Budgie in a small cage

[MrMakersFartyParty]

My Sister has recently got a budgie and a 2nd hand cage, the cage is the tiniest thing I've ever seen, it must be about 30cm x 30cm. She is not going to let the bird out of the cage, maybe very occasionally but not as a routine. The budgie came from an aviary with lots of other budgies but my sister only wants one budgie.
Have tried talking to her but she insists this size cage is not cruel and she will talk to the budgie throughout the day so it's not bored.

Aibu for being incredibly frustrated that this is happening and theres nothing I can do? I feel so sad for it as it looks so sad and bored and I cannot see how 30cm x 30cm is adequate.

That's not big enough. Budgies need toys as well, space to move and play, they need time out of the cage every day.

Considering that recommend is 50cmx50xcmx30cm she is being dumb. Plus why get bird if she doesn't plan on letting it out?
Goldfish is what she was looking for....

Steal the budgie and take it back to breeder.

Who sold her the cage?

Our budgies were out nearly all day, she is being very cruel.

Why would she buy one with no intention of letting it out? This is cruel and I would report her.

Budgies need other budgies, and they need space. Really cruel to keep an intelligent, social animal like this, i feel very angry with your sister. A budgie is not a toy !

YANBU-Could you show her some information online from experts, or get some advice from the RSPCA. If she ignores all that then she is being wilfully cruel.

Wow that's the first 💯% vote I have ever seen on here
YANBU

Should add that the poor little bird will have a dismal existence. Bored, lonely, sad. Like keeping a human in a tiny prison cell with no company, nothing to read, just sitting there.
Really disgusting that she thinks this is alright. Why has she bought a budgie ?

It’s incredibly cruel , could you tell her someone may report her to the RSPCA and see if that would sway her , if not ask the RSPCA to send someone round to have a word .

@ninjainfluffypjs I wouldn't even recommend a goldfish if she'd keep a budgie in a cage so small. A fully grown goldfish can get to a size where anything less than 120L is cruel.

Her husband left her so this is her answer i think! I am worried that if she buys a 50x50 cage, it's still a cruel existence isn't it, on your own trapped in the cage not being let out? I feel like stealing it but I know she would replace him/her! She got the cage from her MIL...

That's disgusting. I'd have to insist she let it out/get a large cage or contact the rspca. I have a budgie in a massive cage for large parrots. The door is open all day unless we want to open the windows wide for an hour or two/at night or when we go out. He potters around sleeps on his shelf and comes for cuddles when he likes.
People assume there would be bird mess everywhere but there isn't

Tell her they can get very very loud when they're not happy, poor thing will be cheeping like mad to be let out.

Failing that lock her in a bathroom and talk to her through the door.see how she likes it.

I second the poster who said that even keeping a goldfish in a small tank is cruel. Goldfish can grow to an enormous size and should probably be in ponds rather than tanks. Most people don't know much about them and stick them in unfiltered tiny tanks, or even worse, bowls. However, as long as the big pet stores sell the tiny 15 litre tanks and allow people to buy two or three goldfish to fill it the same day, then this practice will continue.
BTW, that cage is FAR FAR too small for any bird. Personally I don't think birds should be caged if at all possible.

Budgies can do fine by themselves IF they get plenty of attention. Like A LOT. Doesn't sound like this one will ...
Tell MIL she is an idiot too

Persuade her the budgie needs company of its own kind and therefore a much, much bigger cage/aviary.

@BinkyBaa aha. Never had a goldfish. Didn't like the look of them. Had just little ones like neon tetras and others. Including ones giving live birth, which resulted in extra aquatium😂 nad profit when I was 12. Big one was 110l, separate for babies 60l.
Don't goldfish grow according to size of a tank? If kept in small, they stay small?

Poor budgie. Its come from being able to fly freely around in an aviary with friends to solitary confinement in a tiny budgie bedsit.
Tell her she is being massively cruel. If she wants company she d be better suited to getting a houseplant!

@NinjaInFluffyPJs some will likely stay small, though tbh I'd consider stunting them in a little tank to be mean too. I believe the general advice for goldfish is around 70L minimum and an extra 5L per inch of fish.

My goldfish is effectively a rescue from a relative. He managed to grow to 6 inches in an unfiltered 20L tank with them, and constantly bolted into the sides since the tank was really only about 3x his length. It's honestly amazing he toughed it out so long, as his 3 tank mates died pretty quickly. He's 17 years old and 8 inches now, but I keep him in a 150L tank with a filter and air stones.

Disclaimer, I'm no expert on goldfish, I just thought the size of his tank looked cruel and did a lot of reading before they gave him to me for a better life.

@MrMakersFartyParty This is so so cruel. Budgies are clever and sociable, they need lots and lots of stimulation and love. It's like locking up a toddler in their crib all day and suggesting that's ok because you walk by occasionally. Really horrible. Please either take it off her and treat it properly (happy to give tips if you message me), or if not possible, at least just buy her a really big cage with loads and loads of toys and a second budgie. Still not great, but what she is doing is torture.

I completely fail to understand why the fact her husband left her justifies torturing a helpless, sentient being! I am sorry, but her pain does not excuse inflicting it on others. If she won't listen to reason, please do report her to the RSPCA, no living creature deserves the kind of life she is inflicting on that poor budgie.

Show her this:

pets.thenest.com/size-requirements-budgie-cages-7573.html

Minimums
The standard minimum cage size recommended by bird professionals is 12- by 18- by 18-inches for a single bird. This cage size is fine if your budgie is outside of the cage most of the time, but if you have a cage-confined budgie, it's going to be much too small to keep your bird happy and healthy.

n general, you should buy the biggest, safest cage you can afford. Budgies need both vertical height and width for hopping and flying. Don't go with the first cage you see at the pet store, even if it states it's "everything your parakeet needs." Unfortunately, many of these cages are much too small to house your bird and everything it needs to be happy and healthy.

Has she got a birthday coming up?

If I reported her to the rspca and she got a bigger cage like 50 x 50 I'm worried she would lie and say she let's the bird out etc