[notatuna]

Hi,
OK, I'm gonna put this out there.
I don't have a parrotlet yet but I'm seriously looking at them. There are 2 to rehome on KIjiji. One is 9 mos. and not getting enough interaction, so has become less friendly. The second one is only 4 mos. and was born into a flock.
They are both beautiful and our previous pets, fish and gecko were rescues so I have that playing in my head.
I'm worried. My first thought was get them both. The younger may open up the older one and the older would give the younger one the company it is used to. But a bit of digging here on the site and I'm not sure. I work nights, so have free time during the day, when not sleeping, and my wife is working part time with varying hours, but still home for large chunks of the day. Time to spend with them doesn't look like a problem. Bonding may be.
I know much depends on individual personalities, and you can't really do a pre adoption interview with the birds, so it's a toss up what you get.
Is my head in the right space for this or am I looking at something that will overwhelm us with the effort it takes to bring them around?
My heart goes out to rescues, even though I have contacted a breeder about next babies. I admit the excitement of a new friend is pushing me not to wait.

Thanks for any help,
Charlie

 

[Anya]

Hi Charlie! Welcome to the forum! That is great that you are interested in getting a parrotlet! You have probably read on this forum already that parrotlets for the most part do not make good cage mates, they can be aggressive and territorial and can inflict injury or even kill another bird. It will make it easier for you to tame just one bird. Plus you want the bird to bond with you and not the other bird. If you decide to get both birds and you have them sharing the same cage and one is a female, that situation will lead to egg laying and if not that, a problem of overactive hormones. You do not want any of that. If you decide on both, I suggest that you keep them in two different cages and let them out to socialize together only under your supervision. Just one parrotlet can be a handful and with you being new to parrotlets, and you do not know that much about these two birds backgrounds, I would suggest you get only one. Be sure to ask lots of questions to the sellers/breeders! Good luck and let us know what you decide on!

 

[notatuna]

Thank you Anya.
They would both be females and caged separately. Because of what I've read on here.
My thoughts were for the younger one being with it's siblings so long, but I'm thinking now that that would aid the bonding and attachment to me and/or us.
My heart breaks in that I can't rush in and save them, but I think I am better to consider longer. And be better prepared.

 

[ozzie3860]

I am more of a fan of multiple birds, than most on here, and have done it a couple of times. There is good and bad to doing so. Still knowing what I do about parrotlets I would suggest for somebody just getting into the parrotlet world going with the younger single bird at first. A parrotlet can be a lot of work, especially if you are new to it. Also two birds seem to triple the work for some reason. Especially the mess.

That part about your heart breaking because you can not rescue them all most of us understand well. We call it MBS (multiple bird syndrome). Most birds enthusiasts sites sort of joke about it and warn against it. Our little ones with their little bright souls call to us. But if we let the MBS get the better of us and get too many birds then we can not treat them as they need to be treated. I know this because my first pair of parrotlets were rescues from a very kind "crazy bird lady" (MBS victim) who meant well but got over extended. Our little ones take a lot of time, a lot of love, a lot of patience and a fair amount of money. The more birds you have the more they take and there is only so much we have with other life commitments.

Know this. This is very much your decision and should be made because it is what you want and are willing to give. We will support you anyway you choose with what advice we can give. We are all trying to find our way through our little puzzle boxes joyful relationships.

 

[oregoncheryl]

Personally, my experience was that after I got a parrotlet, I realized that I had NO idea how much work just one tiny birdie was going to be, and that was even AFTER I did extensive reading and research on the species! If you and your spouse are both fully invested in spending time with both birds, then perhaps it would be okay to get both. If, however, this is more your idea and your spouse isn't as invested, then I'd seriously consider only getting one of them. I suppose it also depends on what other pets and people you've got to take care of, too. In our household we have two young kids, three cats and the bird (don't worry, the cats NEVER interact with the bird, ever!), and it's a ton of work even with both parents sharing the load to care for everyone.

Best of luck to you!
Cheryl and Tito

 

[Mrs.JP3]

So curious for an update! Do you know if they already interact together? Female usually don't get along at all. If it was a male and female I would maybe say caging separate and individual boning with the humans and supervision together could work but two girls is risky. The younger one will most likely be easiest to train, the older one could take a while but with time I believe can be very rewarding. Ive had up to 5 birds at one time. Husband helped equally it's a lot of work. Parrotlets especially are a ton of work. Two of my birds were "rescued" . One from a pet store and one from an actual rescue. I am definitely an advocate for birds in need over babies but it's a longer road to bonding. I would take the older one, it sounds to me like you have the heart for it.