Linnies, parties and city living

[MachuPichu]

Hello!
I've had my two linnies, Machu & Pichu for a year now. We just moved out in a new place, in a city center of a very crowded capital.
I have a small apartment, 1 very very small bedroom (where I could barely fit a bed and a closet) and one living room where the cage is 100% of the time.

The thing is I like to have people over, put on some music, and stay up late overall.
Last week I had people over for the first time in my new apartment, so I put my birds in a smaller cage that could fit in my bedroom and I had the party in my living room.
They did not sleep at all, they were very stressed (obviously) and I'm not sure it was the best idea overall.

When I have a party going on, Would it be better if I kept them in their normal cage in the living room (with a cover on, of course) rather than stress them out with a new "party" cage?

Also it's been more than a month and they still scream for every single loud noise (cars, bikes, trucks passing by...) which is honestly a pain for me, as we are living in a pretty loud neighborhood so they pretty much yell all the time. I'm really afraid they are just not fit for this life anymore...

I would really appreciate your insights on this one !
Thanks

 

[wrench13]

THis you knew when getting the parrots, and now the life style has changed. Honestly, they are not going to change that behavior much, if at all, and keeping them up very late with a loud party is certainly not going to help the situation. Most parrots do not make good apartment companions. Truthfully, it might be better for them to re-home them into a family that has a larger place or better yet a house, where their peace of mind is more easily assuaged. Harsh perhaps but from their standpoint a life of being continually on guard and stressed due to outside sounds and noises is not much of a life at all.

 

[cnyguy]

It seems like your linnies aren't cut out for city living, nor are they party animals. Your current living situation really isn't ideal for parrots. If you intend to keep the birds with you then the late night partying has to stop, and you'll need to find ways to reduce the intrusion of outside noise. If those things can't be done, then rehoming may be the best option for the linnies' sake, hard as it may be for you.

 

[HeatherG]

I thought lineolated parakeets were quiet and shy, kinda like bourkes. This doesn’t sound like something they would enjoy.

I had a Quaker who loved the occasional party. As in, when I took her home, she stomped around yelling “out!” Until we went back.

But my current Quaker would be a little ball of terror.

Maybe you could trade your Linnie’s for a conure or some sort of party animal. I don’t know how you would FIND that bird, but they do exist.

 

[Rowlet]

To be honest I think it's definitely not a good idea to stress them out with your parties. Birds need 10-12 hours of sleep and I don't think keeping them up late with party noises is good for their well-being. Also I don't think having them in their normal cage would be good either, there will be many unfamiliar faces that will just stress them out further. Also you wouldn't want any curious hands poking into the cages distressing them more. Birds will bite if they feel threatened.

I think it's a good idea to take a step back and re-evaluate if birds are really "right" for you at this stage in your life. As others have mentioned rehoming them would be the best option for them and you if parties are something you can absolutely not give up right now. Because they will be stressed and you will probably be stressed too (as many problems do arise with stressed birds, both health and behavioral)

 

[HeatherG]

Is there an old lady in your building who could bird-sit on party nights?

I’ve put my birds in my bathroom with the fan on and lights off when work has been done on my apartment.

But my guys were ok with this. You need to find some way of coping that your birds are ok with, or they may become unwell.

 

[saxguy64]

Maybe you could trade your Linnie’s for a conure or some sort of party animal. I don’t know how you would FIND that bird, but they do exist.

I'm sorry, but I take exception to this idea. That's a hard NO for me. Trade them in? Wow. Seriously? Have we forgotten these are living, feeling beings? Would the same recommendation be made about a human child? Hey, my kid isn't working out with my social life, maybe I should get a different one... Yes, obviously that's absurd, but it's a means of comparison, and our birds are very much like children in so many ways. They deserve to be treated with respect as the intelligent souls that they are.

As discussed above, the options are pretty straight forward. Change/adjust the lifestyle to something more suitable for having parrots, and if that's not possible or something you're willing to do, then be kind to the birds and find them a good forever home with someone who is willing to make the necessary sacrifices. If the current situation isn't working for these two, why on earth would it be any better for another one, regardless of species? I don't mean to be harsh, but I'm just having trouble comprehending the suggestion of trading them for a different one.

 

[HeatherG]

What’s the difference to these birds if they were replaced by a species that was less shy? If there is, in fact, a species that would be ok with that?

It seems like they got about the worst bird for the situation. Maybe a different species WOULD be better.

Or is that completely heartless and uncaring? Maybe these folks would be a good home for a bird who wouldn’t otherwise find one. “Trade” was a short way of saying, rehome these birds and look for someone more suitable. Provided that you do want to have a bird in your home. Maybe you don’t.

I don’t think my reply was unkind or unreasonable. And in general my replies are not.

 

[ravvlet]

What’s the difference to these birds if they were replaced by a species that was less shy? If there is, in fact, a species that would be ok with that?

It seems like they got about the worst bird for the situation. Maybe a different species WOULD be better.

