Tips for a first time lovebird owner?

miniprof

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Oct 10, 2014
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Hello everyone! I'm Jo, and I'm going to be picking up a new lovebird in the next week or so. I'm terribly excited, and I've been reading up on every resource I can get my hands on, but I'd love some advice and reassurance on my specific situation, if anybody could offer it!

As a kid I've owned birds before -- a pair of budgies (not hand tamed) and a parrotlet (hand tamed), the latter of which unfortunately passed away very young due to unknown factors. (We suspect paint fumes, because my mom was oil painting.) However, this will be my first pet bird as an adult, and I want to make sure I do everything possible to keep my bird happy and healthy!

Here's my future lovebird, Tip:

tumblr_nd174cj1GO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg


It's been nearly a month since I put down a deposit on the baby! I've been in touch with the breeder since Tip was only a little bit bigger than this:

tumblr_nc5pd8vjSO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg


This has given me plenty of time to think and rethink bird ownership. I've got a lot of things already set up and waiting for Tip's arrival. However, there are a few things specific to my situation that I really want to check on, and I'm getting pretty nervous to make sure I don't mess up. I think I'm particularly anxious because we had a bad pet bird mishap when I was young, and I'm afraid of making a silly mistake again.

If anybody can give me their thoughts on these issues, I'd be grateful!

  1. I do own two cats. Neither are enormously active, but I will obviously be very careful to monitor the attention that they pay to Tip while the bird is in its cage, and they will be kept out of the room when Tip is enjoying out of cage time. I've read what I can about the experiences of people who keep both birds and other animals. However, any further advice from bird owners who have lived with both birds and cats would be very much appreciated!
  2. At the moment, I am in a fairly small (two bedroom) flat. My partner and I have just bought a house and are currently preparing to move. The original plan was that I would not be bringing Tip home until the new house is ready, but the breeder is now pressuring me to pick up the bird ASAP, because it looks like it is trying to either bond or start fighting with its remaining sibling. The breeder says that it should be fine to have the bird in the small flat for a couple of weeks, especially since it's still a baby so won't need huge amounts of space. It will also have a full sized cage, so that won't be an issue. It does worry me a bit, though, especially since it limits the ability to separate the bird and cats until the house is ready. Should I trust the breeder that this will be better than leaving Tip with its sibling for another week or two?
  3. I work five days a week. My schedule isn't terrible, but it's strange: there are days when I don't have to leave for the office until noon or later, but there are also days when I can't come home until after 8pm. I am home much of the day most weekends, though. I am worried about making sure that I get enough time with Tip, and ways of making that fit around my work schedule.

Thanks for reading this monster of a post! Here is another baby picture of Tip and its siblings to reward anybody who got all the way through.

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I'll appreciate any advice I can get!
 

EAI

New member
Jul 25, 2014
867
2
Honolulu, Hawaii
Parrots
Budgerigar: Arrow, Esther, Kratos, Cora, Ducky.


Lovebird: Izzy, Gizmo.
Hi, I don't think I can offer you solid advice on the first two questions but I can offer my opinions. Also, Tip is gorgeous! Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?
If you are deciding to take him home early, someone (since your work schedule is pretty random?) should introduce him to new places to get him used to changes. As for the cats, make sure Tip's cage doors are locked and sealed! Lovebirds are an escape artists and they find creative ways to get out. While he's still a baby it would be good for him to go into a calm environment with no noise for you to help train and bond with him. So I would suggest you go into a bathroom which also helps keep the cat's away while your partner can maybe distract them. I don't have cats, but my interaction with birds and dogs are EXTREMELY slim due to their aggressive nature.
For 3) as long as you can commit yourself to 2 hours (my preference) a day, Tip should be okay. Is there any way your partner can interact with Tip in the time being while your'e not home?
 
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miniprof

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Hi EAI, thanks for the response, and for the advice on time commitments! Tip's not been sexed, but the breeder said she's about 90% certain that Tip's a girl.

We've got a Hagen Vision cage, which seems to have nice locking doors as far as I can tell; there's little outdoor locks that snap neatly into place, and I've never heard of a parrot figuring out how to get around them!

The bathroom is a really good idea, I hadn't thought of that. Between that and our bedroom, which is also a bit out of the way, I think I will have a couple of different options for getting quiet time to bond with Tip. Another of my friends who has a lovebird also said that she brings it into the shower with her in the morning so it can have a steam bath while she showers, and I might try that too!

Thanks very much again!!
 

EAI

New member
Jul 25, 2014
867
2
Honolulu, Hawaii
Parrots
Budgerigar: Arrow, Esther, Kratos, Cora, Ducky.


Lovebird: Izzy, Gizmo.
I love the look of Hagen Cages, just make sure that it's pretty large. Lovebirds are like a living energy can packed into a small bird.
If she's a female, be wary that females are more aggressive than their male counterparts especially when they start to mature. It's all different though, she can be the most lovable and sweetest thing with bonding or by nature. Try limit yourself on shredding toys to make sure she doesn't get too hormonal.
Try look up a shower perch, if you want to try bring her with you she can stay a bit farther from the shower but still be able to bathe with you.
 
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miniprof

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I think the cage is a good size, it's 74.9 x 38.1 x 92.7 cm. It's nice and wide, which is one of the reasons I liked it -- a lot of the cages I were finding were tall but narrow.

From what I've heard about shower perches, they have a bad habit of falling down in the shower, especially if they are secured to the wall by suction cups. Have you got any particular brand you'd recommend?
 

EAI

New member
Jul 25, 2014
867
2
Honolulu, Hawaii
Parrots
Budgerigar: Arrow, Esther, Kratos, Cora, Ducky.


Lovebird: Izzy, Gizmo.
Oh yeah, your Lovebird will love that! So many options for toys and other accessories. I understand your cage search, sometimes I feel like that's the hardest part of bird ownership :D.

I don't have any recommendations for the shower perch since I don't have any bird accustomed to showering. (Budgies are deathly afraid of being in the bathroom overall and Gizmo prefers soaking himself when he feels like it and his wings are clipped so I don't want him falling).

I find the Happy Perch nicer to look at and more suitable than having to build your own, I might have to give that a shot myself.

HP001 Happy Perch Shower/Window/Mirror Perch Small - SHOWER PERCHES
 
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miniprof

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Oh yeah, your Lovebird will love that! So many options for toys and other accessories. I understand your cage search, sometimes I feel like that's the hardest part of bird ownership :D.

I don't have any recommendations for the shower perch since I don't have any bird accustomed to showering. (Budgies are deathly afraid of being in the bathroom overall and Gizmo prefers soaking himself when he feels like it and his wings are clipped so I don't want him falling).

I find the Happy Perch nicer to look at and more suitable than having to build your own, I might have to give that a shot myself.

HP001 Happy Perch Shower/Window/Mirror Perch Small - SHOWER PERCHES

Oh, that looks really cute, and possibly more stable than the ones I've seen elsewhere. Thank you! Now to see if they ship to the UK ...
 

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