Does Goofy need a friend?

[michael]

:p I sometimes wonder if Goof would be happier with a friend. But I fear the introduction may not go as anticipated. To those who don't know, Goofy's a lovebird. And I've been told on several occasions they should have a mate. I think he's relatively happy now because he's lavished with attention every chance we get, or I should say he gets. During the day is when he's by himself, 8 to 10 hours, and sometimes I come home at noon just to see him and let him out while I change his water. Other times I worry about him and think another lovie would keep him company. Finding birds in my area, N.E.ohio, seems easy as there are what appears to be too many breeders and birds up for adoption. just my opinion there, but I've come across too many birds at flea markets and garage sales that I know end up homeless. You gotta know I would adopt them all if I had the room and the means but realistically I dont. Well, back to Goof. Whadya's think? And is there a general approach to selection and introduction? I must add I'm not interested in breeding, just in giving him the best home I possibly can. Oh yes he's under my chin watching me type this out!:p

[Cathy]

That's a hard decision. Are you willing for Goofy to want to be with a new birdy companion more than you? Do you know Goofy's sex? How old is he? What would you do if Goofy did not like the new friend?

[Janie]

Michael, it's your call! :D There just isn't a right or wrong answer here and especially since Goofy gets a lot of attention as a single bird. Me? I wanted more for me! :lol I did not expect my older lovebird, Oliver, to like any new bird so I got two!. I figured they could be a pair and Oliver and I would remain a pair. He surprised me.....he loves their company and them, his! Oliver has his own cage and they share one but when I'm home, all three are out and they have a grand old time. :D All three are males and males do generally get along better as pairs than two hens but there are never any guarantees that any two, no matter what the sex, will become best friends. Having said that, even if you got another one and they did not enjoy each other, sharing a cage, it would still be good company, IMHO, to have them in separate cages in the same room.

A single lovebird with lots of human attention and a good cage with plenty of toys, IMHO, is a very happy bird. I know that Oliver was happy in the two years I had him before I added Big Boi and Shy but I am positive that he is even happier now, with the company of them. Just my :2cents:

And btw, all three love interacting with me! I am definitely considered part of their flock. There are times now that Oliver lets me know he wants to go back to them and off of me but that makes me happy. Any time I walk into the bird room, the younger boys immediately fly right to me. Having a pair does not mean that Goofy will not continue to love you just as much.

[michael]

Yes, I've thought about him not giving me attention, although he may end up more jealous than me. I, on the other hand am more capable of getting over it knowing he's a happier birdee. Sounds like a real long shot with all the variables and such. As far as his age he's 1 1/2 years and his sex was determined by D.N.A. to be of male gender. Unfortunately the source of info regarding gender has moved away to an undetermined location. I'll probably have him checked again upon his next vet appointment which is in one week. This isn't a high priority issue right now but I had to check it out. Perhaps my concern arrives from so many poeple telling me love birds can't survive unless they have a mate. I'll be sitting on this I guess for quite a while. I'd still like to give one more bird a home but don't want to interfere with Goofs comfortable surroundings either. Thanks and I'll try to keep my ears open longer than my mouth.....

[michael]

Jeez poeple, I wish I would have read "Will getting another love ruin the one I have" a little earlier. A lot of good points there. I'm guessing welcoming another lovie later on may be an added benefit as the guilt trip I'm on about leaving Goofy for 8 hours would be eliminated. I think the only real concern for Goof is the quarantine stuff. Is it a good idea to take a bird right to the vet for quarantine or is a separate room sufficient pending a vet checkup? ..Thanks again....and I'll try to keep my eye's open longer than my mouth....

[Janie]

I think the only real concern for Goof is the quarantine stuff. Is it a good idea to take a bird right to the vet for quarantine or is a separate room sufficient pending a vet checkup?

Michael, it is a very good idea to take a new bird to the vet as soon as you get it (within a day or two) and then take it back to your home for quarantine. A 30 day quarantine should be done in a separate room and in my case, the two new birds were in an upstairs bedroom, door always closed, and Oliver moved downstairs to the guest bedroom. Oliver was often with me in every room of the house but the two in quarantine never left the bedroom except when I took them into a bathroom (right next door) to work with them on the step up command. I don't think Oliver even heard them for the first couple of weeks since they were separated by a floor. When I took the new ones to the vet, I did have the "works" done on them....for Oliver's protection. With two and with all I had the vet do, it was an expensive visit but that is a one-time only thing and I thought it worth the complete physical including blood work,etc.

I really do think a single bird can be a very happy bird and we have several members here who will vouch for that! :D *I* was the one who just had to have another lovie which is the main reason I got two more but now it is obvious how much Oliver enjoys their company so I'm really, really, really glad I did it. :happy: I did give it one whole year of thought before I started looking for a breeder.