Or is that completely heartless and uncaring? Maybe these folks would be a good home for a bird who wouldn’t otherwise find one. “Trade” was a short way of saying, rehome these birds and look for someone more suitable. Provided that you do want to have a bird in your home. Maybe you don’t.

I don’t think my reply was unkind or unreasonable. And in general my replies are not.

There isn’t a species I can think of that would do well with late nights and partying. It means lack of sleep, frequent strangers, strange noises, etc. I had a dog in college and hosted a lot of parties and even the dog struggled to keep up, so I instead started going out at night rather than stress him out.

For example, I have two amazons, who aren’t shy at all. Kirby in particular loves to travel and go grocery shopping with me, etc - during the day. He stays up pretty “late” for a parrot; I put him to bed at 10pm and get him up and weighed and fed at 10am. He would not do well if I had people over consistently at night, in his room.

I am a night owl myself - which is why each of our birds (who do not get along) have their own room at night so they can have peace and quiet for twelve hours. When I do hang out late at night, I go to a bar or other such facility where me and my friends can meet up and not have to worry about disturbing the animals or my kids.

The issue I think with suggesting “trading” a bird is that a pet should be a serious commitment and if you are not willing and able to make the sacrifices necessary for the bird you have now, it’s probably not a good idea to get another one until you can. It’s not just the partying and late nights that are an issue - OP mentioned issues with street and neighborly noise. If you can hear that stuff from inside the apartment then I can almost promise they can hear the birds. I’d be concerned about noise complaints.

 

[ravvlet]

Hello!
I've had my two linnies, Machu & Pichu for a year now. We just moved out in a new place, in a city center of a very crowded capital.
I have a small apartment, 1 very very small bedroom (where I could barely fit a bed and a closet) and one living room where the cage is 100% of the time.

The thing is I like to have people over, put on some music, and stay up late overall.
Last week I had people over for the first time in my new apartment, so I put my birds in a smaller cage that could fit in my bedroom and I had the party in my living room.
They did not sleep at all, they were very stressed (obviously) and I'm not sure it was the best idea overall.

When I have a party going on, Would it be better if I kept them in their normal cage in the living room (with a cover on, of course) rather than stress them out with a new "party" cage?

Also it's been more than a month and they still scream for every single loud noise (cars, bikes, trucks passing by...) which is honestly a pain for me, as we are living in a pretty loud neighborhood so they pretty much yell all the time. I'm really afraid they are just not fit for this life anymore...

I would really appreciate your insights on this one !
Thanks

Now, to actually make some suggestions to you!

Can you listen to music late at night on headphones instead? If you consistently put your Linnie’s to bed in your bedroom in a sleep cage, they will adjust to it. We actually have been on and off debating a sleep cage for Sammy so she can bunk up in Kirby’s room at night - they agitate each other during the day so we can’t keep her main cage with him, but at night sometimes my partner has to burn the midnight oil and her cage is in her office, which means there’s some amount of light and noise from the computer and keyboard.

For noise reduction I highly reccomend heavy curtains as they can muffle noise, and also a white noise machine or playing soft music. Kirby’s cage is by our back patio door and during the summer the neighbors like to barbecue, but I’ve found ambient noise in the room will suffice to keep him from getting agitated.

As for hosting parties, well. You have to ask if you want to keep Machu & Pichu or if you want to play host. It’s ok to decide they just don’t fit your lifestyle. Only you can make that choice. If you do, please do your best to ensure they go to a great home!

 

[BirdyBee]

If you still want to party, could you maybe go to somewhere else to do it?

Partying really isn't that great for your birds. Occasionally, people come over and stay until 10-11PM, plus there's music playing(not super loud,) but my birds are in a separate, more quiet room(their bird room.)

I heard sponges help absorb noise, I'm not sure how effective is is but apparently it helps with echos.

 

[MachuPichu]

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for all your answers it helps a lot
Sorry english is not my first language so I might not use the appropriate words.
About the "partying" it really isn't happening every day, so far it's been like once a month, and lasts until 3 am, with not more than 10 people and not so loud music. It's basically just having people over but I know it's already stressful for my linnies so I understood keeping them in their cage even until midnight max is not an option.

For the outside noise during the day, I guess they got a little used to it but they are still very stressed out in the morning, then they adjust during the day and stay very quiet and relaxed almost all day.

But yes I must admit I have real doubts about my lifestyle and their happiness, I'm sure they would be happier in a bigger apartment or with other birds, in a quieter environment.

It's not the first time I tried to look for a new home for them, but every time I thought the new owner wouldn't be right, I'm a bit over protective. Also I'm extremely attached to them so that's gonna be a tough one
If any of you know some parrots/parakeets lovers in France let me know!
Thanks again everyone !

 

[HeatherG]

They look like lovely birds but I’m nowhere near France.

Once a month party doesn’t sound so bad. Could you send them to a neighbors house?

I am newly interested in this kind of parrot.

 

[MachuPichu]

I think that taking them to a stranger might be more stressful than being in their transport cage in my bedroom ... I could do it but I also don't like to bother other people.

