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Difficult Decision

Should I get a Lovie?

  • yes!

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • No, wait.

    Votes: 4 57.1%

  • Total voters
    7

Dgirard

Meeting neighbors
Joined
1/21/15
Messages
59
Real Name
Danielle
Hi everyone!

I just found this forum and I love it! So much information and cute stories!

So I have a question for all of you. Just want some input on what to do.

But first here is a little info on my experience with lovies. I have had two peach faced lovebirds in the past (at different times). The first one, Cupid, was given to my family when I was little and he died of old age with us. He was the perfect little pet, and even rode on the vacuum cleaner. The second one, Byrdie, was my first real bird. I got him (I'm assuming it was a him based on behavior) in middle school and he was my best little buddy for several years. One time I was sick for 3 days, so I basically slept on the couch the whole time. Byrdie crawled onto my chest and slept there with me until I was better. It was such a sweet thing to do. I loved that little bird to pieces. Unfortunately, a few years ago there was an accident involving my dog at the time and Byrdie. My grandma (who was not all there mentally) let Byrdie out of the cage and then let the dog into the house. I was away at college so I didn't know what had happened until a couple of weeks later because my mom couldn't bear to tell me.

So, it's been about 4 years since Byrdie passed away. I've grieved. And now I have the lovebird bug again. I've always known that I wanted to get another lovebird, and possibly a larger bird later on, but over the last month I've been fairly obsessive. I've located a great breeder and visited, bought the cage, gotten lots of perches and toys. I almost bought pellets, but I stopped myself. I would have already gotten a lovie if it weren't for the protests of one of my roommates. I am currently in my last semester of college, and living in a house with 3 other people. All of the roommates except one are very excited about getting a bird. The one (let's call her roomie #3) that doesn't want the bird protests on the basis of smell, mess, and noise. Now this girl rides horses and was raised on a farm. You would think she would be ok with one little bird.
She has never been around birds of any sort, so she doesn't really have any experience to base her protests on. She also lives on a different floor of the house, and is almost never here.

My family and friends have all told me to go ahead and get the bird despite her protests (due to how she has treated me in the past). My question for you is, should I wait until I move out in 4 months (which seems like an eternity to me), or should I go ahead and get the bird? What would you all do in this situation? I have tried talking to her about it and telling her why it is so important to me, but she wasn't even open to discussion. Also, as a backup plan, I could keep the bird at my mom's place nearby if things didn't workout here. I would just much rather have it with me.

Sorry for the dissertation, but this is something that has been occupying my mind a lot recently. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
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42,502
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Ohio
Real Name
Marie
Welcome to the Avenue. If I were you I would wait since it's only 4 months. Birds need stability, especially new ones entering a new environment. If your roommate gives you more trouble than you expect the bird may pick up the tension which is not good. Also, if you have to give him/her to your mom temporarily the bird may bond with her and it would be cruel to take her away after you move out and want him/her back. You can use the time with planning and getting all the stuff you'll need and to do lots if research. The time will fly by! Just my :2cents:. :)
 

Dgirard

Meeting neighbors
Joined
1/21/15
Messages
59
Real Name
Danielle
Thanks Marie.
I kind of figured that would be the answer, even though it's not the one I want to hear. I suppose I just need someone to tell me that I should wait, because I am so tempted to just go for it. I am used to having a lot of animals in my life. And I do mean a LOT. I was raised on a 70 acre farm with horses, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, my own homing pigeons, and doves. I've recently had to deal with selling my last horse. And it doesn't help that my dog recently passed away. So now I am bereft of animals:crycry:. I guess that's why I have just recently been super obsessed with getting a Lovie.
 

JosienBB

Biking along the boulevard
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Four months will go by in a flash :) Concentrate on your studies these months, then get a lovebird.
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
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This will be good "patience" training which one can NEVER have enough of and you could probably use a little of. :)
 

Dgirard

Meeting neighbors
Joined
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Messages
59
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Danielle
John,

LOL I'm sure I could use some patience training. I have the new cage with all the toys in the corner of the living room and it just keeps staring at me :wideyed:. So I can never quite get the thought of a new lovie out of my mind. Maybe I need to move the cage :sad13:
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
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I agree. I think you should wait. In the meantime, are there any shelters or rescues near you that you could volunteer at? And 4 months will go fast.

:hug8:
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
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Marie
John,

LOL I'm sure I could use some patience training. I have the new cage with all the toys in the corner of the living room and it just keeps staring at me :wideyed:. So I can never quite get the thought of a new lovie out of my mind. Maybe I need to move the cage :sad13:

I was doing the same thing waiting for my budgies to come home. I had the cage all set up and ready for three months!
 

LoveBird<3

Walking the driveway
Joined
5/9/14
Messages
273
Location
America
I'm afraid I'll have to agree. I wanted to take my lovie to college with me, but my parents said it was impossible. Lovies (all birds) are very sensitive to things as simple as paint fumes and nonstick cookware. Besides, they can be noisy. The last thing you'd want is for your non-bird-person roommate to do anything to the bird.
 

Dgirard

Meeting neighbors
Joined
1/21/15
Messages
59
Real Name
Danielle
I agree. I think you should wait. In the meantime, are there any shelters or rescues near you that you could volunteer at? And 4 months will go fast.

:hug8:
Volunteering at a shelter is a good idea. I've been looking, but I can't find any avian shelters/rescues near me. The closest one is at least an hour away :darn:. I will keep looking, however. I have been so starved for birdie time that I went to the local bird shop/avian vet under the pretense of stocking my cage to hang out with the store birds: a cuddly CAG that loved head scritches, a nippy caique, and a chatty Double Yellow Headed Amazon. My heart melted when the CAG came up to me in her cage and put her head down for scritches :heart:. She almost fell asleep in my hand through the bars.

Here are a couple pics of my cage so far after my excursion today. Nothing is in it's final location, I just kind of threw everything in there without thought. Also, the small wooden perch on the right will be used outside the cage, not inside.

cage 2.JPG cage 1.JPG
 
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