How was the DNA testing done on Goofy? Feather plucking or by a vet? If it's been done and it was done correctly, I wouldn't bother having another test run. If it was done by the pelvic exam, that is far from real proof and if that is the case, I'd have a real DNA done on him before adding a second bird. We all say "no guarantees" in any two getting along but I think in most cases, a bird will accept and enjoy the company of a buddy. It's just that everyone needs to be prepared that they might not get along and therefore will always need to be caged separately. I did not allow my three out together unless I was standing right there for 6 months. It took that long to convince me that Oliver would not get picked on by either one of them and a whole year later, not a single toe bite or fight.

You're giving this a lot of thought ahead of time and I know that whatever you decide will be the right decision for you and for Goofy! :)

[RicosPoppy]

Hi Michael.

I'm in the same position as you with a single (male) lovebird. This is somethig I have contemplated every day since I first brought Rico home. That was close to 3 years ago. Today, I can say I am very confident with my decision to keep Rico as a sinlge lovebird. Yes, there are still times when I wonder if it's really fair to not allow him a companion of the same species. I still feel guilty when I know he is alone for those 3-4 hours during the day. (my wife only works part time and I come home for lunch almost every day for a visit).

That being said, I cannot deny the following.

1. Rico is very healthy. Has never had any problems associated with being stressed or unhappy.
2. Rico is definately a people person. He loves to interact with people and is truely affectionate with everyone he meets.
3. I do everything possible to keep him stimulated. Lots of toys, lots of out of cage time. Lots of wild birds on the poarch that visit for food. Lots of squirrels to watch.
4. At least once or twice a year, I take him to a place called the Feathered Playpen. A wonderful woman I know runs a "Bird Hotel" where birds can come to stay while their owners are on vacation. This gives him a chance to be around other birds. And while she always tells me this is good for him, to see his reaction when I arrive to pick him up after a few days is totally priceless. (Wow, he actually missed me almost as much as I missed him)
5. Finally, after 3 years of being closely bonded to me and my wife, my biggest fear is that I would bring another bird in the house, and Rico would possibly harm it. That would be unfair to both birds. While I am confident that this could be avoided, I like to play it safe. And knowing that the current situation is what I would consider to be a very good situation, I would prefer not to disrupt it.

So, I just wanted to make a few points coming from a single bird owner. It can be a hard choice to make. But, as long as you are confident that you are doing everything possible to make your bird happy and healthy, then there's a good chance that's how he likes it. Even though I admit, I wish I could 'barrow' a healthy lovie to visit Rico in our home, just to see how he would react having a stange bird in the house. But for now, I think we are all pretty happy the way it is.

[wilkiecoco]

Micheal - I am been wrestling with the exact same thing as you. Kiwi is a single lovie, my baby, who has been with us for 2 years. He is happy, loving, affectionate, a true velcro birdie. He is out of his cage ALL the time, at least 6-7 hours a day, with either me or my son, who Kiwi adores as well.. In fact, Kiwi loves everyone in my family, 2 sons and a husband, and tries to include everyone in his flock by dividing his time with each of us. (he goes from shoulder to shoulder chirping, as if asking us if we are okay :lol )

So...................the point. Despite the fact that I know he is a happy happy bird, i always think about getting him a friend. I do not follow the theory that all lovies need a mate to thrive, as long as they get all they need from their human companions. my guilt is over how can i as a human, not a fid, really know whether i am giving him all he needs. so i go back and forth, especially on days when i cannot give him as much out of cage time.

so i am going with my gut instinct on this one. if kiwi shows the slighest signs of being unhappy, i may look into a male friend for him. i guess i feel that i will know if and when the time is right, for both me and him. good luck with your decision!!

[Janie]

So, I just wanted to make a few points coming from a single bird owner. It can be a hard choice to make. But, as long as you are confident that you are doing everything possible to make your bird happy and healthy, then there's a good chance that's how he likes it.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Excellent comments and I agree! Oliver was a very happy single bird and he's a very happy bird with company. A happy bird is going to be happy either way! :happy:

[cprcheetah]

I too was in the same boat. I decided since my male Kermit was getting a little too 'frisky' and friendly with my hubby and I that it was best to get him a friend. I got a female (as a future mate) for kermit from Eric here on the forum. Anyways Kermit and Kira sing back and forth, we are working on introducing them (as per vet's okay) and I think they will both be happier in the long run. However, as you see there are many single birds who are just fine without a friend and/or mate. I do know that they tend to bond to their friend/mate and sometimes aren't as 'bondy' with people if there are more than one bird. But I think it depends on how much interaction there is with people as well.

[michael]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'll probably keep things as they are for at least another year till I learn more about car'ing for these little boogers. As far as the DNA test, because I haven't been able to contact the breeder, I'll most likely have to have him checked again. At the time we got him I was not knowledgable as to the proper questions to ask. Another issue is my schedule. Hopefully I don't have to spend more time away than I do now. Yeah, he appears pretty darn happy. He's out a good 6-8 hours a day and sometimes I sneak him out past his bedtime to cuddle. He even nods off occasionally and will hold my finger with his beak to let me know he wants to go to bed. OOPS, better get my can back to work! See ya's thankyou,thankyou, thankyou...