 

[HeatherG]

I am sorry you’re having this problem.

You could always meet friends at a restaurant, bar, coffeehouse…

But you said they don’t like the noise of Paris… so maybe you need to find them a new home.

 

[ravvlet]

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for all your answers it helps a lot
Sorry english is not my first language so I might not use the appropriate words.
About the "partying" it really isn't happening every day, so far it's been like once a month, and lasts until 3 am, with not more than 10 people and not so loud music. It's basically just having people over but I know it's already stressful for my linnies so I understood keeping them in their cage even until midnight max is not an option.

For the outside noise during the day, I guess they got a little used to it but they are still very stressed out in the morning, then they adjust during the day and stay very quiet and relaxed almost all day.

But yes I must admit I have real doubts about my lifestyle and their happiness, I'm sure they would be happier in a bigger apartment or with other birds, in a quieter environment.

It's not the first time I tried to look for a new home for them, but every time I thought the new owner wouldn't be right, I'm a bit over protective. Also I'm extremely attached to them so that's gonna be a tough one
If any of you know some parrots/parakeets lovers in France let me know!
Thanks again everyone !

I think there are some compromises you can make here with your schedule so that you don’t have to rehome them, unless of course that’s what you truly want to do (which again, that is ok, and we have a rehoming section here on the forums).

It sounds like you care about them a lot, and it’s possible that with time you will feel more settled and less inclined to keep late hours. There are also things you can do here to mitigate the disturbance caused by that. You can begin by getting a white noise machine or playing soothing sounds (soft rain, etc, lots of stuff available for free online) every evening in your bedroom, and move the birds to their sleep cage. If you make this part of their daily routine instead of something you only do when you’ve got company over, they will be far less unsettled by it. You can then take temporary soundproofing measures for your bedroom, like acoustic blankets and curtains, or even something as simple as hanging a quilt/thick blanket over the door area and blocking the gap between the door and floor. This will reduce the amount of noise that will carry from your living area to your bedroom.

Between the soundproofing and the “calm” sounds in the bedroom, you may find they’ll be more able to sleep through the night. It’s entirely possible they slept poorly because it was such a departure from their normal routine to be put in your room, never mind the noise level.

I don’t think that having people over once a month is such a terrible hardship for them. As you stated before, it can be difficult to find a good home for your birds. Striving for perfection is a wonderful inclination but the reality is that no one is a perfect parrot owner - if you can make enough changes so they are happier and more settled even with your lifestyle choices, you may be able to avoid rehoming them entirely.


Also - we would love to see photos of your birds!

 

[HeatherG]

I have used the noise of the bathroom exhaust fan goto cover up construction noise. I put birdcages in the bathroom and then turned the fan on and shut the door. I think it helped.

 

[MachuPichu]

I think there are some compromises you can make here with your schedule so that you don’t have to rehome them, unless of course that’s what you truly want to do (which again, that is ok, and we have a rehoming section here on the forums).

It sounds like you care about them a lot, and it’s possible that with time you will feel more settled and less inclined to keep late hours. There are also things you can do here to mitigate the disturbance caused by that. You can begin by getting a white noise machine or playing soothing sounds (soft rain, etc, lots of stuff available for free online) every evening in your bedroom, and move the birds to their sleep cage. If you make this part of their daily routine instead of something you only do when you’ve got company over, they will be far less unsettled by it. You can then take temporary soundproofing measures for your bedroom, like acoustic blankets and curtains, or even something as simple as hanging a quilt/thick blanket over the door area and blocking the gap between the door and floor. This will reduce the amount of noise that will carry from your living area to your bedroom.

Between the soundproofing and the “calm” sounds in the bedroom, you may find they’ll be more able to sleep through the night. It’s entirely possible they slept poorly because it was such a departure from their normal routine to be put in your room, never mind the noise level.

I don’t think that having people over once a month is such a terrible hardship for them. As you stated before, it can be difficult to find a good home for your birds. Striving for perfection is a wonderful inclination but the reality is that no one is a perfect parrot owner - if you can make enough changes so they are happier and more settled even with your lifestyle choices, you may be able to avoid rehoming them entirely.


Also - we would love to see photos of your birds!

Thanks for your advice ! I think that's something I can try out. Actually my bedroom is not on the "street side" so it's pretty calm but extremely small. I slept with them in my room in my previous apartment and they would wake up everytime I turn in my bed, so at first I thought there is no way they sleep with me again cause neither of us were having uninterrupted sleep. I can give it a try at least!

Photos of my birds ? Right away!!

 

[ravvlet]

Omg, they’re so adorable!

Yeah, Kirby is like that too - at our old place he slept in my room and I could hear him move around when I did. I believe though when I had things like a fan running at night producing a low level of noise he wasn’t as easily disturbed.

Oh, I meant to say it earlier, but it’s possible them being noisy in the morning is just normal bird stuff and not distress! Of course you would know them better than anyone else.