# Just One Piji?



## rigby_321 (Aug 26, 2008)

Hello Everyone!

In the past you've all helped me to save a few feral pigeons who came to me as well as provided me the opportunity to help out a fellow fancier in need. I am now tossing the idea around of getting a piji of my own - here's the dilemma - I want a pet, a bird that will interact with, and want to, be around me. Also I live in a small apartment with other pets, including a cat. 

I was thinking I would like to have one male Pij, but, is that 'mean' ? is it meaner that people who have a solo bird of any other species? I have read other accounts of single pij owners on here and their birds seem to do well...

Anyway, I welcome any advice you have, even if that is to tell me this is a terrible idea. I just really have a fondness for the pijis and would love to share my life with one...

Finally, if there is ever a reason a pij needs to be a solo bird (injury? disease? temperment?) and I could take in a bird that can't be in a flock I would be 100% interested in that!

Thank you in advance,
Jen


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

In an apartment, you might be better off with a hen pigeon or ringneck dove hen. The little girls are much quieter. You could even get two girls. Then there's no worry about babies, nobody gets lonesome when you're at work, and they're quiet/not bothersome to neighbors. 

I've successfully kept solo parrots a couple of times when I was a child and home a lot, but none of my doves do well alone. For example: I tried it with Edmund for the first six months that I had him. He seemed lonely and his condition wasn't improving as much as I'd hoped (he was a rescue that a friend brought home who then started and lost fights with her birds). He is so much happier/healthier looking now with Lita. I think it has to do with how important pair bonding is in dovey/pidgey society. Bonding and nesting is pretty much their goal in life. 
With my sister's parakeet, we still have other birds in the room for her to chatter at during the day (finches across the room--separate cage for the softbills' safety.) She seems less lonely as a result when we are gone.

You can keep a solo bird, but you will likely be seen as its mate. This can cause aggression and possessiveness issues toward other people. 

You also need to consider how you will keep kitty (and any other predatory pets) from scratching/biting/pestering the bird. One tiny scratch has enough bacteria to kill a bird.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Keeping just a lone bird does require time and effort on your part. They need a couple hours a day out of the cage to fly around and interact. Can't just leave them in a cage all the time. They like company, and wouldn't be happy left alone a lot. Usually happier with at least one other pigeon around. I wouldn't keep a lone pigeon, unless it absolutely had to be alone. We do have a pij in our house because she is disabled and couldn't safely live in the loft. It's also pretty hard with a cat around. We have a dog, but the cage is kept up high. A dog is different. She doesn't bother with the bird, but I still wouldn't trust that. A cat can get anywhere. They can climb, jump over or up to about anything. It only takes a few seconds. Hard to keep a bird safe with a cat around. I'd really give this some thought.


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## rigby_321 (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks for the advice, Upon really thinking hard about it I have decided again a piji now  

At the moment I am leaning towards a pair of Diamond doves, Libis, you have two girls? How's that working out? 

hmmm ... lots of thinking before I will be getting a bird. 

Oh and the cage I have is about 2x3x4 with solid wood on three sides and a screen front. It was built as a cabinet I think but it would be very secure from the cat which is my biggest concern. If I do this the birds will have a few hours of free flight a day while I keep the cat locked up in 'her room' (we have a mud room type enclosed porch where her litter box is but we put her in there every time we need to leave the door open or have company that is allergic to cats.

I'll keep weighing the pros and cons while I work on making this cage better for birds (I need to make a smaller door so I can feed/water the birds without opening the whole front of the cage...

Anyway, Thank you all so very much!


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

rigby_321 said:


> Thanks for the advice, Upon really thinking hard about it I have decided again a piji now
> 
> At the moment I am leaning towards a pair of Diamond doves, Libis, you have two girls? How's that working out?
> 
> ...


I have four diamond hens now. 

Diamond doves are much more likely to be of great interest to your cats than a pigeon. They are very fluttery which activates a cat's predatory mode. They are also just the right size for average kitty prey (just about mouse size.) My cats want the diamonds--even just looking at them in the cage. My diamonds have to be kept in a closed off room 24/7 where the cats can't get within sight of them or they start hanging on the cage trying to catch the birds. 

Most of the diamond dove you are going to find will be wild just like most finches. My diamonds are like this as well. They are extremely difficult to tame compared to ringnecks. They are also tiny and hard to catch. Unless you can find a breeder who plays with their diamonds while they are extremely young your birds will be aviary type birds that you can only watch. 

