Considering another pet for the future.

SafamirzašŸ¤

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Mar 26, 2022
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Hello šŸ‘‹ I have a 7 month old male cockatiel named Kiko :)

This post is regarding some things I was curious about, related to owning more than 1 type of animals.

Right now we just have Kiko. He is our second pet ever, our first was a cat.

I was considering about adopting another pet one day in the future. I know cockatiels can live up to 15-20 years, and I am not planning on ever rehoming Kiko, so if we get another pet then he will be with us.

For me, Kiko comes before any other animal because he is my only bird/animal. If we were to buy another, for example, a cat, will Kiko be OK with this? He is quite the jealous and possessive type at times with people he is attached to, like my brother.

We were also considering getting another cockatiel for Kiko maybe. Kikoā€™s companion is my brother since he doesnā€™t have any other bird, and he seems to be fine being an only bird, but is it wrong to not get him a bird companion? If we were to get another tiel, would we need to do it now? I was thinking the older he gets, The more used to he will be of being the only animal here.

Another thing: can Kiko live in the same house with another type of bird? Maybe an Indian ring neck or African grey? Will he be scared? He is VERY skittish!

This is just a thought I was having šŸ˜Š I love cats and would love to adopt another later on, and I also love birds and would like to get another one to love and spoil some day. But, birds and cats together doesnā€™t sound like a good idea, and neither does a medium sized skittish bird with a bigger bird.

(also, I would never get another animal if itā€™s going to affect Kiko negatively, and if I donā€™t have time to care for it, which is the reason I have not gotten another animal right now because Iā€™m already making A LOT of time for kiko alone everyday. He demands A LOT of attention, he is out his cage the whole day and is really only alone at night.)

Thanks to anyone who replies! šŸ¦¢
 

wrench13

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Bringing ANY animal into the house is always a crapshoot. Another bird - it can go one of 3 ways usually. Old bird hates the new one and they have to be kept in separate cages etc. Old bird LOVES new bird, and you are the odd man out or old bird and new bird get along and accept you as the third leg in the tripod. Bringing any mammal pet into the house - cats are natural born bird killers, it would have to be a very special cat that would not hunt your parrot. Dogs, a little less so; terriers and other varmint chasers are almost impossible to have them ignore a parrot, especially when he is out of his cage. MY last parrot was almost killed by my daughters dog when they were visiting. Same dog would not leave the cage alone, always jumping up to try and get Maxie. I am leery.
 

HeatherG

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I have thought about getting a rabbit or a hedgehog for a cuddly mammal pet that wouldnā€™t eat a bird. With more limited room, I think a hedgehog would be better. House rabbits need a lot of room to hop around in. Hedgehogs are more nocturnal so I would have an animal awake while the birds are intent on sleeping. Both are litter box trainable but a bunny might be more snuggly.
 

ravvlet

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Hello! We are of the ā€œneither bird cares for each otherā€ crowd of folks who got a second bird. Additionally, our second bird is larger than our first bird, so we admittedly didnā€™t take many chances with introducing them for fear of injury.

However, we have also successfully kept a cockatiel and a medium sized Amazon parrot together without any incident. They actually seemed to really enjoy each otherā€™s company without over bonding and leaving us humans as the odd ones out. Ultimately I think it depends on the individual birds! You should always be prepared though for the worst case scenario, where either bird hates each other and you must house, care for, and allow them out of cage time apart.

As for other pets, we also have dogs and a cat. We donā€™t allow any of them into the parrotsā€™ part of the house; I have gone so far as to install a loop lock in the upper portion of the door that the kids and cat canā€™t reach as well as a Wi-Fi sensor that alerts my phone if the door is open. I know that sounds paranoid but it really only takes one incident for serious injury to occur to a parrot from a cat. Birds are their natural prey.
 
