Why is my budgie pacing and agitated at the bottom of its cage?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male
budgie has been pacing back and forth on the bottom of the cage for over three hours, seem agitated and is out of character. no changes have been made to cause a sudden change.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 19th, 2019
I'm sorry to hear about Blue! If moving his cage to a quieter area or covering it for a bit doesn't help him to relax, or he seems to be showing signs of illness in addition to the sudden pacing, seeking veterinary care in person to rule out any health issues is best.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on April 23rd, 2017
Repetitive behaviors can sometimes indicate stress or boredom in pets, and just having four babies may be stressful. However if you see any signs of illness such as changes in eating habits, falling over or stumbling, puffing up feathers, etc, it may indicate illness or injury and should be seen by your vet.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My male budgie who is a father of 4 baby budgies has started to move right to left continuously on the bottom of cage. His mate stays in the nest box looking after 4 budgies and 2 eggs. He has started behaving like this since yesterday. What is he d
Repetitive behaviors can sometimes indicate stress or boredom in pets, and just having four babies may be stressful. However if you see any signs of illness such as changes in eating habits, falling over or stumbling, puffing up feathers, etc, it may indicate illness or injury and should be seen by your vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My budgie, Blueberry keeps walking in circles and it's leaning its head one side bowed. If I do not bring it to the vet, how can I treat it on my own?
Unfortunately, this is something that needs to be evaluated by a vet, and home treatment, while it may help make Blueberry feel more comfortable, may not treat the underlying problem. I would be concerned there is an issue such as an injury, neurologic or muscular problem or even nutritional issues that could be the cause, so a vet exam is needed to figure it out. In the meantime, keeping Blueberry calm and quiet in a warm hospital cage along with perches that are low to the ground and food/water that is easy to climb in and out of may make things easier and more comfortable.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
I woke up this morning to see my bird sitting on the tray of the cage and slightly shaking. When I reached towards him, he began to slowly walk towards me while crouched almost as if he was crawling. I checked all of the food and water which had no p
Those are all very general signs of illness in a bird. It would be a good idea to get Blue to a vet as soon as possible to try and determine what may be causing his symptoms. Until you can get to your vet, keeping him in a warm hospital cage with low/no perches and food and water that is easy to get in and out of may help.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My bird is very loud and active usually. He was singing loudly yesterday but stopped in the evening. He has been very subdued and quiet all today. He is in a warm environment with people coming and going for stimulation. He has eaten seeds, a piece o
That is a lot going on, and all of those symptoms are very vague signs of multiple possible issues. It could be that he is stressed out if it is too warm or there are too many people/pets, and moving him to a shaded, calmer area of the house may help him return to normal activity. Other issues may include problems such as illness, infections, GI upset, changes to diet (too many snacks can cause GI upset and loose stool), etc that could be causing him to be listless, puffed up, etc. Keeping him comfortable with access to his regular food and water -- and removing any extra treats may help with minor GI issues. If his symptoms continue, worsen, or do not improve with changed activity, seeking out vet care in person ASAP for an exam to figure out the underlying cause is best.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Staying I Bottom of cage ang has stuff like syliver on head
I am sorry birdie is not feeling well. I usually get concerned when birds are sitting at the bottom of the cage or having changes in behavior. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian just to be on the safe side he is healthy and not becoming sick. A range of issues can cause birdie to become ill so a vet visit is best.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My previous budgie passed away a couple of months. He was almost 10 years old and he was fine one day i had just fed him and when i turned the light off he started flapping his wings (he always did this and i would just turn the light back on for a m
I'm sorry to hear Bluey passed away. It is possible something underlying may have caused it, such as a stroke or seizure, and there was nothing you could have done differently to prevent it. Underlying illnesses, disease and more may have also caused him to become injured or ill and pass away. It sounds as if Bluey was in very loving hands until the end, and was very well cared for by you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My female budgie won't do anything?? Just sitting in the bottom of cage and weak with eyes closed and standing on two feet
Those are general symptoms that Bibbie is not feeling well and may have an underlying illness. It would be best to seek veterinary care ASAP as this is a symptom of many possible issues and an exam is needed to help narrow down the cause. Until you can get to the vet, moving her to a warm hospital cage with easy access to food and water may help, however if she is completely listless seeking care is needed ASAP.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My bird was frantically running around his cage and screaming we put a towel over his cage and he calmed down most of the way but he's still acting unusual what could wrong?
Poor Tweety! It doesn’t say what kind of bird this is. But birds can have Frights when something scares them that causes them to do this. Calming and quiet and time will fix this. Cover the cage and turn out the lights and talk quietly to the bird. If the bird has pain somewhere...like a stuck feather, hurt foot, egg binding etc that could also cause them to scream. After a Fright it will take time for the bird to calm down, but if the unusual behavior continues, you should have your bird seen by a vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My cockatiel keeps walking back and forth around the cage and out of no where got really aggressive. Not sure what’s happening and I’m getting kind of worried what can I do to help it.
What you can do really depends on what the cause is, so trying to find the cause is best. If you suspect illness, seeking out a vet appointment is a good first step to rule out any health issues or pain that can cause behavioral changes. Sometimes, aggression can be caused by boredom, stress or even an urge to mate. Adding in enriching toys or allowing Coco to explore his environment may help with boredom and keep him happier and occupied. Moving his cage to someplace quieter or without harassment by other pets and people can help reduce stress in addition to adding some fun toys or treats to play with. If he is trying to mate, sometimes changing the daylight hours and decrease protein amount in the diet can help, as well as distraction with interactive toys/ignoring/avoiding the behavior. If he does seem stressed and lash out, giving him a chance to calm down and relax before interacting again may also help.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi. I have a really big problem with my pet budgie. It has been 1 year since I have got him . It has been approx 2 months that he has been biting me and my other family members constantly without break for no reason. The bites are very hard and doesn
Thanks for your question about Sunny. I am glad that you asked your question, because abrupt behavior changes are a cause for concern. Often these are related to illness, and this could be occurring even if Sunny doesn’t look sick to you. I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian to see if they find any reasons for the aggression. They may recommend diagnostic testing depending on what they find, or they may prescribe some medications as well. Please don’t give Sunny any human medications at home, as many of these are harmful to our feathered friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Have A Vet Question?
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
