Originally posted by NoahsMommy


How do you get them to trust you enough to touch them?
Are their wings clipped? Parakeets can fly FAST.....much faster than cockatiels and other larger birds, so to tame them, you would have to clip their wings. I would worry about clipping the wings of birds living in a house full of cats though. If one ever escapes in a room with the cats, it wouldn't be able to get away, so I don't know how to advise you on this issue.

I have tamed LOTS of parakeets for my friends, and it only took me a few hours of working with them, to get them to perch on my finger. Basically, you'll have to take them to a safe room and close the door. Take them out of the cage (one at a time), and hold them gently in your hand. They do freak out when you first grab them, but they get used to the idea. If you're worried about their biting, you can hold them with a small wash cloth. Sit down with them in a corner, facing the wall, so that the bird is forced to stay with you and can't get away (because of the wall in front of you), and put the bird in your lap, or on your finger. They might try to run away at first, but after a few tries, they begin to get used to it. Once they learn to perch on your finger, you can walk away from the wall, slowly, and see if they stay. It would take a few days for them to fully trust you, but if you play with them *out of the cage*, everyday, they should be tame in no time.