I’m keeping Cashew and Cheerio separated right now because I want to first get Cashew tamed with me before he only bonds with Cheerio. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough. Cheerio is out of my room with his normal cage, and Cashew is in the small lovebird cage in my room. All Cashew is doing is pacing back and fourth. I’ve noticed that when the birds live together, Cashew flies from me. He wants nothing to do with me. He’ll step up, but that’s it. When he’s separated, he’s more attached to me, which is what I want. I’ve kept Cheerio as a single bird for over a year. Our bond is still there whether a new bird comes in or not.

Cashew is younger. He didn’t have that time like Cheerio did to bond strongly to me. He can easily with a snap of a finger be untame.

What do I do with the pacing? I feel bad, but this setup will be temporary. I just want him to be accustomed with me for a few months. I’ll eventually put them together, I just want to build a strong foundation first. Am I being selfish?

It's a tricky situation because Cashew can hear Cheerio and knows he's nearby.

How did Cashew bond with Cheerio? Cheerio fed him! So feed Cashew treats from your hand, and do other things that Cashew enjoys, to help promote a bond between you two. You're probably doing this already, but keep it up. It might be helpful to take Cashew to another part of the house sometimes, where he can't hear Cheerio and the only familiar thing in the room is you. He'll have a stronger motive to want to be with you then.

It’s funny that something so simple like feeding treats has completely gone through my mind. I have been thinking of complicated reasons on why he isn’t as bonded to me as I would want him to. I really don’t feed treats. I have millet, but I’ve been so concerned about the mess that it makes that I just never used it. From day one, Cashew has been begging me for treats/food. Cheerio gave him what I didn’t, and that’s why he isn’t bonded to me as much. I have been on bird groups for so long, and I myself have given some tips on bonding, but sometimes you just need someone to give you those basic reminders.

I’m already started feeding him more treats after reading your response. I’m excited for this new start.

Sometimes it's easy to forget the simple things! One of the great things about recently weaned handfed babies is that holding food in your hand is an easy way to make friends with them. It doesn't even have to be a treat, it can be any kind of food that they recognize. They've already been trained to associate human hands with food, and being fed this way helps reassure them that somebody is looking out for them in this strange new place that they've suddenly found themselves in.