The bird should NOT be kept outdoors for many reasons. First of all, birds are strictly indoor pets, unless provided with a secure, weather-proof aviary. 2nd, they will be wild and will fear humans if kept outdoors. 3rd, there are MANY dangers for a little bird being outside, even if its in a cage. 4th, birds kept outdoors are prone to getting diseases from wild birds or from cold/hot weather. Lastly, cockatiels are tropical birds and may not do well outside in different climates. I don't know if you are keeping him outside, but I just thought I'd mention. Cockatiels are VERY sweet companion birds and love to spend time with their humans, riding on their shoulders, singing and dancing, talking and whistling, giving kisses and cuddling etc. They are NOT hissy, unless they aren't giving enough love and attention, or if they were neglected in previous life, as in the case of Cheeko, who had other owners before coming to Tikeyas mom's home.

You mentioned you already have seed. How long have you had these seeds, and what kind are they? Seeds in the pet store are made according to the nutritional needs of each specie, so you need to feed them fresh COCKATIEL seed, and not just *any* seeds. Also, seeds are not enough of a diet for a tiel. They need to eat more pellets, veggies, whole grain bread, etc. along with seeds for their nutritional needs.

Cockatiels need a lot of interaction and live long (20-25 years average, but many live well into their 30s.) Getting a cockatiel is a life-long responsibility and you need to be prepared for that.