What does your cage look like? How is the screen put in? How will you clean the cage?--it sounds like a very difficult/impractical setup. Can you post a picture and maybe we can help you figure out if diamonds would suit you, or if not, what will. Be absolutely positive that there are no sharp edges. It's amazing how quickly a tiny edge can bleed out your bird. :'(

Part of me thinks you would be better off with ringneck hens or two handraised budgies. (two females.) It sounds like you want something tame. While tame diamonds exist, they're hard to find as far as I've looked (and we're a house lucky enough to have tame finches.) 

Why did you end up choosing against two pigeon hens? They might be safer than small birds against the cats--as they would be less like prey than a diamond. Also, any bird with a scratch/bite from a cat/dog/predator will get a bad infection--changing species doesn't change that this must be part of your consideration. 

What is your previous bird experience? Are there any types you've had in the past that you particularly liked?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Good information and good questions.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

If you truly want a singl please consider addopting a King.
For more information go to www.mickaboo.org/mickacoo.html 
Many good birds needing a loving home


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

rigby_321 said:


> Oh and the cage I have is about 2x3x4 with solid wood on three sides and a screen front. It was built as a cabinet I think but it would be very secure from the cat which is my biggest concern. If I do this the birds will have a few hours of free flight a day while I keep the cat locked up in 'her room' (we have a mud room type enclosed porch where her litter box is but we put her in there every time we need to leave the door open or have company that is allergic to cats.


How will you put perches in this? Diamond doves roost on parrot-sized perches. They also love cockatiel swings--to the point that I wouldn't cage a diamond without a swing. How will you put one in there with no sharp edges? 

Also know that diamonds are very prone to night frights--you will likely need a child's nightlight in the room. 

Free flight will be dangerous unless you are lucky enough to find tame diamonds. Rarely you can tame one who starts out wild--it has been done by only one person I know of with just a couple of birds out of dozens that they've kept. (All of their other tame birds were raised in the home--thus played with at a young enough age to be tame.) I've been working for a year with nothing to show--my diamonds still panic and fly into the sides if I leave my hand in the cage "too long" or look at them "too long." Sometimes they still panic when I feed them--the every morning ritual. They're super high strung little creatures. They react before they think. 
When loose, terrified diamonds tend to fly into walls. 

In contrast, it only took me six months to get a ringneck hen who I got completely untamed to eat from my hand. 

With diamonds, I do not feel that a cabinet would be practical. It would be a bit dark, and also it is much easier to give them the right furniture with a parrot cage (like the kind for a single cockatiel would fit 2 diamonds.) It's much easier to change bowls and clean without a lot of panic with a cage designed for birds, and it's easier to stick your hand in the cage without the birds flying out. I used to keep my diamonds in an altered guinea pig cage with aviary mesh on it. This became extremely annoying to work with and somewhat dangerous for the birds--as they kept getting out through the big door and flying into things.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Oh, I forgot to say--I have an album with my diamond dove setup.  Since these pictures were taken I have gotten rid of the nest--it turned out to be a bit dangerous and just wasn't worth it. 

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/album.php?albumid=1653


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## rigby_321 (Aug 26, 2008)

Pji hens seemed like they would need more space than the little dove, 

The cabinet idea came from reading this:

"In my opinion, if you asked the diamonds what kind of housing they would prefer to have inside someone's home, I believe they would opt for a wooden enclosure about the size of cube two feet on each side. It would be enclosed on the top, bottom and three sides, and the front side would have a screen and drop down door that would serve as a front porch and landing pad when open and it would have would have built light fixtures, one for day, and a very small one for night. "

From: http://www.diamonddove.info/bird03_Caring.htm#Cages and Contents

A far as night freights/night lights, it is VERY bright, from the street lights/billboards/neighbors houses. I would love some dark in this house so I could worry about that.

As far as my bird experience, basically I have none, at least not as having them as my own pets, I fell in love with a friends cockatoo once, we had a budgie at my work for years, we had finches in school but really whatever I do this would be my first bird. 

I know the cage is safe from the cat, it housed rats previously, and she really wanted to eat them. I am willing to get another cage, but I live near the beach in an old drafty building so I liked the idea of this cage housing birds, also it is a beautiful set up that I love having, it seems a waste to have it sit empty, but if the birds wount be happy in there, they are absolutely the priority.

Hmmm.... you've all given me a lot to think about, if I can't let the diamonds free fly in the house I would feel much to sad for them in the cage, so maybe they are out too... 

Darn, perhaps at this time in my life adding a bird to our menagerie is just not meant to be. 

With pigeons I worry about providing enough cage space that will be safe from the cat ... I don't think I can do that ...

