Finding a mate...

[Pajarita]

Yes, it's always easiest to 'convince' them to accept and love another bird if the bird is of the opposite gender and similar to them that's why we recommended you looked for another poicephalus but birds that are of completely different species (and even size) have bonded (I had a male quaker that loved a female lovebird and, when this lovebird died, he wooed (and conquered) another female lovebird even though he had other quakers to choose from. And I've had several birds that loved companions that are of a different species: a nanday and a quaker, a Senegal and a nanday, a jardine and a Timneh, a jenday and a quaker, a sun conure and a quaker, etc.

I also don't take any of my birds out in public. I think it's ultimately stressful and possibly dangerous from a health point of view.

[DanaandPod]

Hi. the Meyers parrot that I saw an add for completely disappeared. they must have sold it. I have searched all over including nearby states for Meyers parrot. Jardine's are nowhere to be found either.... I do not know what to do.... Should i start looking for a Jardines female from a breeder? This really stinks...

[Wolf]

Be patient this is the USA and that means that what you are looking for will show eventually. Use the time to save a little cash and get things prepared for the new one. I have one here that I have to get a mate for and it must be the same species, but I have to wait until its feathers regrow enough to get enough to have a DNS test done to be certain of its sex. It is one of those species that does much better if it has a mate.

[Pajarita]

Please, please, please, do not buy a baby from a breeder, it just keeps the terrible cycle going on and on and on. There are several species that you can consider, not only a Meyer's, and it doesn't have to be only in CT, either, you can look in neighboring states, too. But, in any case, Wolf is right, just take your time, there are so many birds out there that finding one is just a matter of time.

[liz]

www.rescueme.com (or org) reports from all states. They will send you emails when a new one arrives. I asked for a search of my state and the 3 around me.

I had two male Love Bird buddies. In this area there is an odd couple looking for a home. They are a Conure and Cockatiel both male that are buddies in the same cage and cannot be separated.

I also believe the only time a bird should be in public is when going to the Vet.

[DanaandPod]

Thank you everyone...I will take all of your advice into consideration... I still would like to know why those who are against taking birds in public are... My parrot gets so excited that this summer (he isnt harnessed trained yet) when I took out his travel cage...he got right in! He was so excited during the car ride that he said "I love you" for the first time during a ride...lol... And, at the park...he hoots and hollars at the people and wolf calls to them all to get all of their attention... I am always grateful for those who stop and give him the extra socialization he doesnt get at home.... I cannot wait till he is harness trained so that i can take him on my shoulder for longer hikes on nature trails... He loves the sunshine and staring up at the sky... why then would I want to commit him to a life inside my apartment? I mean, granted he is always so tired when we come home he falls asleep...but once harness trained...I hope to expose him more frequently....
Also, It sounds like a breeder is not a good idea... tho...I have been very worried about him only to pull out the parrot wizard book just now and reread out of cage time for parrots... And, according to the book...there is no such exact time... and quality time is best over outside of cage and ignoring him..... this makes sense since I have begun to get up even earlier and let him out...only to fall back to sleep myself with him attached to my side as always and curled up sleeping as well! lol Or, I will read in hope that he will exercise a bit but only to antagonize me and try to get my attention by biting me...which when rereading the section of the book...I was reminded why. It seems that my old routine was best. Exercise/dance infront of the cage a half hour while acting crazy and talking to him (my odd exercise routine), then half hour of him roaming while I prepare his cage and etc. then half hour of trick training (our most quality filled one on one) then him going into the shower with me...and doing whistling songs etc. which I am not ashamed to say results often in a half hour.... before i leave. then, I leave with soft music or nature/bird sounds on and a fish tank light and battery operated xmas lights... (btw, I have one of those prisms on my window that turns when it is sunny because it is solar powered and he loves this thing...and watching the rainbows on the walls) His cage is exchanged with toys including electronic ones.... then on the days that I am not school/work...I am homebound and cater to his needs... where by we do flight from perch to perch...passing a rubber ball...read to him while he preens my arm...I even do my artwork in front of him and hold it up and almost always get a response.... I mean, he is a complete attention hog...so literally while home my life is under control by him... I have even begun just yesterday to feed him some wild rice and quinoa since so many people stick to only fresh home made food on here... I give him a mix. I feel better knowing he has a fortified pellet because i know hes not missing anything... All in all, I do the best and it makes me sick to know that there are birds out there (so very very many) who got loose and flew out a window or door to freeze and starve in the cold...or are abused because owners dont expect to have a noisy bird that will bite them... or whatever else stress that leads them to pluck and get sick and die.... I live in a small apartment...unfortunately and was ignorant in taking him on... but I truly love him...(too much) I am not going to worry myself sick over the fact that he is alone during the days I am not home all day or even half the day because each day he is stimulated. And other days I make up for it. I just cant kill myself over this.... And, sorry but I am not going to believe that i am selfish for not giving him up to someone who is home everyday all day...because odds are that is an elderly person...and that is not fair to him either! Neighbors havent complained he is screaming when im gone... so my guess is ... if he was stressed...and not stimulated like I do a little daily... he would be screaming... out...like I hear many stories of people being evicted over???? Dont u think so???? The bird trade is cruel indeed! Petco, I hate you! He belongs in Africa with his own...free...in the wild... Majority of folks prob should absolutely not have a parrot! Today, while trying to get my attention....he bit me and drew blood...havent had that happen in a while... I had to take a time out with my hand under cold running water...and even cried cuz of other stressers right now... but i think that I need to go back to my old routine... It was not perfect, but...at least I wasnt losing my sanity over worry and unbalanced time with my parrot... (parents including "parronts" need a life in order to be the best "parrots")