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SafamirzašŸ¤

SafamirzašŸ¤

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I have thought about getting a rabbit or a hedgehog for a cuddly mammal pet that wouldnā€™t eat a bird. With more limited room, I think a hedgehog would be better. House rabbits need a lot of room to hop around in. Hedgehogs are more nocturnal so I would have an animal awake while the birds are intent on sleeping. Both are litter box trainable but a bunny might be more snuggly.
For me another big issue is that Kiko gets scared of anything very easily so could there be a possibility that he can die out of shock or fear? HOWEVER, this one time I took him to a friends house who owns a cat and some birds, and her cat never seemed to go near her birds. The cat even saw Kiko out of his cage and didnā€™t try to approach him, she in fact seemed scared of HIM.
 

LoveOfallAnimals

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I already had a 13-year-old Persian aka grumpy cat and a 4-year-old American Staffordshire terrier before I decided to add a bird to my house. Between my cat's breed and age, she doesn't seem to be interested in the bird at all. As a matter of fact, she is afraid of her. I didn't choose our dog. My husband found him along the side of the road as a starving, flea ridden somewhere around 3-month-old puppy. Because of his breed and the bad stereo type that they have we have done extensive training with him. He has shown no interest in our eclectus. But even with all of that being said, I never leave her out with them in the room unless I am there truly supervising. If I am going to take a phone call or have to leave the room, I put her in her cage. When I leave the house, I roll her cage from the living room into my office and leave the door to the office shut and locked. Maybe, I am paranoid, but I would rather be safe than sorry.
 
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SafamirzašŸ¤

SafamirzašŸ¤

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I already had a 13-year-old Persian aka grumpy cat and a 4-year-old American Staffordshire terrier before I decided to add a bird to my house. Between my cat's breed and age, she doesn't seem to be interested in the bird at all. As a matter of fact, she is afraid of her. I didn't choose our dog. My husband found him along the side of the road as a starving, flea ridden somewhere around 3-month-old puppy. Because of his breed and the bad stereo type that they have we have done extensive training with him. He has shown no interest in our eclectus. But even with all of that being said, I never leave her out with them in the room unless I am there truly supervising. If I am going to take a phone call or have to leave the room, I put her in her cage. When I leave the house, I roll her cage from the living room into my office and leave the door to the office shut and locked. Maybe, I am paranoid, but I would rather be safe than sorry.
Iā€™ve seen cats who are afraid of birds, but I know that not all cats are like that and there would be a chance the cat would try to attack the bird.

There has been talk in my house about getting another cockatiel for kiko, because my parents feel bad that he doesnā€™t have a bird companion. I disagree with them because he gets a lot of attention and has my brother as a companion. But, is it better to get him a bird companion? Does the gender matter?? Does it even have to be another cockatiel? I have always wanted to adopt a bigger parrot once I know how to care for smaller or medium sized birds such as Kiko.
 
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SafamirzašŸ¤

SafamirzašŸ¤

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Iā€™ve seen cats who are afraid of birds, but I know that not all cats are like that and there would be a chance the cat would try to attack the bird.

There has been talk in my house about getting another cockatiel for kiko, because my parents feel bad that he doesnā€™t have a bird companion. I disagree with them because he gets a lot of attention and has my brother as a companion. But, is it better to get him a bird companion? Does the gender matter?? Does it even have to be another cockatiel? I have always wanted to adopt a bigger parrot once I know how to care for smaller or medium sized birds such as Kiko.
My mom also said that he deserves a little family of his own but if we get a female and they have kids then I know we wonā€™t be able to take care of the babies, let alone raise them as newborns (because we donā€™t know how)
 

Cottonoid

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My Keiko cockatiel (my son/girlfriend's parrot) has been an only bird for 11 years now. They had another cockatiel that they fostered for a while but Keiko is so used to getting lots of people attention, he was jealous of the other bird. Their vet recently said that Keiko is the happiest, best socialized bird he's met - and they haven't trained him to sit still for exams or anything like that. He's just getting lots of attention every day and gets to fly around and gets good sleep and good food.

I think with how you've described your family and how Kiko fits in to your family, he's probably not feeling lonely about being the only bird, because you all are his flock. :)

I really love how much your family cares and wants the best for him šŸ˜ He's a lucky little guy!
 

