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Photo Credits: Jessica Miller - Babies First Day Out |
Pet Potential? - by Jessica Miller
Size: Love birds are approximately 5 ½ to 6 ½ inches in length, depending on the species and quality of the bird. They will weigh between 45 and 60 grams. Baby love birds are about the same size as adults – they will potentially gain a little in weight and bulk as they mature, but this is not significant. What you see is what you get!
Color: Love birds come in a wide range of bright colors. Whatever your favorite color is, there’s probably a mutation out there that matches! You can find love birds that have greens, blues, yellows, purples, oranges, and whites in all shades and combinations.
Noise Level: Comparatively speaking, love birds are not loud birds. Keep in mind, however, that noise is a relative factor and what may be loud to one person is not loud to another. Their voices are high pitched. Please remember this if you are living in an apartment and have sensitive neighbors.
Cage Requirements: A cage with the dimensions of at least 16 x 16 x 24 is preferable for a pet love bird. There should be room enough to place at least two perches, two toys, and three dishes (one for water, one for seed/pellet diet, and one for fresh foods), leaving enough room for the bird to flap its wings freely. The cage bars should be spaced at approximately ½ inches. Bars that are spaced too far apart will make it difficult for the bird to hold on to and climb around.
Additional Supplies: A transportable play gym is a great asset! A love bird can be trained to stay on this gym, regardless of where the gym is located, giving you great flexibility. A small travel carrier is also a must. This will come in handy when you are taking your pet love bird for a visit, traveling, or going to the vet.
Suitability as Pets: Love birds can make endearing pets. Before deciding to purchase a pet love bird, be sure to read up on as much information as you can! As with any type of parrot, love birds have good and bad points. Know what you are getting into and what you are committing to. Love birds can live for 15 – 20 years, so purchasing a love bird is a long-term commitment.
Every love bird has its own individual personality; however there are some characteristics that are commonly found in most love birds.
- Active and energetic. There is constant motion and activity when living with a love bird. They are not afraid of other people’s motion or activity, either. In busy households, love birds often fit right into the picture. A pet love bird can thoroughly enjoy riding around on your shoulder while you go about daily activities and household chores. Love birds can rarely stand still for long periods of time, so they are not very cuddly. Cuddle time with a pet love bird is most likely to happen late at night, when the bird is tired and ready for bed. Responsible children make great love bird owners because they can keep up with this activity level.
- Curiosity killed the cat… or maybe the love bird. Love birds are extremely inquisitive. They are practically fearless and insist on exploring all unknown things. This can be both a good and a bad trait. Pet love birds are open and willing to meet new people and travel to new places with their owners. If well socialized, they rarely become one-person birds. While they may choose a person to favor, they will also willingly play with other people. At the same time, many love birds have met their demise by investigating dangerous situations (including birds much larger than themselves).
- Love birds have a mind of their own – and they will let you know it! If there is something a love bird has decided that it wants to do, it will try everything in its power to do it. Distracting a love bird that has a task or object in mind can be a challenge. Patience and persistence is the key. However, love birds rarely ever demand constant attention from their owners. When provided with enough toys to keep their minds active, love birds will happily play in their cage or on their play gym.
- Domineering, commanding, and controlling. Oh, and did I mention bossy? In the wild, love birds are flock birds. Their place in the flock must be established and protected. Young love birds need to establish their place in the flock as well, whether their flock be comprised of humans or other birds. This can be a challenging time for pet owners. A young lovebird can be expected to routinely challenge authority in order to determine what its role will be in the flock. A pet love bird owner needs to be able to calmly but firmly maintain their role as the leader of the flock. Once the love bird understands where they fit into the group, they will not challenge authority on a routine basis.
- Smarter than the average bear! Don’t be fooled by their small size, love birds are very intelligent creatures. They can learn to mimic common household noises such as the beep of the microwave. They can also learn to imitate the sounds of other birds. Very few love birds will learn to talk; if you are looking for a talking pet, a love bird is not a good choice. They do possess the gift of observation, and many love birds have learned how to let themselves out of their cages or dump their food dishes in order to get some new food or treat. With patience, a love bird can also be potty-trained. Pet owners find this trick to be especially useful.
- No-guess, no-nonsense emotions. If your pet love bird is happy, then you will know it. If he desires to be let out of his cage, you will be made aware. If he’s feeling a bit moody and would like to be left alone, you will be notified. If he is mad at you or holding a grudge against you, then you will most certainly be the first to know about it. Love birds do not hide their emotions from their owners. You can expect total honesty from a pet love bird.
A hand-fed, well socialized love bird can make a wonderful pet. As with any pet bird, only you can determine whether this species would fit into your household and lifestyle. Consider carefully the responsibility involved in caring for a pet. It is a time consuming, patience trying, and heart warming experience. In my own opinion, well worth the effort!
Jessica Miller
info@lovenlet.com
www.lovenlet.com
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Photo Credits: Jessica Miller - Handfed Young Love Birds at Play |
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