Alright, well thank you for all the input and advice everyone, it is appreciated! I will keep you all posted on what I decide to do.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

rigby_321 said:


> Pji hens seemed like they would need more space than the little dove,
> 
> The cabinet idea came from reading this:
> 
> ...




One other thing to mention. You said the cage housed rats. I would totally disinfect the cage before putting birds in it, as rodents carry E. coli, and it can live on surfaces for months. It can make your birds very sick, even kill them. Good luck with this. Let us know what you decide.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

rigby_321 said:


> Pji hens seemed like they would need more space than the little dove,
> 
> The cabinet idea came from reading this:
> 
> ...


Yeah, Helen has mostly really tame doveys.  Diamond free flight works much better for her than it ever did for me. I just don't know how you'll get perches into a real cabinet--that's mainly what I was asking. Also be absolutely completely certain there are no sharp edges.

Diamond doves can be happy enclosed in a space that size, though. 2-4 of them. You needent be too worried. I think pidgies would be fine if you free-flied them. 

Do you think you would like two female handraised budgies/parakeets? They would be tame and playful and stay right with you. In my family they are always chosen as the species for a person's first bird. Though with budgies you would absolutely need a cage that is all made of metal. Ours are both chewers, (and escape artists lol--smart buggers.)


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## rigby_321 (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks for all the help and advice Libis, my husband has had budgies before, so that may be what we go with...someday. This is kinda the first time in my life I have had the Luxury of really planning for a pet and doing the research - I am feeling so overwhelmed! All of my other animals, (dog, cat, tortoise, fish) were rescue of one type or another (finding them, taking them in from a friend or family member etc.)

I am thinking of visiting a really neat local bird store today, (I will leave my wallet at home lol), just to see some birds in person, see how I feel, what catches my eye. 

hmmmm ... so much to think about ...


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

rigby_321 said:


> Thanks for all the help and advice Libis, my husband has had budgies before, so that may be what we go with...someday. This is kinda the first time in my life I have had the Luxury of really planning for a pet and doing the research - I am feeling so overwhelmed! All of my other animals, (dog, cat, tortoise, fish) were rescue of one type or another (finding them, taking them in from a friend or family member etc.)
> 
> I am thinking of visiting a really neat local bird store today, (I will leave my wallet at home lol), just to see some birds in person, see how I feel, what catches my eye.
> 
> hmmmm ... so much to think about ...


Cool. I hope it's a good bird shop. Watch the finches and diamond doves' toenails--I've noticed that the shops that pay the least care towards their birds other needs tend to leave the smaller birds' nails unclipped. This can be a good indicator not to purchase there--especially if you point it out and then on your next visit it is the same or worse. (The only place in town that carries some of the bird products I use is this way. Every time I go there I end up growling at the manager about the poor little finches. I really need to find out if my ringneck food supplier can get the other product too if I order in bulk.) 

Don't give up completely on diamonds--like I said they could be happy without free flight in the cage you have. Just figure out a way to give them places to roost safely.  And hey, you could be lucky and find a breeder with tame ones. Make sure they are weaned all of the way if you get them, though. A friend just lost a bird because the breeder did not wean the baby or investigate why he wasn't weaning after two months. (Very late.) He was half the weight that he should have been. 

Budgies can be really fun little trouble makers. I had one when I was four and he was my good little buddy. (His personality was more sweet cuddles than trouble. Waffles, my little sister's first budgie is waaay too curious/naughty/smart for her own good. Her new companion budgie--so new she's unnamed, but we're thinking Margo or Misty--is very sweet and quiet like my old budgie was though.) 

If you have a quiet personality and like cockatoos, you might also get along with cockatiels. There are many of them out there who need homes, but they are not always quite as cuddly as quickly as budgies. My second childhood bird was a cockatiel and I wish I had time for another.  They take time and can be nervous about trust at first, but I've found them to be very rewarding little guys when you put time into them. (This species, being a hookbill, would also require a metal cage.) 

Since you said you are in an apartment, you might avoid parrot species larger than this--as they will be loud, and your neighbors/landlord might get mad. 

You might also look at button quail. I've never had one, but the last ones I met seemed very sweet and quiet. They can be kept as a cage bird, and I would imagine that they would do well in your cupboard setup. They are even more of a ground bird than pigeons/doves--you would get away with very few perches. And a little sandbox  ( http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/luiscage.htm )I think you can order them very young--but you'd have to do lots of research--they are literally button-sized as babies. :3 so cute
More really interesting info on buttons--(really makes me want a couple of them lol) http://www.cyberquail.com/homepage.html


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