# Cockatiel bonding inquiry



## Sachastovia (Oct 8, 2014)

Hello all,

This is my first time posting and first time on a forum in quite a while. I have a concern about my 11 week old male cockatiel whom has just finished weaning. My concern is that I work 10 hours a day 4 days a week (8am-6pm) and during that time he is home alone. Now here are the steps I have taken to ensure he is OK during that time:

- Plenty of toys, food and fresh water
- Netflix is playing on my computer about 6 feet away from his cage, as I noticed he loves to watches cartoons or TV shows in general. I usually play Power Puff Girls
-I love him to bits and as soon as I come home I scoop him up (I of course make sure he is not screaming or trying to get out, as not to encourage that behavior, but he doesn't often) and hang out with him the entire rest of the night (about 4 hours). He sits on my shoulder, naps, preens himself, bonks his head against mine when he wants to be pet etc.

My concerns:

-he is very young and I don't want the 10 hours a day apart to potentially damage him
-He makes baby cockatiel sounds (low pitched whines) a lot recently accompanied by some head bobbing
-I have had cockatiels in the past, from babies to a 15 yr old whom I let live out his days (happily) with me but I am still paranoid that the long times away may harm him.
-last night instead of wanting to be on my shoulder he wanted to sit on top of my 2nd computer monitor and sleep, he didn't want to be picked up or go to sleep. Am I harming him by putting him in his cage at bedtime and him reacting by screaming and running around all crazy, but covering him up anyway as it was bed time?

Sorry for all the ranting, let me know if you need me to clarify anything.

Thank you all,

-Ludmiska


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

He will be fine. Tiels tend to be way more resilient than their older counterparts and don't need as much attention. Four hours a day is definitely more than enough for him to handle being alone. You really won't cause him any harm.

Babies tend to continue with the head bobbing and whines after being weaned because when they were being handfed this is how they got you to pay attention to them. It's like a security blanket and they do it to get attention. Perfectly normal and as long as he's eating OK he'll be fine.

You have to stick to a routine. If he acts a certain way and it gets him out of bedtime, he'll do it over and over again. Think of him as a toddler than doesn't want to go to sleep. He knows it's bedtime but he wants stay up anyways. There is nothing wrong with making him go to bed when he's supposed to.


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## Sachastovia (Oct 8, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> He will be fine. Tiels tend to be way more resilient than their older counterparts and don't need as much attention. Four hours a day is definitely more than enough for him to handle being alone. You really won't cause him any harm.
> 
> Babies tend to continue with the head bobbing and whines after being weaned because when they were being handfed this is how they got you to pay attention to them. It's like a security blanket and they do it to get attention. Perfectly normal and as long as he's eating OK he'll be fine.
> 
> You have to stick to a routine. If he acts a certain way and it gets him out of bedtime, he'll do it over and over again. Think of him as a toddler than doesn't want to go to sleep. He knows it's bedtime but he wants stay up anyways. There is nothing wrong with making him go to bed when he's supposed to.


Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. This puts my mind at ease and I will continue with the routine. Again, thank you very much!


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## Conrad's Keeper (Aug 11, 2013)

Hi Sachastovia!

I would recommend you consider getting him company in one of 3 ways:

1) Perhaps you could adopt another friendly young cockatiel from a shelter to keep him company. He is young enough that they might be likely to bond with one another. I think the earlier you do it the better.

2) If you have any friends in the area, you can try to find a friend (or a friend's child, friend's friend, etc.) to come over to your house once a day or a couple times a week or whatever and chill. Maybe someone would use your house as a place to watch TV, do work on a laptop, etc. That way your cockatiel will have some company. My birds love just having anyone in their presence even if the person is pretty much ignoring them.

3) Think of how much you can afford, and pay someone to come check on him while you're at work. Maybe a responsible neighborhood kid/teenager or a kind adult acquaintance would do it for a low price, or maybe you can find someone on the internet and check to make sure they have good references. I pay someone $60/week to come by my apartment three times a week and visit my birds. If you have more money (or can get someone to do it cheaper) you could pay them to come 5x/week, and if you have less money (or if the person wants to charge more than $20/day), 1x/week.


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## Jaguar (Jul 11, 2014)

That is a long time to be away. Have you considered getting him a buddy? I am home nearly all day and still felt I couldn't give enough attention to Phoenix. He's much happier with a friend to hang out with, and now I get double the cuddles


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Have you considered getting him a buddy? I am home nearly all day and still felt I couldn't give enough attention to Phoenix. He's much happier with a friend to hang out with, and now I get double the cuddles


Getting a bird for another bird is not a very good idea. It's usually best to wait and see how the bird handles being alone first, before deciding to add a new bird to the mix. A lot goes into adding a friend and you can't just toss them together and hope it works out. Letting the new baby settle in first will definitely help before adding a friend.

Leaving the tv on while you're gone will help as well. Maybe bird recordings (there are a bunch on youtube.) It's worth a shot!


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## Jaguar (Jul 11, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> Getting a bird for another bird is not a very good idea.


I also don't think leaving a highly social animal alone for 10 hours a day is a good idea. Obviously you don't want to throw 2 birds together and hope for the best. They don't have to be mate bonded to get enrichment and companionship out of each other. Having another bird just in the room is a huge step up from the tv or radio.


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## Dylan&Gracie (Nov 21, 2014)

I agree it's not ideal for the bird to be alone for more than two thirds of his waking hours. I strongly disagree with the statement that four hours of attention per day is enough for a cockatiel! While he is a baby, he may do okay, but often problems arise with maturity, at which point they're hard to solve.

I definitely recommend another cockatiel if you are not home all day. Really, I'd recommend another cockatiel even if you were. Two stay as tame as one and you are no longer obligated to provide constant care and attention day after day as you are with a single tiel. You won't have to deal nearly as much with hormone aggression when your cockatiel wants you to be his mate when he hits puberty, because he'll usually be bonded to the other bird instead.

They are much better adjusted with a friend, and babies this young really can actually usually be "thrown together" and become instant friends. I did so with my tiels as babies, and they are inseparable today, but both still very friendly with people. Bonus: cockatiels that aren't pair bonded to a specific person they feel the need to defend don't get defensive - they are friendly to everybody.

I would never keep one singly again after seeing how they behave when they're kept in a flock.


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## arnabsri (Jul 22, 2015)

Hi Sachastovia,

Sorry for the long post!!
Cutie,my only cockatiel is 1 year 4 months old. I got him when he was only 5 months old.. i work for 10 hrs (10 am-8pm) 5 days a week.cutie knows about the routine...he has transformed that time to his sleep time.. after completing his shower and playing outside..at terrace.. i let him dry his wings and feed him his food..then i cover one side of the cage in my bedroom.Cutie goes under the cover..lifts one of his leg and starts grinding his beak and falls asleep..

When i return..i have to wake him up almost daily.. except some days..where he would chirp once i open my door to make sure if i am opening the door or not

so as per my opininon it depends on the bird how it gets used to the situation..

I am sure others will give their ideas
I live in Rented place so owner won't allow another bird. Its better to give your birdie another buddy if you really think its bored.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Having another bird just in the room is a huge step up from the tv or radio.


I agree but not everyone has the ability to get two birds at the same time. Or the space. Quarantine is very important and if you can't properly quarantine, then you would be putting your current bird in jeopardy. As I said, letting the first bird get used to the routine is a step in the right direction. Deciding to get a second bird is a very big step and not one that should be made just for the bird.


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