Hi everyone,
I just joined the forum and pretty much know nothing about posting as I've only ever read past threads - please bear with me .
Little backstory. I am a PhD student in animal behaviour (I work with small mammals so don't be fooled - I don't know nearly as much about birds!), and I have always struggled with anxiety.
I recently went through a period of extreme loneliness due to separation from my loved ones (bc of COVID) and my dog whom I've had my entire life becoming aggressive due to old age (no more cuddling or playing). As a massive animal lover I decided to get a cockatiel- Kiki.
I absolutely adore Kiki and have turned my life upside down to make sure I take good care of her, spend lots of time with her, providing stimulation and enrich her life as much as possible. Spending all day at home working on my thesis was a blessing.
I currently live with my parents but since I am a student I don't know where I will be in the next year or two (graduating at the end of next year). As a result of the unknown mixed with being a new bird owner I have developed extreme anxiety which has been incredibly debilitating and is ruining my life.
Here are some of my anxieties:
- What if I end up getting a 9-5 job and Kiki will have to be alone in a cage all day?
- What if I get the internship of my dreams which will require me to leave home for 4 months? My parents will be able to look after Kiki but they work 6-5 bringing me back to my first point. In addition, they will not invest quite as much time and energy into her as I have since getting her.
- What if I want to move overseas in the next 5 or 10 years (currently residing in South Africa with ambition to move to US)?
So my questions are basically if anyone has any advice to help me overcome these anxieties, possibly anyone with similar situations and how they have managed to work through it or just testimonials about cockatiels being okay with staying home alone or relocating to a different continent. I have read posts about getting an additional bird but since I live with my parents and my only personal space (where I am allowed to keep her) is my bedroom, this is not possible. If I do relocate in the next year or two I may consider, but this complicates things when it comes to my third point about potentially moving internationally.
I don't want to regret getting her. I would never want to cause her any harm which is why I am worried that I will accidentally do so by simply living my life. But at the same time, anyone with anxiety here will know how much it can affect your everyday life and I just need to know that everything will be okay.
I will end of my post asking people to please be kind in response to my post. As mentioned, I suffer from severe anxiety and nasty responses as opposed to helpful tips can be very damaging.
I have many other anxieties so I am sure you will see me here with more questions soon . But for now these are my biggest concerns and I would love any input from you all.
I just joined the forum and pretty much know nothing about posting as I've only ever read past threads - please bear with me .
Little backstory. I am a PhD student in animal behaviour (I work with small mammals so don't be fooled - I don't know nearly as much about birds!), and I have always struggled with anxiety.
I recently went through a period of extreme loneliness due to separation from my loved ones (bc of COVID) and my dog whom I've had my entire life becoming aggressive due to old age (no more cuddling or playing). As a massive animal lover I decided to get a cockatiel- Kiki.
I absolutely adore Kiki and have turned my life upside down to make sure I take good care of her, spend lots of time with her, providing stimulation and enrich her life as much as possible. Spending all day at home working on my thesis was a blessing.
I currently live with my parents but since I am a student I don't know where I will be in the next year or two (graduating at the end of next year). As a result of the unknown mixed with being a new bird owner I have developed extreme anxiety which has been incredibly debilitating and is ruining my life.
Here are some of my anxieties:
- What if I end up getting a 9-5 job and Kiki will have to be alone in a cage all day?
- What if I get the internship of my dreams which will require me to leave home for 4 months? My parents will be able to look after Kiki but they work 6-5 bringing me back to my first point. In addition, they will not invest quite as much time and energy into her as I have since getting her.
- What if I want to move overseas in the next 5 or 10 years (currently residing in South Africa with ambition to move to US)?
So my questions are basically if anyone has any advice to help me overcome these anxieties, possibly anyone with similar situations and how they have managed to work through it or just testimonials about cockatiels being okay with staying home alone or relocating to a different continent. I have read posts about getting an additional bird but since I live with my parents and my only personal space (where I am allowed to keep her) is my bedroom, this is not possible. If I do relocate in the next year or two I may consider, but this complicates things when it comes to my third point about potentially moving internationally.
I don't want to regret getting her. I would never want to cause her any harm which is why I am worried that I will accidentally do so by simply living my life. But at the same time, anyone with anxiety here will know how much it can affect your everyday life and I just need to know that everything will be okay.
I will end of my post asking people to please be kind in response to my post. As mentioned, I suffer from severe anxiety and nasty responses as opposed to helpful tips can be very damaging.
I have many other anxieties so I am sure you will see me here with more questions soon . But for now these are my biggest concerns and I would love any input from you all.