Should I get another lovebird?

[tkhim]

Hi really sorry if this thread shouldn't be in here but I'm in a hurry. Well I'm going off to college soon and of course I can't bring my Nibbles with me to the dorms. I was wondering if I should get another lovebird friend for him cause I'm not so sure my family will spend as much time with him as needed while I'm gone. He's about 6-7 years old already and the last time he had another lovebird companion was two years ago. Also, the thing is usually they put them in pairs at the pet store so i don't want to separate a pair. If possible, I'm actually thinking about getting the pair to keep my lovebird at home busy. However, I heard that putting lovebirds together is dangerous. Is that right?

[Janie]

Hi,

You do not want to get a pair and put them in the same cage with your lovie. That probably would lead to a tragedy as three, in the same cage, is not a good number. Is your lovebird a male for sure? If so, what I'd do if you do decide to get another one is to make sure the new bird is a male since two males generally get along better together. I don't know how much time you have before leaving for college but when introducing any new bird you need to quarantine the new bird (different cage, different room, different air space) for a min. of 30 days and have the new bird checked by an avian vet as soon as you get it.

I do happen to have three (two caged together, the other one in a different cage....when he's caged) who get along very, very well and they are great company for each other. I think in most cases lovebirds enjoy the company of another lovebird even if they are getting a lot of attention from their human. Considering that you are leaving and that your bird will not be getting the same attention after you're gone, personally I would want to add a buddy if it were me. Depending on how much time you have to get another bird, observe quarantine and make sure they will get along. That can take a couple of months.