Thank you inthehills for your history with budgies. I'm sure you're right about their intelligence - I have found the same to be true with most of the animals we keep or have kept; sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, geese and hens. Also rats, which are so very very bright, although we haven't deliberately kept them, they just seem to like us so much and are always around
The more I hear and learn about budgies and taking into consideration that my husband is very set against 'yet another species', I am tending to think that budgies should be something I hold off on until we no longer have our dogs. We rescued them earlier this year and they are great pets still full of life and fun, but they are both older so will not last forever, and I'm sure this time when they have both gone that it really will be 'no more dogs'! So meanwhile I shall learn as much as I can and plan for my future budgies
We do have wood floors too, so that's one good point in their favour, easy to clean up after
meanwhile i shall have a look at the various cage options.....