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vacation for a month

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vacation for a month

Postby f_m_s7 » Sat May 20, 2017 11:56 am

Hi,
I am going for a vacation for a month and i have no idea where i will keep my parrot. He is a White Umbrella Cockatoo. He is 2 years old.
Where can i keep him? is there a place where i can keep him where they can take care of him for the whole period i am not here?
Help please
f_m_s7
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatoo
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby liz » Sun May 21, 2017 5:43 am

Welcome to the forum.

Most of us don't do vacations. I have left mine for 3 days at a time. My daughter lives with me and cares for them while I am gone. They still get upset.

The best situation would be a close friend who visits often. If you have such a person ask them to house and parrot sit that way you bird is in it's own house with someone it knows and who knows how to care for him.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby Pajarita » Sun May 21, 2017 10:05 am

Oh, wow, an entire month?! That's really long for a dog or a cat but, for a parrot, it's 1,000 times worse. I don't know what to tell you because it's not only going to cost you an arm and a leg (I would hire somebody to live in my house and, the last time I did it, I paid $100 a day BUT I do have A LOT of animals), but it's going to upset your bird something terrible! All parrots get upset when their human is not there but cockatoos are the worst and I would not be surprised if he starts plucking...

Do you have anybody that the bird is already familiar with? Like a relative or a very close friend that comes to your house regularly? Because, in my opinion, you have two options only (I would NOT consider boarding him in any commercial setting, be it a store, a breeder, a vet clinic, etc):
1. Get somebody the bird knows to come and stay in your place so his daily routines and environment doesn't change - or
2. Bring the bird to somebody else's home but it's better if this somebody is a known element to the bird.

The only other possibility is for you to find another bird lover that would do you the favor but you would have to do a thorough home inspection, check references and talk (asking all kinds of questions) a lot before you commit because there are all kinds of bird keepers out there that call themselves bird lovers even though they don't show a whole lot of 'love' when it comes to proper husbandry, if you know what I mean. I have taken care of strangers' birds on occasion (the last time was for this older guy who had to go to an extended hospital stay and needed rehab after) so there are people out there that would, it's just a matter of looking...
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18697
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby f_m_s7 » Mon May 22, 2017 1:29 am

Hi
Thanks for your replies.

Last year i had a 2 months vacation and what i did was, i got one of my friends to live in my place just so she can take care of him. He was very familiar with her as she used to come over a lot and play with him. He actually started talking and saying his name during this period. However, when we came back, he was all plucked out. Like barely and feathers left on him. It took him almost 8 months to grow back a fully feathered body.

I have that option again this year, but i am only worried about the plucking again. So i honestly would want to have another option for him during my absence.

Anything else??
f_m_s7
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatoo
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby liz » Mon May 22, 2017 4:46 am

We just don't vacation.

Myrtle hangs on the curtain to watch me when I go get the mail.

When we moved in 2015 I thought Rainbow would take it in stride. After all we are all together. He looked out the front window for a full year before it dawned on me that he was upset. Outside did not look right.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby Pajarita » Mon May 22, 2017 12:24 pm

I don't normally go on vacations-vacations... I sometimes have to take trips because almost my entire family is back home but, when I do, is never more often than every four years or so and just two weeks with my husband staying behind so the birds stay in their known 'world', getting the same diet, keeping exactly the same schedule as they always do and cared for by a person they see all the time. My 'real' vacations (if one can call taking a grandchild to Disney World and Universal Studios or going to visit a cousin who lost her husband or some such a 'vacation'!) are never more than five days to a week, never more often than once every other year and this is precisely because of the birds. The only reason why my trips back home last two weeks is that the trip itself is exhausting because there are no direct flights (it normally takes about 18 hours and, sometimes, up to 24!) so I need, at least, an entire day to rest after it and I also have so many visits to make or company to receive (lots of children with spouses and grandkids, cousins and cousins' children, nieces, brother and sister in law, old friends, etc) that I actually have to rush from one house to another and from one city to another so as to 'fit' everybody in the visit - and I go every four years or so precisely because these trips are so long.

I used to travel a lot and I loved it! But, since I got the birds, I've had to stop it and travel only when I don't have a choice and then space it out and make it as short as possible. Having pet parrots is not easy... I would much rather have 20 dogs and 20 cats than a single little GCC :lol:

I really don't have any other ideas to share with you. I would go with the friend that did it before (if she is willing) and hope the plucking doesn't become chronic because, with toos, is not only pulling feathers, it's also self-mutilation that you need to take into consideration...
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18697
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby ParrotsForLife » Mon May 22, 2017 6:42 pm

Is it possible for you to take him with you?
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ParrotsForLife
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1725
Location: Ireland,Dublin
Number of Birds Owned: 5
Types of Birds Owned: Rocko and Loki, Cockatiels
Mango, Plum headed parakeet
Tiko, African grey, Oscar, BFA
Flight: Yes

Re: vacation for a month

Postby liz » Tue May 23, 2017 5:36 am

Did I miss it? Did you say where you are going? Could you take him with you? Of course it won't work if you have to leave him in a hotel room.

My idea would be to get a friend or make a new friend who loves critters to house and parrot sit.
Your sitter would not have house work or other things to distract her from your parrot and could make it fun. Your bird will really miss you but she would help.
My mother rarely went anywhere. To go to the grocery store without us she had a teen in the neighborhood sit with us. We enjoyed that sitter. She made it fun for my mom to be gone for a while.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes


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