Parakeets Review

My sister and myself, always had pet parakeets growing up.  It started 1st, when my sister recieved one for a birthday gift, and then I.   Unfortunately, hers was sick and died 2 weeks after recieving it.  She then went and picked out another, (for free from store since 1st one was sick), and that one actually lived for a couple of years.  About 5 or so, believe it or not!  This bird actually learned how to speak!  Parakeets are in the parrot family, thus, they can learn to talk.  The best way to teach them is by covering the cage, sticking your head under so that there are no distractions, and consistantly keep repeating the same word or phrase.  They are not noted for talking, and it is somewhat hard to distinquish, however, in the middle of thier chirp sessions, you will hear "Chippy...blah, blah, blah", (that was his name), mixed in the middle.  They can be a little messy or noisy, both which can be easily solved.  They have cage keepers that wrap around the bottom so their seeds or food doesn't fly out of the cage.  And if you want them a little quieter, you can just cover the cage with a towel or blanket or whatever.  They are great for everyone because the are very easy to maintain, train, and for very small children who would like a bird, that would be a better bet because if and when they peck or bite, it's not going to break a finger, like a bigger bird can.  It's not that dangerous.  Keep them away from drafts, give them fruits and veggies at least 2x a week, let them out to fly around, (you can get their wings clipped to tame them and make them more suceptible to you but do not try this yourself, as you can cut a main vein and they could bleed to death), and you will really have a great pet for pretty much anyone!