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shootemupsally
Egg
Joined: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 5
Location: Olympia, Washington |
| A mirror for when I'm gone? bad idea? |
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I bought my budgie from a woman who seemed to really know what she was talking about. Her birds were beautiful and healthy looking, I guess, and he said she had kept them for a long time.
She told me to not get a mirror for Brutus. I'm assuming it would keep him from being as social as he could be, and I told her I wanted him to be an almost full-time companion.
My boyfriend and I pay a ton of attention to our bird when we're home, he is stitting with one or both of us for hours every day, but I wonder if it would really hurt to give him a mirror? Will he stop loving us and love the mirror instead? Brutus is still very young an impressionable, should I wait until he's older?
I'm in school and my boyfriend works, should I leave a mirror when we're gone (only a few hours a day) and take it away?!?!
I know, I'm obsessive, but I would rather die than have a lonely, even mildly unhappy pet! ANY advice will help. |
Tuesday October 10, 2006 5:43 am |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7956
Location: Australia |
Hi Sally,
Firstly, welcome to Fluffies. 
now to your question regarding mirrors. I have 21 budgies, so I don't need mirrors for my birds. How long have you had Brutus for? and how tame is he with you at the moment? It really does depend on the bird itself as to how they will react to a mirror. some birds will become 'wild' again, but some will stay as tame as it has been for the owner after the introduction of mirror, or even another budgie. Generally though a mirror won't make your bird as wild as another companion bird will. |
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Tuesday October 10, 2006 11:26 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10063
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| Re: A mirror for when I'm gone? bad idea? |
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I don't think a mirror would Brutus turn into an antisocial bird, however I do think that he could get frustrated by a mirror? Some birds will throw up their food for the image in the mirror.. 
Brutus sounds like a bird well cared for. I don't see the need for a mirror? 
I'd more stick to other enrichment toys, for foraging etc.. |
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Tuesday October 10, 2006 5:32 pm |
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Yupra
Flying tumbler
Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 2206
Location: CA |
I've had some varied experiences with mirrors and my budgies. Speckles (the first) had a mirror in his cage that he would 'feed' and talk to.. it got quite dirty with all his feeding attempts! But he never acted antisocial to me at all. Speckles2 (my current little one) has had a couple experiences with mirrors, but outside his cage (there is a video of him chatting up a storm to the budgie in the mirror of my wardrobe door) but I haven't noticed him being disinterested in me or trying to feed it, although he doesn't exactly have a permanent toy mirror with him so I am not sure if he had the choice he'd pick me over the mirror (I'm playing it safe for now, as I can still remember cleaning up a dirty mirror and I am not keen on doing it again! lol). I think it depends on the bird. |
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Tuesday October 10, 2006 8:03 pm |
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