* Pet Bird Chat * NEW

[cat;;]

@ cat;; Oh such a beautiful sengal! Congrats! I'm sure he'll be very happy at his new home with you!

thanks thanks(: I hope so too!!

[~Totally Insane~]

I'm looking for a friend for my Sun Conure, can anyone recommend a species?

[cat;;]

why are you looking for a friend for your birdie?

Sun conures and most other conures get along great, but anything smaller might cause a problem depending how old each bird is.

[~Totally Insane~]

My vet said that Bellamie (my sun conure) is lonely and would benefit from having a cage buddy or friend. Unfortunately I'm still in school and have a part time job so I can't spend as much time with Bellamie as I would like. I've had him since ANZAC day 2015 and he's about 17 or 18 months old now

[cat;;]

Well considering we cannot speak "bird" or read their minds, there's no way your vet could know if she is lonely, and saying so is just misleading. Yes, she may be lonely because you, her flock, is most likely gone all day long though. Getting another bird when you do not have enough time for your bird is not wise. I would suggest just spending more time with her now and trying to incorporate her in everyday activities.

If you were to get another bird and cannot give the time for the bird you have now, then what will that new bird be getting? Probably no time at all, or at best, half the time Bellamie is getting and Bellamie will get the other half. You also have no way of guaranteeing that they will get along, so you may even have to keep them in separate cages forever, and be stuck with two birds you cannot play with together.

They are flock animals yes, but in your best interest as an owner I would look into it more, do some research, and see what you can do about your scheduling and just try to get Bellamie out more. If anyone else lives with you maybe ask them to let her out sometimes, even just to go sit on a playpen in the living room so she at least feels included even when you're not there.

[~Totally Insane~]

I thought it was odd that the vet would say that when everyone else says the opposite. Unfortunately the rest of my family despise Bellamie because of the noise he makes and I find my self constantly protecting him. When he gets lonely he screams which is something I have been trying to change by teaching him to use foraging toys, bird toys and doing training with him.

[cat;;]

You cannot teach a bird to not call out to his flock when they are not around. I know its painful and loud and especially him being a sun conure, but there's really nothing you can do to help her stop calling for you. He's really just trying to find out what you're doing, or where you are. You are his only family so it's crucial that he knows where you are ( to him of course ) and they do that by contact calling.

Really the only thing you can do is try to get your family to like him enough to just take him out and put him somewhere where he will feel included in whatever they're doing while they're home, and doing the same while you're home too. I know there are things that he cannot be apart of, but everything else he should be included in. The downside of owning a bird is really that you need to build your schedule around them, not the opposite. Birds are very high maintenance, and I understand where you're coming from. Getting him a friend though would just make your plate more full, but if you think you can handle it, go right ahead(:

[~Totally Insane~]

I have taken him to a pet behaviourist who told me teaching him to use his foraging toys and toys will help to settle his screaming a little. All of the bird breeders and vets I have been to have told me the same so I'm giving it a try. In the wild he should forage for food for 6 to 8 hours so hopefully his foraging toys will keep him entertained while providing him with food.

[rainbowpanda66]

Username:rainbowpanda66
How many birds do you own? ( if applicable ):0 right now, I really want to get one though! I'd really like to get a cockatiel or a conure, but they're pretty expensive, so I'm thinking a budgie might be a better fit!
What brings you to the bird chat?: I just happened to see this thread while I was browsing forums, and since I might get a bird soon I wondered if anyone had any advice. Thanks!!!

[cat;;]

I have taken him to a pet behaviourist who told me teaching him to use his foraging toys and toys will help to settle his screaming a little. All of the bird breeders and vets I have been to have told me the same so I'm giving it a try. In the wild he should forage for food for 6 to 8 hours so hopefully his foraging toys will keep him entertained while providing him with food.

I definately agree that he should forage and stuff, and there's so much you can do with that its awesome! I suggest going on pintrest and looking at DIY foraging toys or even just copy what you see at stores to help save money. My bird doesn't use any of his foraging toys though, so I really have to play hard to get. He had to forage for some seeds every day if he wants some, I just put them in a whole new place and cover them with paper so he has to destroy the paper to get to it LOL.