Lories in the wild feed on pollen, flower nectar, and fruit. This diet requires Lories to receive special care when in captivity. Captive Lories are fed a variety of fruits as well as a commercially prepared diet made just for lories. As a substitute to special lory diets, any pellet for parrots can be used. The main drawback of having a pet Lory is due to their high fruit diet, they tend to have droppings that they can squirt.
Many lory owners line the sides of their cages with plastic to keep in the mess.
On the bright side, there is no mess from scattered seed as there is with other birds. Chattering Lories can be excellent talkers rivaling African Greys with their abilities. Because of the highly energetic personalities of lories, it is best to provide them with as large a cage as possible and lots of toys. There are a variety of lories available and all can make wonderful pets if acquired as young hand-fed babies. Make a choice you can live with.