Another maybe new lovebird post :)

[Ducky]

Hey all! It's been quite a while since I've been on, I've had a graduation and a major move and a new school since then. I doubt anybody remembers, but I had posted previously about my lovebird Widgie who was plucking and we thought it was maybe from stress and hormones. I did end up getting another lovie (Walter) largely cause I wanted one anyway. However, it turns out that Widgie had a large obstruction in her abdomen that the previous vets had missed and passed on, leaving me with one lovie again.

Walter has been great. He is just about the sweetest lovebird you'll ever meet, and loves to say hello to everybody. Recently I've been debating getting a second lovie again because my boyfriend and I are out of the house for long hours and I feel kind of sorry for the little guy with nobody but the cat to talk to. He does get lots of time out when we're home and hasn't started in with any terrible habits like plucking, but he seems a bit bored during the day. Also, I noticed that Widgie really seemed to like having another bird around and was more patient for people time after we got Walter.

So here's my list, thought you guys might be willing to add to or give thoughts on it.

Pros

Walter would have somebody to talk to during the day. Yay!
I like birds. More could only be better, right? :happy:
Hopefully would be quieter overall, as there would be more continuous chatter but less yelling for attention when Walter decides he is being ignored or needs love. This is what happened with Widgie when I got Walter.
Walter would likely get more time away from his cage as he would hopefully be more inclined to stay on his stand and play with toys. Right now to him toys are for his cage and out is for people, meaning if I'm doing something that requires my hands I have to leave him in.


Cons

Another lovie to settle in, teach the rules, and housebreak. And I finally got this one all trained up, too.
It may stretch me too thin so that I actually have less time for my original fid rather than more. I always worry about this with multiple pets so I'm really looking for opinions here.
Things might be noisier if they both decide to get excited and start calling together. I'll be living in an apartment complex so I'd like to limit that.
They both may decide they like hanging out together more than with the humans. Again, I haven't had much experience with multiple birds so I'd be interested in thoughts.


TL;DR - I'm thinking about getting a second lovie but haven't really had multiple birds before. I probably have many of the same questions and concerns as most single bird owners.

ETA - I realized that it looks like I'm really fixated on bird noises. To be honest they mostly fade into the background for me, but other people seem not to appreciate they're intrinsic beauty. :rotfl I've never had a complaint yet from neighbors about bird noises, I just want to make sure getting a second bird won't add too much to that total volume.

[bookworm0550]

I will write later!

[kimberly1985]

I'm sorry to hear about Widgie! Fly free!

I got another lovie about 3 months after getting Yoshi.

I am glad that he has a friend now but I sure do miss him wanting me like he used to.

[bookworm0550]

if noise is gonna be a potential problem, then i prob wouldn't get two, just to be on the safe side. you always play him youtube videos of other lovebirds for him. the thing is that some birds are more quiet than others, you just never know which kind you'll get. i have quiet ones and i have ones that just like the sounds of their voices. i feel like my younger birds tend to be more vocal too.

when i had only just joey and was debating about getting another bird, i had the same concerns and thoughts: is he gonna not like me anymore? am i gonna have time for him, etc...

but i went ahead and got him a friend cuz he was lonely during the day and had horrible separation issues. he wouldn't let me out of his sight and would chirp super loud and constantly for me. he was a total velcro bird. it was cute until you had to put him away or go to work. he adored his younger sister when we brought her home. they were inseparable. he def learned to be more independent and was not lonely anymore. i still had time for both as it was only the two of them.

12 birds and a rabbit later and he's still the same sweet boy who loves mom and never lets her out of his sight. and i still have time for all of them. i did worry about how one on one time would work w/ 13 birds, but i got it down. when they're all out, if they feel like hanging out w/ me, that's our one on one time. i used to seek them out for one on one time, but that never worked as sometimes they just at that moment would rather be shredding a toy or getting in trouble w/ another bird rather than hang out w/ me so i let them seek me out instead. it just works better that way for us.

during their free time or what i like to call "recess" (cuz sometimes on time crunches, i'm always looking at the clock and telling them how much they have left), at one point or another in between annoying, fighting, and preening each other, they do appreciate mom and birdy time. some love to get scritches while others just want to hang out on me. i do get to hang out w/ all of them at some point several times and sometimes w/ all of them at the same time, but that's never fun as they're always bickering about who can sit where. and when they tire of me, they go do their own thing and i know that they'll come back again sooner or later.

i did worry about joey not liking me anymore, but he still always wants to hang out on me though not as glued to me as he once was. i actually like that a lot better as i have more time for the others and to do what i need to do though of course he still follows me if i get up. there is just something the birds can give each other that i just never can. they love me and all, but i'm not a bird and they know that. but yeah, he's still very much a momma's boy though. and even better is that the other birds love me too!!!

i've been super lucky w/ the noise all birds make. i don't know if my neighbors don't care or what, but no one has said anything and even my landlord who was here the other day didn't say anything. for the most part, they chatter throughout the day, but it's never too horribly loud unless they're scared.

in the end, it's really up to you. you just have to really think things over and go w/ your guts. good luck!