donatod85
04-14-2011, 08:35 AM
Hello all,
I currently live in Japan and will be returning to the United States in August of this year, 2011.
Presently I own a female lovebird whom I have had for nearly two years now, but due to circumstances back home (my father had a stroke), as well as the ongoing situations here in Japan related to the large earthquake a month ago, I have made the decision to return home.
My dilemma is my bird, whom I love dearly and would definitely want to bring back with me to the States. However, due to the avian flu epidemic in recent years the United States has placed an embargo on the import of all foreign-origin birds, which includes my Japanese-born LB (I confirmed this over the phone with them).
I have 3 months remaining here in Japan, and 3 (or less) months remaining with my lovebird. I care for her dearly, and would like to do everything that I can to help ease the stress and shock of transitioning her into a new home with a new owner.
What steps should I take starting immediately to help ease this transition? What should be done with her cage, her living environment, her diet, the time we spend together, her interactions with other people, and her interactions with other birds?
To give a bit of information on her personality: I am her sole owner, and she is fairly attached to me. We spend an average of 2-3 hours a day together, split between the mornings and evenings. As for biting she is very nibbley, but most of the time it is playful or inquisitive.
My girlfriend, who visits every other weekend or so, is on good terms with the bird, who will sit on her finger or sleep on her lap, but my lovebird still likes to attack if my GF invades her space.
I'm not sure if diet figures into this, but she eats a mix of shelled, un-shelled, and large-bird seeds, along with fresh raw vegetables that I cut up for her every evening (greens + carrots & tomatoes) + some fruit.
The shop which I purchased her from is extremely kind and has baby-sat her many a time when it was necessary for me to be away from home. I have considered contacting them and requesting that they take her in her periodically in the months to come so that she can become accustomed to new people and perhaps de-attach from me. They also have a flock of 3 other lovebirds there in the shop which my bird gets along fairly well with.
In the past my lovebird has adapted well to strangers, such as my parents when they were visiting for a week, and to the people at the pet shop (they hand-fed her for a month, though!), as well as my girlfriend.
I have owned birds in the past but have never had a lovebird, and this is also the first time that I will be transferring ownership of my bird. I'm extremely worried, but am not quite sure whether I need to be or not.
What should I do to help ease her transition!?
And also: do you have any recommendations on how to weed-out potential "bad homes" when I am searching for her new owner?
I currently live in Japan and will be returning to the United States in August of this year, 2011.
Presently I own a female lovebird whom I have had for nearly two years now, but due to circumstances back home (my father had a stroke), as well as the ongoing situations here in Japan related to the large earthquake a month ago, I have made the decision to return home.
My dilemma is my bird, whom I love dearly and would definitely want to bring back with me to the States. However, due to the avian flu epidemic in recent years the United States has placed an embargo on the import of all foreign-origin birds, which includes my Japanese-born LB (I confirmed this over the phone with them).
I have 3 months remaining here in Japan, and 3 (or less) months remaining with my lovebird. I care for her dearly, and would like to do everything that I can to help ease the stress and shock of transitioning her into a new home with a new owner.
What steps should I take starting immediately to help ease this transition? What should be done with her cage, her living environment, her diet, the time we spend together, her interactions with other people, and her interactions with other birds?
To give a bit of information on her personality: I am her sole owner, and she is fairly attached to me. We spend an average of 2-3 hours a day together, split between the mornings and evenings. As for biting she is very nibbley, but most of the time it is playful or inquisitive.
My girlfriend, who visits every other weekend or so, is on good terms with the bird, who will sit on her finger or sleep on her lap, but my lovebird still likes to attack if my GF invades her space.
I'm not sure if diet figures into this, but she eats a mix of shelled, un-shelled, and large-bird seeds, along with fresh raw vegetables that I cut up for her every evening (greens + carrots & tomatoes) + some fruit.
The shop which I purchased her from is extremely kind and has baby-sat her many a time when it was necessary for me to be away from home. I have considered contacting them and requesting that they take her in her periodically in the months to come so that she can become accustomed to new people and perhaps de-attach from me. They also have a flock of 3 other lovebirds there in the shop which my bird gets along fairly well with.
In the past my lovebird has adapted well to strangers, such as my parents when they were visiting for a week, and to the people at the pet shop (they hand-fed her for a month, though!), as well as my girlfriend.
I have owned birds in the past but have never had a lovebird, and this is also the first time that I will be transferring ownership of my bird. I'm extremely worried, but am not quite sure whether I need to be or not.
What should I do to help ease her transition!?
And also: do you have any recommendations on how to weed-out potential "bad homes" when I am searching for her new owner?