Contemplating an Addition?

[Kisota]

Okay, so I've been doing some thinking as to how to make a compromise or find a solution that is satisfactory for both me and my partner.

I proposed my compromise to him tonight and he seemed fairly open to it. I said not to worry about it for now and that we'd talk when I'm back from doing my research.

But here's what I was thinking:

- I do think that, even though Cuzco's personality is mellowing out a bit, he will probably never crave affection in the way that I really like in a pet. Therefore, I will probably be looking for a tiel, and the sooner the better, given that I'd like Cuzco to get along reasonably well with another bird. He's my top priority.

So, if I'm looking for a tiel sooner, how can I make the decision more comfortable for both of us? 1) By reducing the stress and 2) By reducing the risk of us being stuck in a worse situation than we are in now.

To try to address those things, here's what I'm thinking:

1) We buy cage and whatever else we can used/on sale/otherwise very cheap. Take our time, etc. Agree to a cage size that is reasonable for a tiel and reasonable for our limited space. I also agree to be openminded about the possibility of moving, since my partner has expressed interest in that even before the question of birds came up.

2) I keep ALL options open when looking for a bird - this includes pet stores, possibly fairs, and -maybe- older rescue birds that are tolerant of other potentially aggressive species. I would not normally include pet stores in my search, and likely not fairs either, but the most important thing to me is just finding a bird with a personality I like and being able to give it a good home. So, #2 is keeping open for all possibilities and taking our time looking around. We do not commit to buying a tiel unless we really especially like the animal.

and 3)... this one is a little hard for me, and I'm not sure about it. I'd like input on this idea:

3) Be openminded to the idea of returning or rehoming the bird fairly quickly if it becomes clear the 2-bird idea is not going to work. I really don't like rehoming animals, and I feel guilty about the idea of getting an animal I know I may rehome. :/ So I'm not sure about this one.

BUT on the other hand, it would give me the comfort to bring home a bird I like without the fear of being 'stuck' in a terrible situation if another bird's presence has a bad effect on Cuzco or otherwise doesn't work out well. And given that I'd be rehoming a young bird that is not thoroughly bonded to us, and likely including the cage, it would maybe not be a terribly negative thing? I wouldn't rehome unless it was really in everyone's best interests. I just feel uncomfortable about bringing a bird into my home when it might not be in its best interests in the first place. Then again, there's just no way to know in advance. Maybe it's best to prepare myself in advance for the possibility that rehoming could end up being the best thing. :/

My partner seems more open minded after hearing these compromises. He likes how thoroughly I'm considering things, and even said something about thinking a cage would fit where we currently have a desk.

So we have some more considerations to make and are not decided. I just really wanted some input on what I've thought of so far.
Thank you all again!!

 

[RavensGryf]

In my honest opinion, even with a modest sized living area, I don't see that having a GCC, then adding a Cockatiel would be a problem. I mean, they're both small, MANY people work and have busy lives and have several birds (some even have many). It's not REALLY that much more work IMHO.
I think the real issue for you and an important one, is finding the RIGHT second bird. I wonder if getting an adult would be a better bet? I know ideally you'd want Cuzco to get along with the other bird, but even at a young age there is no guarantee. You'd have a better chance of the newcomer liking Cuzco than the other way around.

For example, my birds: Poicephalus parrots hate other birds, but the reason Ruppell's parrot Griffin likes Pionus Raven is because Griffin was the newcomer himself. BUT... Since I lost my budgie Pix, I moved his friend Twigs into the room with the other birds. The Poi's Griffin (and Robin) saw Twigs as the new guy and made it clear to him he'd better not land on their cages or else! I'm not sure how GCC's are with newcomers, but I think conures are usually pretty social aren't they? My point is, besides species tendencies, it depends more on the personality of the established bird in the home whether they'll be accepting of a new guy, or territorial.
If you could somehow foster a bird, that sounds ideal for you. Are there Cockatiel rescues?
Or any rescue and ask about how one could maybe go about that? I have no idea how that works.

As far as being "stuck" as you say in a situation where Cuzco doesn't like the presence of another bird, I'd say that even if they never become friends he'll get over it. In the 20 years that Robin has been with me, he's always hated other birds, but I wanted more than one bird, so from the time he was around 10 or 12, he had to learn that he wasn't going to be the only bird anymore. He had no choice but to get used to it. He'd show jealousy at first, but over time it all smoothed out. Like having a kid be jealous and insecure when a new baby comes, it works out over time. Good luck!

 

[Kisota]

Thank you!
Yeah, part of my thinking on the second bird has been that adding one small bird really doesn't change much. There is more than enough space and doing more of the same care and management is not much of a change. It's totally manageable. I DO kind of understand how my partner feels about having multiple animals in our only living space. Other than the bedroom, there's nowhere else to go where a door can be between us and the bird. I'm okay with it myself, but I can see how adding to the menagerie in a small apartment might stress someone out. I'm not terribly worried about the work itself.

You're right, the main issue is finding the right second bird. And I'm trying to keep my options open. Fostering would be very nice!! I'll look into it some more. The last time I looked at rescues there really wasn't anywhere local, and the only ones I could find were intensely selective.

Adopting an adult with the right personality is definitely an option. I only said -maybe- about that because I figured Cuzco might be scary to an older tiel unless it was already used to other birds like that. But if it's the right bird, I'm sure we could make it work.

Smaller conures like Cuzco can actually be really aggressive and territorial... not as bad as Pois, maybe, but they have pushy assertive personalities and can easily get pretty mean to other birds. I think Cuzco would be fine now, though. As pushy as he is, he seems interested in other birds and is not really very aggressive.

Really, the most important thing is making sure to find a bird that has the personality we're looking for, and we're certainly going to be very open minded during our search! Babies, adults, pet store birds, rescue birds, we'll look anywhere.

I have a feeling that my partner will probably agree to this eventually, and it won't even seem like too big a deal hopefully. I'll keep you guys updated!

 

[Kisota]

Update over here!