Congratulations on adopting your new pet Lovebird.
I still remember the first time I brought my son Leelo home, he was so tiny and I was so scared about hand feeding him at first, Leelo was only 4 weeks old when I adopted him. I miss you so much Leelo. The first thing you must do before placing your new lovebird in its cage is to ensure that the cage is clean, free of rust or dirt if you bought it at a second-hand place. It's important to wash it with soap and hot water before you place your new pet bird in it. Once the cage is dried you are now ready to set it up, I like to place a perch cozy hut right on the top far corner of the cage, then I place a wood perch in front of the hut about 2 inches below so the bird can use it as a step before it jumps into the hut to sleep. I place 1 water bowl on top near the hut and the other water bowl where the food and water dispenser window go. I try to avoid placing any toys above the water or food dish because the bird will poop while playing with the toys and it will land in the food or water dish for sure, please keep that in mind when setting up the cage. In the cage, I also like to place a cuttlebone to be used as a chew toy and as a great source of calcium for your pet bird, I then hang a millet treat stem next to the food bowl using a chips bag clip. Toys placed on the bottom of the cage will be pooped on so don't place anything on the bottom of the cage. If you happen to have some space in the cage to place a swing up on top and a wood bird latter that will be nice for your bird too. The best type of toys for your pet lovebird are the toys that are made with leather straps and wood, I also like the bird kabob toys because they are fun and my lovebirds go nuts for it. Your lovebird will let you know in time what type of toys it prefers the most, the favorite toys will be played with till it's gone and the not so preferred toys will be pooped on like there's no tomorrow lol, Don't go crazy spending money on all kinds of toys without knowing for sure if your lovebird will like it or not, buy a couple and go from there. Now that the cage is clean and set up, you will need to get a sheet or a big towel to place on top of the cage and cover it for the next 5 days, only leave the front of the cage uncovered so the bird can see you and take its new environment in. Make sure you place the cage near a window and away from the kitchen area. Place the bird in the cage and leave it alone for a couple hours so the bird can explore its new home. After a couple hours have passed, go sit by the cage and talk to you Lovebird for a little bit, do this off and on and if your lovebird is hand tame try to get it to perch on your finger and spend 30 minutes or so with it on your shoulder. Place the bird back in the cage and let it rest, eat, drink for the rest of the day, keep the cage covered except for the front part so the bird can see you and your family walking by. If you have any pet dog or cat in the house I suggest you place the bird cage in a part of the house where those pets don't have access to, you don't want your new pet bird to get scared. If you want your pet lovebird to bond only with you keep in mind to hold it and socialize with it every day for at least a couple hours. Try to teach your pet lovebird to talk, play and do tricks if you have the time, introduce your bird to safe fresh fruits and vegies. Congratulations once again and I hope you and your new pet lovebird will spend many happy years together.
Hugs.
Lara Lovebird.
I like the cage below.