[DanaandPod]

One more thing...I have been thinking about putting an add for a parrot baby sitter...but, I don't trust people in my home while i am away...though I could over time in a built relationship... but... was wondering if anyone had any advice on transporting a parrot in winter time to go somewhere for a day...if I do find a good match? (like an electric blanket wrapped around travel cage till I get to the car? Maybe this idea is completely rediculous...I dunno yet... I would build up the relationship while he is with me so that i dont just make him think i am leaving him with a stranger... Or maybe my home would be best? Probably... right?

[Wolf]

Actually, the only thing about your schedule with Pod that I thought needed any work on was giving him a solar schedule And I would use two shorter training sessions myself instead of a longer one. But that truly depends on how your birds responds to it. About taking your bird places with you, I haven't weighed in on that one as of yet. The reason that I haven't is because I really haven't formed an opinion about that. There is no evidence pointing in either direction so none of us truly know how it affects them over the long haul.
While rereading all that you have posted and our responses, it struck me as to how hard all of this has been on you as you are a lot like the birds and you stress very easily. This should not be this hard on you and it is the efforts on our part in trying to present the facts along with our opinions that is making it so difficult for you, I apologise to you for this.
The diet and solar schedule for your bird are strictly to keep him healthy and have little to do with opinion. Although it is not good for them to be alone, time spent with you is even more important to his welfare. I am thinking that in the long run that that time is so much more important that as long as the people that you meet when you take him out don't crowd him that it will work out just fine. Birds were never hatched to live in houses and I think that they may need some outside stimulation and as long as he can share that time out with you that he is good with it.
Stress is a big issue with our birds, stress can be a bad thing and can cause premature death in birds and humans alike, but it also occurs to me that not all stress is bad, we as humans need to have some stress in our lives it just depends on the type of stress and how we react to it. I don't think that birds are any different in this regard.
In summery, I think that if you can give Pod a solar light schedule, a healthy diet, lots of loving time with you that you and Pod will be fine. Then if and when you find the right bird to be a companion for both you and Pod it will be even better for both of you.

[marie83]

One more thing...I have been thinking about putting an add for a parrot baby sitter...but, I don't trust people in my home while i am away...though I could over time in a built relationship... but... was wondering if anyone had any advice on transporting a parrot in winter time to go somewhere for a day...if I do find a good match? (like an electric blanket wrapped around travel cage till I get to the car? Maybe this idea is completely rediculous...I dunno yet... I would build up the relationship while he is with me so that i dont just make him think i am leaving him with a stranger... Or maybe my home would be best? Probably... right?

I'm not sure how things work over there but I pet sit myself. My advice would be based on the country I'm in so some of it might not be applicable:

-Don't advertise yourself, you will more than likely attract idiots who will think of it as an easy way to earn money.
-Speak to other people, find out who they use, who their friends or family recommend and just as importantly ask them why the recommend them.
-Look for professional companies yourself- check out their reviews, what their policies are, how long they have been established, do they have police checks? insurance? (what specifically does it cover?) bonding? etc.
-Once you have a few you like the sound of then speak to them, find out as much as you can and see what your gut tells you. If you like the sound of any of them you can schedule a meeting where they come to meet you and your pets (Don't be afraid to meet more than one person either because you need the one who is best able to meet your birds needs).
-ask them lots of questions-what they do in certain circumstances, can the recognise signs of illness in your pets specific species etc.
-Make sure you see a copy of all insurance documents, police checks, qualifications they claim to have etc.
-in this country most initial meetings are free of charge and a second consultation meeting (if required) is generally chargeable, I do know of a few in other countries who charge for all consultations as this covers their petrol and time but this is usually knocked off of the first invoice if you book with them.