Cottonoid

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My mom also said that he deserves a little family of his own but if we get a female and they have kids then I know we wonā€™t be able to take care of the babies, let alone raise them as newborns (because we donā€™t know how)

This is really wise and mature of you to be thoughtful about. Baby birds are just so fragile!
 
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For a dog as long as there getting sufficient exercise, enrichment and know youā€™re pack leader they shouldnā€™t mess with your bird mine are actually scared of them.
For a cat it really depends on that individual cat, some just want to hunt every thing they see, some are more chill so I would recommend getting an older cat and see the reaction.
Rabbits are ok but if they end up on the floor together it could result in a fight so you have to be somewhat careful.
If your cockatiel is really scared I would slowly introduce him to knew things every day start slow(different foods or toys)
 
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SafamirzašŸ¤

SafamirzašŸ¤

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For a dog as long as there getting sufficient exercise, enrichment and know youā€™re pack leader they shouldnā€™t mess with your bird mine are actually scared of them.
For a cat it really depends on that individual cat, some just want to hunt every thing they see, some are more chill so I would recommend getting an older cat and see the reaction.
Rabbits are ok but if they end up on the floor together it could result in a fight so you have to be somewhat careful.
If your cockatiel is really scared I would slowly introduce him to knew things every day start slow(different foods or toys)
Kiko gets REALLY scared of a lot of, especially new things. He flys away in fright and I always get scared heā€™s gonna bump into something! But at some times he tries to actually fight w wtv the thing is and tries to attack it rather than flying away.

My parents also say to get him used to and show him new things so heā€™s less scared, but are you SURE that is alright? I always try to protect him from EVERYTHING and donā€™t always let him see new things because Iā€™m afraid heā€™s going to get hurt somehow or get TOO frightened. Iā€™m even scared to harness train him because I think he will freak out if he ever goes outside without his carrier.
 
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SafamirzašŸ¤

SafamirzašŸ¤

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My Keiko cockatiel (my son/girlfriend's parrot) has been an only bird for 11 years now. They had another cockatiel that they fostered for a while but Keiko is so used to getting lots of people attention, he was jealous of the other bird. Their vet recently said that Keiko is the happiest, best socialized bird he's met - and they haven't trained him to sit still for exams or anything like that. He's just getting lots of attention every day and gets to fly around and gets good sleep and good food.

I think with how you've described your family and how Kiko fits in to your family, he's probably not feeling lonely about being the only bird, because you all are his flock. :)

I really love how much your family cares and wants the best for him šŸ˜ He's a lucky little guy!
Kiko can get VERY upset if you come between him and my brother when heā€™s in the mood to cuddle or just chill with him. I donā€™t know if he will share him with anyone else :( and thank you for what you said! Kiko is very spoiled with love. We always pray for his well-being and try our best that he can live a happy life and thrive šŸ˜Š
 
Jun 1, 2022
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Green budgie(male) Buckbeak
Clear wing budgie(female) Rowena
Kiko gets REALLY scared of a lot of, especially new things. He flys away in fright and I always get scared heā€™s gonna bump into something! But at some times he tries to actually fight w wtv the thing is and tries to attack it rather than flying away.

My parents also say to get him used to and show him new things so heā€™s less scared, but are you SURE that is alright? I always try to protect him from EVERYTHING and donā€™t always let him see new things because Iā€™m afraid heā€™s going to get hurt somehow or get TOO frightened. Iā€™m even scared to harness train him because I think he will freak out if he ever goes outside without his carrier.
For you to have a truly happy bird yes your going to want to get him used to different things, you can start really slow get something that looks not to scary and is kinda small make sure heā€™s hungry and present it if he backs away you back away once you find a distance he is comfortable with it give him a treat, you can slowly get closer with it over time he should touch it this could take weeks donā€™t rush it. You should also target&clicker train him.
 

moxxiethecockatoo

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Jul 20, 2022
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I have previously owned one cockatiel and two budgies. I currently own one sulphur crested cockatoo
I
Hello šŸ‘‹ I have a 7 month old male cockatiel named Kiko :)

This post is regarding some things I was curious about, related to owning more than 1 type of animals.

