Getting Evicted!!!

[eeldridge0914]

Bird board friends, I have been placed in a very difficult position! My landlord said I HAVE to get rid of the birds!! (whoops..too many noise complaints) The apartment above mine was vacant when I got them, but obviously the new residents dont like the noise too much! I love my boys and want the best for them. I have Schmee and The Professor living together in a large cage. I would really really love it if they get adopted together. I obviously prefer their new owner to be experienced with birds. Both birds are about a year old. I know of a small place that would probably take them... but I dont want them to sit in a vets office forever! Has anyone had to go through this before? Does anyone want these fine boys for their very own? You will get the new cage ($270 value) and MANY toys. This really breaks my heart, but I can't get kicked out of my place. If anyone is interested please contact me!

lovelyredmulletgurl27@hotmail.com

Kansas City, Missouri - OverlandPark, Kansas area Willing to travel a little bit for new trustworthy owners!

[conure4]

I wish I lived closer, but unfortunately live in Texas.
Mitzi

[Astrid660]

Is there any way you can talk to your neighbours and explain how much your birds mean to you? Were the birds allowed at the beginning? I'm not sure they can just turn around and say you have to get rid of them, after they said you could have them.

If you must rehome them, I'm really sorry. I wish I lived closer!!

[catschair]

I am so sorry -- I wish I lived closer, too. Do you have any friends who might be able to keep them for you while you look for another home (for you or the birds)?

[shosh]

I agree....getting rid of the birds may not be the only option.
Is it possible to move the birds to a room that is not adjacent to another apt.unit? Even an inside wall would make a difference.
You can also look into ways to cut down the noise....acoustic tiling, for example. Might take some research, but I would certainly do the research if my babies home were at stake and I loved them very much. I might even put up some curtains on the wall in question.
I might also find out WHEN the noise issue is a problem. During the day...not much they can do about it unless the noise is incessant, like a barking dog. I used to teach piano and singing in my condo and, well, afternoon hours are kind of off limits for complaints unless the noise is really obnoxious and I guarantee that opera singers and pianists make a lot more noise than a budgie and a lovebird.
If the noise is more an evening/morning problem, then I would suggest keeping the birds in a darker room till later in the morning or keeping them covered longer and perhaps covering them up earlier at night.
Explore your options..I think Schmee and the Professor might be worth the extra effort.

[eeldridge0914]

Well... no pets allowed in my apartment complex. I've gotten away with it since the spring. When I rescued the birds I was totally inexperienced, never had owned a bird before. They were quiet and shy for the first week or so and I assumed thats how they'd stay! The Lovebird is very loud, I dont mind you know, they're my babies. I know i am in the wrong, i shouldnt have gotten them according to the lease.-- but the pet store owner was gonna put them down!! I will consider different ways to quiet them, the sound proof tiles was a good idea! But I really really cant afford to relocate. My lease isn't up until May when i graduate.

[Astrid660]

If you are the one in the wrong (which it sounds like you are, unfortunately) then you're going to have to try and compromise with the neighbours/landlord, tell them you'll soundproof or do what it takes.

Or, perhaps you could get a friend to care for them until then ?

[Adinah]

Could you move into another unit in the same apartment complex?

[Indy]

Although everyone has touched upon my intended suggestions, I will elaborate on some:

Neighbors. Find out the neighbor who is complaining, and invite them out to lunch (your treat). Tell them about your studies (as you mentioned you are a student) and how much the lovebirds are important to you. Give them your phone number and explain you are exploring sound insultation options, relocating their cage (experimenting on different locations) and leaving them in the dark for more than 12 hours a day. Offer to keep an eye on their apartment while they are away and other neighborly things to connect with them on a very personal level. Who knows? You just may make friends for life.

Sound insulation. Research the internet for inexpensive solutions to sound insulation (which is also a problem with apartment or condo dwellers who snore, get too noisy with their other-half, or play stereo music too loud.) Foam "egg carton" shaped pieces can surround the cage, creating darkness, all the more reason to have a good U.V. light over the cage!

Lighting. To conserve space as I've done, don't buy the floor fixture, where the light bulb hovers above the cage. I suggest buying a florescent hood fixture that is designed to rest on top of an aquarium, and lay it on top of the cage. (Remember to remove the transparent plastic, since plastic filters out important U.V. rays the birds need to synthesize vitamin D.) I paid $40 for this fixture. Then buy a ZooMed U.V. light tube for birds (same length as the hood hood-type fixture (i.e. mine is 15-inches in length but they commonly come in 18-inch lengths). The length of the hood depends on the horizontal length of your cage top. The U.V. tube bulb is the same length as the hood fixture. I plug the hood fixture into a timer that goes on at 8:50 a.m. and off at 8:50 p.m. so my lovebirds get used to a precise schedule. IMPORTANT: I cannot emphasize enough the importance of U.V. lighting, so they get quality sunlight, even more important if you are keeping them in darkness more than 12 hours a day.

Landlord considerations. If the landlord insists on the no pet policy, why not try to renegotiate the lease to add a premium for birds (with an agreement you will work to create sound insultation and change the location of the cage to accommodate neighbors)? You could start by offering, say, $25 per month extra through the end of the lease, and offer them a one sheet "addendum" to the lease as your "initial proposal." Get creative.

[Monica]

Someone had a bad experience with the ZooMed light and two cockatiels.... the tiels eyes got "burnt" and they had to be medicated with eye-drops for two weeks... if I remember correctly

http://www.zoomed.com/Library//Produ...s/aviansun.pdf

NOTE ON LAMP BURN IN:
Compact fluorescent lamps have a "burn in" period when the light and UVB output is at its greatest. For your new AvianSun 5.0 Compact Fluorescent Lamp, this period lasts about two weeks when the lamp is used to provide a normal photoperiod or day/night cycle at 10 to 12 hours per day (150 hours of use). -----

----- WARNING: DO NOT place lamp closer to your bird than the recommended distances listed above as eye damage may occur.