Now just bear in mind that whilst there are people out there who really shouldn't do pet sitting, an established business who does only pet sitting will not want to ruin their reputation by stealing from you, not showing up or traipsing mud all over your brand new cream carpets. They will go out of their way to keep your home in good condition, look after your pets as instructed and keep you informed about any potential issues. For most animals being looked after within their own homes is the best solution although obviously doesn't suit every single one.

I am one of those people who values my privacy, hates the thought of anyone being in my home without me being there, worries about my pets constantly etc. A pet sitter should come in and do the job that needs doing, they shouldn't go rifling through your things or go in rooms you haven't permitted them to. If they hold keys to your property then you should know (roughly) how they manage them- for instance I can tell my clients that should I lose their key then nobody will know it is their key- I don't put human names, pet names or addresses on them and they are kept separately from the clients file. My clients keys are coded but obviously I cant tell them how I code them but I will show them the fob so they know there's nothing on there that would end up leading to them being burgled if I got burgled or dropped them.

Like I said though you cant trust everyone who says they are a petsitter but the majority are good people who are genuinely trustworthy so don't discount someone coming to your house entirely- it might be the best option for now.

[Pajarita]

Well, the thing with taking them outside is stress. Plain and simple. Parrots in the wild do not leave their known territory (and that's the reason why so many species of them will become extinct with global warming, namely, because it's not in their nature to 'explore') and do not interact with strange parrots. I've heard a lot of people say that their parrots get so excited when they go out, that they look around so attentively, call out, etc but, in reality, these behaviors are been looked at from a human perspective and not necessarily a bird's one. Parrots do 'look' like an excited human when they get anxious (moving from one foot to another, feathers flat against their body, eyes wide open and looking every which way, calling out, etc) so maybe he is not so much 'happy excited' but anxious and nervous in the unfamiliar surroundings. As to his calling, you are assuming he is saying Hello but maybe these are alarm calls and he is trying to tell you to be VERY careful. I actually found it most telling that he said 'I love you' the first time he was in the car. You interpreted that as a sign of happiness but you could very well look at it as a huge effort on his part to communicate his anxiety to you in words he knew would get a reaction out of you. You say he looks at the sky all the time and think it's because he likes it but birds only look up when afraid of a flying predator... See what I mean? Birds do not act like mammals so it's real hard for us to interpret their behaviors correctly because we tend to use the only references we have, which is our own body language. Some people even have trouble figuring out dogs behaviors and they split from the wolves and started living close to humans 100,000 years ago!

As to Michael's book, please take into consideration that although his training methods definitely work, when it comes to husbandry, his is just one opinion and that there are many others. Parrot keeping is in its infancy and we are still learning - so much so that many practices 'experts' said were good a few years ago are now considered terrible and actually harmful to the birds. And taking birds out in public is even newer than that as it has only been done a few years so Michael's theory that taking birds out is good is, in reality, unproven. Mind you, I am not saying it's wrong, it might be a great thing, for all I know! All I am saying is that the jury is still out on it because his birds are actually very young (7 and 4, I think) so nobody really knows the long term effect of this new fad. Does the exercise outweigh the stress they must go through (at least until and if they actually ever get used to it)? We don't know. We do know that stress is bad and that it kills them... everybody thought that Alex was fine or, at least, every precaution was taken in terms of diet, medical care, etc but, in his later years, he plucked, suffered from chronic chlamydiosis and ended up dead at only 31 - and every single one of these problems was caused by stress. Me? I go by 'proven'. I am the kind of person that doesn't take unnecessary risks so my motto with the birds is "When in doubt, don't" and it has served me well the 22 years I've been keeping parrots.

As to a bird sitter, have you checked to see if there is another bird lover in your building or near you? Have you contacted bird clubs in the area? They sometimes know of reliable pet sitters. I used to know this lady dog groomer who had birds of her own and would birdsit in her salon for people who worked full time. She had a separate room with a window to the outside and another one on the wall that separated this room from the actual salon where the dogs and people were so the birds could look out and she could check on them continuously throughout the day (the birds were out all day long, got the company of other birds and people's attention plus treats, etc - it was a great setup!).