Lonely Jadie

[PetiteJadie]

Jadie seems sad. There have been some new adjustments in the house - mainly I've adopted a cat. i keep them in separate rooms and i am always supervising when the cat is in the room with the cage. Jadie still gets time outside the cage and we have settled into a good routine where Jadie gets love and attention and so does my new kitty. The cat is deaf which has been really good because she can't hear Jadie playing in the cage and is not very interested in what is going on in the cage. She meets a face full of spray bottle anytime she even sits to stare up at the Jade.

But even before I got the cat, Jadie just seemed sad. Like she knew she was missing someone in her life. I'd like to get her a friend and I have been thinking about who and what.

I know that females are territorial and feisty. i dont know how Jadie would be but I keep her play area next to my sliding glass door and she is always interested in the finches that play and eat the seed I put out for them. So I am wondering if she would do well with another parrot.

I def don't want to breed so if I got a male for her they would be kept separately. I know another female might cause problems. But then I also know that sometimes birds find great companions in other species. I was thinking a cockatiel since they are known to be docile and maybe even a Monk Parakeet.

What do you think? I just want Jadie to have someone who she can sing with.

[LovelySydney]

This is very interesting because I felt the same way about my parrotlet Oliver. He liked people in the beginning and then over time he started becoming more and more independent, wanting to be in his cage on his own, not being bothered. I was going to get a parrotlet at the end of October, a female was recommended but I was going to get a male. Well, in between we adopted a budgie I named Emi. Emi and Oliver somehow, some way, became very good friends. They now are allowed one hour of play time together a day and they LOVE it! Today they snuggled and played with each other, ate snacks together. It was so cute. That being said, this wasnt supposed to happen! Ive always read that parrotlets are territorial and aggressive and Oliver is just the opposite, he just wanted a friend!


I am no longer getting the parrotlet because I think Oliver has found a good buddy in Emi. I am not saying go out and get a budgie and hope they will be friends - dont do that!! I think if you feel Jadie would do good with a friend, another parrotlet would be the best route to take. Start with their cages next to one another and work from there, based on how they react to one another. Good luck, keep us posted!!

[PetiteJadie]

Since Jade is a female, how should their playtime be monitored? I dont want to worry about egg laying so lets say she bonds well with a male parrotlet. would i be able to let them hang out together an hour a day or so? or would it best to keep them always separate? Another species would solve that problem. I would like to try a larger parrot. Like the monk parakeet. even a green cheek conure. Any other bits of advice? I do think Jade would benefit from a friend. i have a hunch she would do really well.

[kellywess]

What about a linnie? (Lineolated Parakeet) About the same size and very cute.

[becca623]

I was thinking linnies too. As long as you cage them separately of course. Linnies are supposed to be more laid back.
I don't think I would get a quaker just for her. They can be bullies and aggressive. Get a quaker if you want one for you.
Is Jadie easy going? You could get another female parrotlet.
I used to have 3 lovebirds. Everyone said that the females were too aggressive to be housed with other birds. People told me that the female would kill the extra male. I kept them together because they seemed very happy. I had one female and two younger males. The males were brothers. They got along fabulously. I never had an issue with aggression with any of them. My female, Forget me not, never laid eggs either but I suspect she was quite a bit older than I was told. The conure I bought from the same woman was.

[PetiteJadie]

I talked to the breeder I bought Jadie from. She also suggested Linnies or even another female parrotlet - suspecting that Jadie would become motherly with the new baby. Even another male she might form a motherly bond with rather than a sexual one. Unfortunately the two reputable breeders in my area have already sold out (I assumed they would have) and have both put their breeders on vacation. They may have a few next summer but aren't sure now - you know how it goes. She referred me to a breeder of linnies - I like their quite chirps and little size. Jadie is laid back and preens all the time. Sometimes she'll attack a bell or chew something relentlessly. No matter what I decide, I will set up separate cages and hope for the best case scenario being joint play times outside the cage - after giving them plenty of time to become acquainted from a distance. We'll see! I'm e-mailing the breeder with the Linnies now! I haven't given up on another parrotlet though. I sure wish the breeder I'd gotten Jadie from had something available.

[PetiteJadie]

Do you think getting something other than a parrotlet would pose fewer territorial problems?

[becca623]

It might. I think a linnie would be a wonderful choice. Good luck and please keep us updated!

[kellywess]

Linnies are adorable, they can talk and are quite smart not to mention endearing. They even come in fun fashion colors.... cuz you know that is whats important. Have you tried Bird Breeders?

[PetiteJadie]

Thank you so much for all of your replies and advice! I have a few other people contacting me about Parrotlets and one contact for the Linnies. I'm probably not going to make a decision for about another month but I'll let you know! I def want to get the new one before winter. I really don't care what bird - Jadie was my first preference and I have her so now I am excited to branch and learn about new parrots. Many of them interest me and I can't decide so I'll let Jadie's needs help me figure it out. The Linnie sounds nice - I just hope that she isn't so passive Jadie picks on her. If I get a baby, I hope Jadie mothers it. The real fun part will begin when I actually get the baby!

Where can I read/ask about linnies on BirdBoard? I couldn't find a Species forum for them....