miniprof
10-10-2014, 09:21 AM
Hello everyone! I'm Jo, and I'm going to be picking up a new lovebird in the next week or so. I'm terribly excited, and I've been reading up on every resource I can get my hands on, but I'd love some advice and reassurance on my specific situation, if anybody could offer it!
As a kid I've owned birds before -- a pair of budgies (not hand tamed) and a parrotlet (hand tamed), the latter of which unfortunately passed away very young due to unknown factors. (We suspect paint fumes, because my mom was oil painting.) However, this will be my first pet bird as an adult, and I want to make sure I do everything possible to keep my bird happy and healthy!
Here's my future lovebird, Tip:
http://33.media.tumblr.com/dc1cbd7fca32f12356ec3ac526c06656/tumblr_nd174cj1GO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
It's been nearly a month since I put down a deposit on the baby! I've been in touch with the breeder since Tip was only a little bit bigger than this:
http://38.media.tumblr.com/a8723e799bdd9cd8770816309aefd301/tumblr_nc5pd8vjSO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
This has given me plenty of time to think and rethink bird ownership. I've got a lot of things already set up and waiting for Tip's arrival. However, there are a few things specific to my situation that I really want to check on, and I'm getting pretty nervous to make sure I don't mess up. I think I'm particularly anxious because we had a bad pet bird mishap when I was young, and I'm afraid of making a silly mistake again.
If anybody can give me their thoughts on these issues, I'd be grateful!
I do own two cats. Neither are enormously active, but I will obviously be very careful to monitor the attention that they pay to Tip while the bird is in its cage, and they will be kept out of the room when Tip is enjoying out of cage time. I've read what I can about the experiences of people who keep both birds and other animals. However, any further advice from bird owners who have lived with both birds and cats would be very much appreciated!
At the moment, I am in a fairly small (two bedroom) flat. My partner and I have just bought a house and are currently preparing to move. The original plan was that I would not be bringing Tip home until the new house is ready, but the breeder is now pressuring me to pick up the bird ASAP, because it looks like it is trying to either bond or start fighting with its remaining sibling. The breeder says that it should be fine to have the bird in the small flat for a couple of weeks, especially since it's still a baby so won't need huge amounts of space. It will also have a full sized cage, so that won't be an issue. It does worry me a bit, though, especially since it limits the ability to separate the bird and cats until the house is ready. Should I trust the breeder that this will be better than leaving Tip with its sibling for another week or two?
I work five days a week. My schedule isn't terrible, but it's strange: there are days when I don't have to leave for the office until noon or later, but there are also days when I can't come home until after 8pm. I am home much of the day most weekends, though. I am worried about making sure that I get enough time with Tip, and ways of making that fit around my work schedule.
Thanks for reading this monster of a post! Here is another baby picture of Tip and its siblings to reward anybody who got all the way through.
http://33.media.tumblr.com/a36fe396b3596b4c75ed57357aeed188/tumblr_ncil4qZRWz1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
I'll appreciate any advice I can get!
As a kid I've owned birds before -- a pair of budgies (not hand tamed) and a parrotlet (hand tamed), the latter of which unfortunately passed away very young due to unknown factors. (We suspect paint fumes, because my mom was oil painting.) However, this will be my first pet bird as an adult, and I want to make sure I do everything possible to keep my bird happy and healthy!
Here's my future lovebird, Tip:
http://33.media.tumblr.com/dc1cbd7fca32f12356ec3ac526c06656/tumblr_nd174cj1GO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
It's been nearly a month since I put down a deposit on the baby! I've been in touch with the breeder since Tip was only a little bit bigger than this:
http://38.media.tumblr.com/a8723e799bdd9cd8770816309aefd301/tumblr_nc5pd8vjSO1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
This has given me plenty of time to think and rethink bird ownership. I've got a lot of things already set up and waiting for Tip's arrival. However, there are a few things specific to my situation that I really want to check on, and I'm getting pretty nervous to make sure I don't mess up. I think I'm particularly anxious because we had a bad pet bird mishap when I was young, and I'm afraid of making a silly mistake again.
If anybody can give me their thoughts on these issues, I'd be grateful!
I do own two cats. Neither are enormously active, but I will obviously be very careful to monitor the attention that they pay to Tip while the bird is in its cage, and they will be kept out of the room when Tip is enjoying out of cage time. I've read what I can about the experiences of people who keep both birds and other animals. However, any further advice from bird owners who have lived with both birds and cats would be very much appreciated!
At the moment, I am in a fairly small (two bedroom) flat. My partner and I have just bought a house and are currently preparing to move. The original plan was that I would not be bringing Tip home until the new house is ready, but the breeder is now pressuring me to pick up the bird ASAP, because it looks like it is trying to either bond or start fighting with its remaining sibling. The breeder says that it should be fine to have the bird in the small flat for a couple of weeks, especially since it's still a baby so won't need huge amounts of space. It will also have a full sized cage, so that won't be an issue. It does worry me a bit, though, especially since it limits the ability to separate the bird and cats until the house is ready. Should I trust the breeder that this will be better than leaving Tip with its sibling for another week or two?
I work five days a week. My schedule isn't terrible, but it's strange: there are days when I don't have to leave for the office until noon or later, but there are also days when I can't come home until after 8pm. I am home much of the day most weekends, though. I am worried about making sure that I get enough time with Tip, and ways of making that fit around my work schedule.
Thanks for reading this monster of a post! Here is another baby picture of Tip and its siblings to reward anybody who got all the way through.
http://33.media.tumblr.com/a36fe396b3596b4c75ed57357aeed188/tumblr_ncil4qZRWz1rti5ejo1_1280.jpg
I'll appreciate any advice I can get!