Considering rehoming my lovebirds, and having a lot of difficulty with the decision

I’ve had to think about something very difficult recently, rehoming my 2 pet lovebirds.

I got the first lovebird, Rainy, about 2.5 years ago, and had him as a solo bird for almost 2 years before I got my second lovebird, Poncho, who is almost a year old now. (As a note, Rainy is not DNA tested and so their gender is technically unknown, but based on hormonal behaviors and the lack of any eggs, I’m fairly confident Rainy is a male. Poncho is DNA tested and confirmed male.)

I originally got Rainy when I was in college. He is very friendly and took to bonding with me right away, but over time he developed some very loud, screeching behavior. I felt bad seeing him constantly call for me and knowing that I wouldn’t always be there to give him attention, so I decided to get a second bird so that he would have another bird to interact with, which is when I got Poncho.

Since then, the behavior hasn’t really improved. Both birds are still very loud and screechy, they constantly want out of their cage (they’re out most of the day so they get plenty of out of cage time, and their cage Is a pretty big flight cage with plenty of toys and perches). They constantly fly around my room, chewing on everything (even my drywall corners have damage that need repaired before I move out) and pooping everywhere. Even when they are outside, they’re often screeching or getting on my nerves. They’re both very hormonal, and I’ve tried to do what I can to discourage the behavior, but nevertheless they are constantly allofeeding each other, humping my blankets, or claiming dark areas of my room as nesting spots. Not to blame them for any of this of course, they’re birds and this is what they do.

Some lifestyle stuff: The birds get Dr. Tiel’s pellets every day, along with some veggie chop. I only give them seeds as a way to get them back in the cage, or as a foraging reward, and only in small quantities. The birds get 12-14 hours of rest each night.

But for me, it’s been very challenging and has been taking a toll on my mental health and causing a lot of stress. The birds aren’t the cause of my problems, but the stress they cause certainly exacerbates it. I’ve been going to therapy for it, but I’m still not in a very good place. I can’t ever relax or take a nap until they go to bed, the constant noise drives me insane, and I’m afraid of the damage these birds will continue to cause to my possessions and living space. The messes they make are an issue too, as the messy environment just makes me even more depressed and reluctant to clean.

A couple months ago I thought about rehoming them, but I decided give it a few more months as I’d be moving and figured maybe a change of environment would be good for me and the birds, or at least giving me a separate room from them (they’re in my apartment bedroom). As my mental health continues to suffer, I’m once again considering the possibility of rehoming them.

I just feel so bad about it, though. I love them, and I’m scared of what rehoming could do to them. I don’t know if the new owner would take care of them, or if they’d be devastated losing me. Rainy certainly has an attachment to me and loves to cuddle, but Poncho is a lot more shy and doesn’t trust me as much, but does have a bond with Rainy.

I’ve had 3 options in mind:

1. Keep the birds for the time being, and see if the move helps (new room acoustics might make their screeching more bearable, or at least give me some personal space away from them). Downside is, I’d have to spend some money bird-proofing the new room and finding a place that would be suitable for myself and the birds, which limits my options when moving.

2. Seeing if my aunt’s family would be willing to take in the birds, either permanently or for a few months. They watched Rainy for a week when I went on vacation, but have not met Poncho yet. They seemed to love the bird, but they have not actually owned a bird before and I’m not sure if they’re up for all that it entails. They also have some young children who loved playing with the birds, but I also worry that could cause a problem if the kids aren’t careful or mistreat the bird without knowing. This way I’d be able to see the birds from time to time or even take them back to live with me if/when I’m in a better place. If I did go this route, I would 100% have a long conversation about the realities of owning a bird before any decision would be made, and could even do a trial run, but it’d still be a lot to handle.

3. I could give them to a bird rescue, where I’d know they’d be able to take care of the birds properly, but then once they’re gone, they’re gone. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to see them again or know if they’re doing well, which terrifies me.

I’m not really sure what to do, and this decision has been weighing down on me quite a lot recently. I’m wondering if anyone has any advice or any experiences doing something similar.