Right now we just have Kiko. He is our second pet ever, our first was a cat.

I was considering about adopting another pet one day in the future. I know cockatiels can live up to 15-20 years, and I am not planning on ever rehoming Kiko, so if we get another pet then he will be with us.

For me, Kiko comes before any other animal because he is my only bird/animal. If we were to buy another, for example, a cat, will Kiko be OK with this? He is quite the jealous and possessive type at times with people he is attached to, like my brother.

We were also considering getting another cockatiel for Kiko maybe. Kikoā€™s companion is my brother since he doesnā€™t have any other bird, and he seems to be fine being an only bird, but is it wrong to not get him a bird companion? If we were to get another tiel, would we need to do it now? I was thinking the older he gets, The more used to he will be of being the only animal here.

Another thing: can Kiko live in the same house with another type of bird? Maybe an Indian ring neck or African grey? Will he be scared? He is VERY skittish!

This is just a thought I was having šŸ˜Š I love cats and would love to adopt another later on, and I also love birds and would like to get another one to love and spoil some day. But, birds and cats together doesnā€™t sound like a good idea, and neither does a medium sized skittish bird with a bigger bird.

(also, I would never get another animal if itā€™s going to affect Kiko negatively, and if I donā€™t have time to care for it, which is the reason I have not gotten another animal right now because Iā€™m already making A LOT of time for kiko alone everyday. He demands A LOT of attention, he is out his cage the whole day and is really only alone at night.)

Thanks to anyone who replies! šŸ¦¢
I know how it is to have a jealous bird.
We recently had to open our home up to a cat we found in the woods, poor thing was nothing but skin and bones, super malnourished and dehydrated. We're trying to get him up to weight so we can take him to the vet to get neutered.
My cockatoo will scream if he sees me petting the new cat.
Also I have two other cats and all three of them don't go near my bird, between his beak and ability to talk, the cats are just confused and scared of him.
 

moxxiethecockatoo

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Jul 20, 2022
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I have previously owned one cockatiel and two budgies. I currently own one sulphur crested cockatoo
For a dog as long as there getting sufficient exercise, enrichment and know youā€™re pack leader they shouldnā€™t mess with your bird mine are actually scared of them.
For a cat it really depends on that individual cat, some just want to hunt every thing they see, some are more chill so I would recommend getting an older cat and see the reaction.
Rabbits are ok but if they end up on the floor together it could result in a fight so you have to be somewhat careful.
If your cockatiel is really scared I would slowly introduce him to knew things every day start slow(different foods or toys)
I have this grey and white cat who is quick to catch mice, so I was a little scared at first introducing a cockatoo into the family.
But now my cat looks at me cross-eyed everytime Moxxie speaks šŸ˜‚
 

KoltenFletcher

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My cats live well in the same territory as the rodents. Each pet has its own personal space for a favorable life. I respect owners who take full responsibility for the lives of their animals. Unfortunately, people buy pets and don't take care of them at all. The pets live in very poor conditions and suffer from a lack of attention and care. I also plan to get two gerbils. I originally wanted one rodent, but I read on another site that gerbils like company. So far, I'm reading up on gerbils and getting ready for them. I hope I can be a better owner for my future new pets.
 
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moxxiethecockatoo

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Jul 20, 2022
141
286
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I have previously owned one cockatiel and two budgies. I currently own one sulphur crested cockatoo
My cats live well in the same territory as the rodents. Each pet has its own personal space for a favorable life. I respect owners who take full responsibility for the lives of their animals. Unfortunately, people buy pets and don't take care of them at all.
I hate when people impulse buy like that, when I get an animal. They're more than likely a rescue (I can't find fish in rescues) and I care for that animal because I know they been through some pretty traumatic crap
 

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