Neil - Owner, Paradise Pets Swindon 
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has run Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of conversations with British gardeners about the wild birds in their gardens. The RSPB has just released the results of the 2026 Big Garden Birdwatch — the world’s largest garden wildlife survey — and this year’s numbers … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has sold and kept budgies at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of matching birds to owners. The question he hears more often than almost any other from working adults is some version of: “I’m out of the house all day — is a budgie … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold cage and aviary birds at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of watching bird flu seasons come and go and advising owners on what the regulations actually mean for their specific situation. The 2025/2026 bird flu season has been one … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold cage and aviary birds at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of watching how owners feed their birds, and watching what happens when the diet is right and when it is not. Diet is the single area where I see … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold budgies at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of first-hand experience with these birds. A budgie sleeping with one foot tucked up is one of the most common things new owners ask about. The answer almost always puts their mind … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has been keeping, breeding, and selling budgies at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of daily first-hand experience with these birds and the people who keep them. Choosing a budgie from a cage full of them is the moment most new owners feel most uncertain. … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has run Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years as an independent UK pet retailer. He has watched the industry change across those decades, watched regulations arrive and be ignored, watched welfare standards improve in some places and remain unchanged in others. This article is his … Read more
Updated 24 September 2026: corrected the overstated claim about native hedgehog law and clarified the distinction between wildlife protection, temporary rescue and pet ownership. From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has run Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of deciding what we will and will not sell, and why. The hedgehog … Read more
Updated 24 September 2026: Clarified what to check before substituting budgie foods or changing a main diet. If your budgie’s usual food is unavailable, start by identifying what needs replacing: a training treat, a fresh vegetable or the main diet. Those are different problems. A replacement treat does not replace a balanced daily diet. If … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold budgies at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of answering questions from families with young children who want to know about birds. The question of which budgies are best for toddlers’ bedrooms comes in various forms. The honest answer involves … Read more