Michael wrote:The best option in my opinion is for the parrot(s) to stay in their own cages in their own home and have someone else come and take care of business. I think 10-60 minutes of interaction in their own environment is more beneficial and safer than hours of interaction but at someone else's home. There are so many bird proofings that we have done over time that we may take for granted we can easily forget them in other people's homes or they can't accommodate or don't know any better.
While it may be most convenient for the person watching the parrot to have the parrot in their home, I think for the parrot's sake it is better that it stay home and the humans make their way over. Basically if my parrot goes to another home she is granted the familiarity of my presence. If I am gone, then the parrot stays home and she maintains the familiarity of her own home. But the option of taking the parrot to someone else to watch means that absolutely everything will be unfamiliar and is more likely to cause stress.
With more simple-minded birds (if that's how I can put it) it may cause less distress while in some of the more socially needy parrots it could be practically a death warrant. In your case you may get away with it, but I wouldn't recommend it with someone with a particularly needy/moody parrot. If you must let the bird stay at someone else's house, the least you can do is bring it there a few times and familiarize it to the place while you are there so that when you are gone it is less scary.
I don't entirely agree with this.
I do not like the idea of leaving my birds for any lengthy period of time "alone" and just having someone drop by to take care of them once a day. What if something happens to that person and they are prevented from going anywhere? What if there is any type of emergency and there is no one around for a long period of time to do anything about it?
My parrots aren't unhappy when they are being watched over by my parents at their place..and being regular about where they are being watched over also helps; I do believe they get to know that place to and are happy for a bit of change.
I think we think birds are less adaptable then they are; while being maybe nervous the first 30 minutes or so after I first bring them over somewhere new, they quickly recover. And more often they go elsewhere, more used they are to it, which, in the end, I think makes for a more balanced bird. New environments/settings on occasion IS a good thing. Change IS good. And, since my mom is a stay at home mom, I have the reassurance that if there is anything that happens, she'll most likely be able to catch it in time. I might eventually have to find another birdsitter, but by having the birds at their home, at least I know the probability of them being able to catch whatever in a timely fashion is much higher than leaving them at home and only having someone to drop by.
And, while I'm on it, birds are sociable creatures. At this point, if I were to leave them at home, at least they would have each other to "talk" to during that time. Leaving one parrot on it's own, all but for one hour or two hours a day...I'm pretty sure it would be boring for them.
