Does he need a friend?

[Melissa]

Dixie, my 6 y.o male cockatiel, has put me in a bit of a predicament. He was a hand-raised baby, and is very bonded to me. The first 4-5 years of his life, the only other critter he had to share me with was my very elderly dog. Now I have a younger, more active pup who has been with us about 2 years. These past 2 years Dixie has gotten more and more difficult. It seems that the time I spend with him is never enough, and he has started screaming. I've tried SO many different things to try and make him happy, lots of play time, new toys, trying to include him, etc. He loves me to death and is a doll outside of his cage. But I work full time and go to college full time, and I will be getting married next year. I love him to pieces and would never give him away, but I want him to be happy when I'm not around. He likes other birds and I'm wondering if this could be a solution. I realize that this may affect his bond with me, but quite frankly, he is a little too bonded to me. He likes other people but can never get enough of me. There's a great specialty bird store here in town, and if a buddy didn't work out, the owner, Gwen, would take the birdie back. What do you all think? Has this helped in any similar situations? I've read a lot about introducing another bird but I want real opinions Thank you!

[cherylrowland]

Melissa,

Sometimes a friend is exactly what a cockatiel needs, but at the same time remember you will be adding another member to your family. Will you be able to handle the additional work that will come with a second bird. Since you have found a speciality store that says if it doesn't work out that she will take the bird back, I think you might have a solution. But remember to start them out in separate cages where they can see each other and become acquainted before putting them in the same cage. When you do put them in the same cage, you might want change up the toys, perches, feeding dishes, etc, so that Dixie doesn't exhibit cage territorialism.

[raqessarr]

did you get another bird? Please read my posting in the breeding section and read what happened when I got my female a companion. Proceed with caution when getting the other bird please!