New lovebird- lonely?

[LF1]

I got a lovebird (approx. 4-5 months old) two weeks ago. He is very sweet and loves to sit on me while I scratch his head. However I work all day (leaving the radio on for him) and when I am home (early mornings, nights, weekend) he is desperate to for me to hold him and runs frantically around the bottom of his cage until I take him out. I hold him as much as I can when I'm home but there are some times when I can't, and he never stops running around, trying to come out. I try talking to him from across the room but it doesn't help. When I am out of the room and he can't see me, he sits on his perch quietly and doesn't ever really play with his toys. I know he is probably still adjusting but my work situation isn't changing so he will be alone during the day.
I was wondering if I should get him a another lovebird (keeping in mind that it would have to live in a separate cage at first, lovebirds can be aggressive, etc.) I would rather have him be happy and healthy with a friend than lonely and completely tame with me. I was also thinking that it would be a good idea to do this sooner rather than later as he isn't territorial with his cage at all. He was in a cage with several other lovebirds in the store where I bought him.
I was also thinking about getting a parakeet so that he would have a bird to communicate with when I am gone all day. (And never letting him near the parakeet when he is out of his cage with me.) Perhaps this isn't a good idea as he might not even communicate with a different species...

I would really appreciate any advice- thank you!

[beckyg]

I've thought about this many times because Luna is alone most of the day. I leave the radio on for her, but I still feel guilty. When I am at home I try to let her out as much as possible, but honestly sometimes I just don't feel like being pooped on... (sorry, guys just being honest). I love her and still spend as much time as possible with her.

My reasons for not getting her a companion are:
1. added responsibility (cleaning and such)
2. who's to say they will get along, if not then I will have 2 birds to figure out how to spend time with both separately.
3. added cost
4. possibility of mating and procreating.

These are a few things to take into consideration. I'm am sure others will let you know what they think.

Luna has adjusted to our schedule of being together, so much so that even on the weekends when I am home alot she still mostly wants to be to herself during the day and with me in the evening. I really think I would give it some time and see what happens.

Just some thoughts :)

[carrier]

Hello,

I agree with all of the points made by becky, and have a few other things to suggest and bring up since I did add another lovie to the mix.

1) You just got your new lovie only a few weeks ago and he/she is still adjusting to the new surroundings and schedule. It takes time!

2) It seems you have a young one...sometimes they don't actually know how to play with toys, or that they are there for that reason! I had to show Fenway how to play with a few toys before he realized what they were there for :rolleyes: Also, some birds are particular about the types of toys they like. (Fenway will spend hours and hours shredding a pinata-type toy:clap and the wooden-block type things are completely ignored and basically just collect poop) Rotate toys regularly and they will show you what interests them.

3) If you don't know, a DNA test for sexing would be recommended beforehand, and you do need to seriously consider the fact that if they do bond, and they are male/female, they will lay eggies. Lots and lots of eggies.:omg:

4) Any new bird brought into the home needs to be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days...they need to be kept in separate rooms, with separate air to avoid any illness being brought in and passed along to your baby. Then, the introductory process is one that needs to be handled slowly. Plus, there is no guarantee the two will like each other. Two males will be more likely to bond and/or tolerate one another, but it really is up to the birds. ;)

For me, I waited a good 4+ months before making the desicion to bring in Wrigley, and was extremely lucky with the one I adopted, as he is the most mellow, sweet boy I could have asked for and he puts up with Fenway's childish antics :nyah: ! They are very happy with each other and it makes me smile to watch them together, and I like the fact that he has one of his own to keep him company. I was, however, prepared to keep the two in separate cages if things didn't work out as I was hoping.

Ultimately the decision is yours to make, and I wish you luck! These little parrots have a way of making us go to the ends of the earth for their happiness and well-being! :rofl:

[Janie]

Good points made by both Becky and Carrie! :)

I did add two more to my single birds life but that was after I'd had him for two years. He is an older (11) adopted bird and I did not expect him to like or get along with them. He was to remain my bird and the new birdies were to be company for each other. In my case things worked out very, very well and all three (ALL MALES) get along great and all three are very friendly to me and accepted me as part of their flock. My oldest boy, Oliver, was a pet store bird, parent raised I'm sure, but the second two were hand fed and socialized so they were friendly from the start. Oliver was also very friendly when I adopted him at 7 years old but I had no part in his taming....got him that way! :D

I do think that birds are great company for each other but the advice and comments offered by Becky and Carrie are important and helpful when trying to decide whether you should add another bird. If only we had a crystal ball that would tell us what the future would be when adding another one! :D

[LF1]

Thank you all for your advice! I'm still waiting on the DNA test from the vet and will give it some time before I make a decision.
Do you think that a parakeet in a separate cage (with which he would have no physical contact) might help him be happier and more entertained during the day? Or do parakeets and lovebirds not really communicate....

[Janie]

I'm not sure if they understand the same language but I think your lovie might enjoy the company, caged separately, of another bird/parakeet. I know that when my Oliver was a single bird he loved, loved, loved listening to the Blue Jays outside. When the weather is nice I can open the windows (they are screened) in the bird room and all three seem to be fascinated by the Jays and talk back to them every single time. They notice the other back yard birds but the Blue Jays are their favorite visitors. :D

[thebubbleking]

My lovebirds ignore my cocaktiel but my cockatiel loves to listen to them and trys to talk back:)

[michael]

Thank you all for your advice! I'm still waiting on the DNA test from the vet and will give it some time before I make a decision.
Do you think that a parakeet in a separate cage (with which he would have no physical contact) might help him be happier and more entertained during the day? Or do parakeets and lovebirds not really communicate....

You know, as an alternative to getting another lovebird, I've pondered whether a different species may be better in some cases. My double dilemma is I have a sporadic plucker. He'll go anywhere from a week to 3 month intervals where there's no self abuse, then in one sitting have himself bleeding. At this point I feel my lovebird carries enough influence to result in having to worry about two pluckers. The other issue is, while I may have plenty of time for one lovebird, two would be too much of a time compromise should they decide not to get along. Given both my lovebirds and my own circumstances here, neither one of these I feel are acceptable. So I spoke with my vet about a couple finches. They are considered "low maintenance" birds. Really, I kind of hate that term but for lack of a better one it will do for now :roll:. A finch or two (two which may be better for the finches) may provide enough stimulation for my lovie during times when I'm unavailable. After speaking to my vet about this, we both agreed this may not be a bad idea.

For now, I'm giving some serious thought that for certain lovebirds they were never really meant in a sense to be a monocle. That for a few, being single and dependent on only humans would be more detrimental to their existence than having a same species mate or companion. The problem here is while many lovebirds do in fact live harmonious lives with no one other than a human companion, we generally can't recognize which ones fall short until its too late. I think I'm going to maybe give a couple finches a wing. There's plenty of them around and they are quite entertaining and cute. The only problem now is how to keep a certain lovebird from entertaining any thoughts of biting some toe's. Actually, I've never seen too many finches clinging to the side of a cage anyways. Hmmmm.............:wink:

So, can parakeets and lovebirds communicate with each other? I honestly don't know. One things for sure though, they sure can spark each others interest.............:)

[cp.lovebird]

My grandmother had a budgie long before she adopted my lovebirds' son Tune. Their cages were kept near each other and Tune definitely would watch the budgie Reggie. Tune would even go sit on Reggie's cage when he was out and visit! When Reggie died, Tune kept looking for him and really appeared to miss the little guy. So I don't really know if they communicated but the budgie was company for the lovebird.

Good luck with your decision! :)