newbie questions

[Shimmer]

hi all,well I got my first lovebird yesterday,a little blue masked lovie probably about 4/5 mth old,we've decided he's a he*well 50% chance of being right huh?*his band is still a faint line and hes fluffy in places,smooth in others,we've named him Romeo due to the little dance he did when dire straits romeo and juliet were on the radio lol,he was in a cage with 7 other lovebirds who were all bigger than him and picking on him terribly,apparantly he's been there for anout 4 weeks and never settled yet? poor little guy,well since he came home,he has eaten for england,thrown seeds at the dog poor old girl! and danced and cheeped at us whenever we go away from him till we come back,he seems to want the company,he also sat quite happily on my daughters arm as she filled his food bowl up,do you think its too soon to try and handle him,I really would like him to be quite tame but I don't want to freak him out too soon or put him off us for good and also how do I go about handling him,hes soooo small,I'm afraid I will squish him,the last bird I cared for was an african grey so I'm worried I'l hurt the little guy.any help would be greatly appreciated thanks donna x

[linda040899]

Hi Donna,
Blue Masks are very pretty! I love those expressive eye-rings that they have!

About the best suggestion I can offer is take things at his pace. Romeo sounds like he wants to be social. Lovebirds love attention and the more, the better. When he was in the pet shop, he had birdie companions. Now his buddies are gone (even if all they did was pick at him) and they have been replaced by you. L)

Keep Romeo away from the dog. Lovies are aggressive enough to chase dogs or cats but this should not be allowed. Dogs and cats are both predators and birds are prey. You would not think that some dogs or cats would hurt a bird but the instinct is always there. Cat and dog saliva contain pasturella and it can either kill your bird or make him seriously ill if it gets into his system.

Hope this helps.

[Shimmer]

Yes they are so pretty always knew I would get a mask but I was going for the green ones till I saw this poor lil guy,he's so pale in colours,hes so pretty will see if I can take a piccie of him tomorrow so I can show him off thanks for the advice,to be honest my dog shouldn't be a problem,she's gentle as anything and has fostered two two day old kittens,their mum died and a guinea pig in her time with us and has a bunny who chases her around the garden lol,she just lays under his cage and watches him but she won't ever be left alone with the little guy or allowed to lick him but thanks for the warning ,she just likes watching the other pets lol,I think you're probably right I'll just try and let him set the pace,don't want to put him off us big scary "birdies"he has decided to rearrange his cage now and is dragging a little box everywhere with him he's so funny,much better than the t.v lol

[Janie]

Donna, it really does sound like Romeo wants to be very social and that's a good sign! As far as holding him/her, yep, it's a scary thing cause they are so darn small. When I adopted my older lovie (he's around 9 or 10) I waited a couple of months to actually hold him. Not because he wouldn't allow it but because I was a scaredy cat! His former owner told me to just pick him up so I did and I've been holding him ever since! He loves to be cuddled and held but not all lovies do so you have to take your signals from him. I do have two younger birds, DNA'd brothers, and they are also fine with being held. They don't like it as much as my older bird but they do tolerate it. They prefer being on my shoulder or my head to being held. Your dog sounds a lot like mine....very bird friendly BUT, I did watch her like a hawk for the first six months and still supervise when the birds are out.

Since Romeo is still young you might want to try offering him fresh veggies. It is much easier to get a young bird to try new things than an older one who has eaten nothing but seed all his life (like my older bird). He may refuse what you offer several times but then eventually eat it and continue to eat it. Broccoli (raw for mine) has been a huge hit. Check out the "Lovebird Resource Library" for tips on what's best to offer and what you should never offer. Also, in the health/diet section, you'll find lots of good ideas on what might peak your bird's interest beyond seed.

Have you tried petting him (they like the head best) yet? If he allows that, start working on the "step-up" command. They really do learn very quickly and once they master that command, it's much easier to handle and work with them out of the cage. Some folks teach the step up to their finger and some to a wooden dowel. OK, guess that's enough for now!

[LauraO]

Romeo sounds GREAT! He sounds as if he's already made himself a member of the family....I wouldn't try to handle Romeo just yet. If he is already hanging out on your daughters arm that's amazing progress given his being with mostly birds. If you start grabbing him he may develop a negative feeling about hands/people. I would just let Romeo kind of move things along at his pace .

[Mummieeva]

Congrads on a love.I am so jelouse I want a masked but they are difficult to find were i live.Soudns like he likes you. Like others say let his set the pace. One thing you can try is take him to a room alone(or with daughter) and open cage and let him come out if he wants.This works if you can move his cage.Or if bird is in a room with a door then close door and let him out. Some birds adjust fast others longer. My lovebird now Baggy prefes to come out on her own. If you reach in cage she comes out..but only by biting you and hanging on..lol. COngrads and like others say pictures please

Steph