Separation Anxiety?

[Darkfifi29]

Hi friends

 

Could you advise me please?

 

My baby Grey is coming home in a bout 4 weeks. My concern is that a few times a year I travel overseas to exhibitions or to photograph in museum collections. Because NZ is so far away from Europe and USA, I would normally stay away for about 2-3 weeks. My priority this year is not to travel, but to learn to be a responsible and loving companion to my parrot. I don't want to damage our bond as it develops, or let him feel I have abandoned him by going away overseas for too long.

 

However, I have no experience with what 'too long' is for a parrot. Because I work from home I can offer a lot of quality time to him, but I will have to fly around NZ some times for a day or two for business, but no plane travel in NZ takes longer than 2 hours anyway, the islands are small compared to the continents. I also travel by car a lot with my dogs, so the wee parrot is going to be coming too in a Cell-tie travel cage. Its just the overseas trips that I am worried about. What do you think?

[forummehta]

If there is someone else who can take care of her..its fine because I think it would be a little scary for her to travel so much. If theres no one you can leave her with- its better if you would take her with you. But I'm pretty sure there would be a nursery or some friend who has birds with whom you could leave her with. I would prefer not to carry her around especially coz its for work and you may not be able to give her enough time anyway...

[danmcq]

You will need to someone take care of your grey when you are gone. Make certain it is someone that already knows parrots and how to care for them or it is a person you have introduced and and gone over food items and correct feeding/watering times etc.

[Darkfifi29]

Thankyou - if I'm working in NZ I do have a house-sitter for the dogs, I'll be training her up to include the new feathered member of the family. I usually take the dogs on trips to see my family, and that's what I meant by travelling in NZ by car. But now I know, I will also make sure I have him bird-sat instead. If I have to go overseas, is 2 weeks too long? I really don't want him to feel abandoned by me.

[judygram]

As you said in your opening post try to avoid travel for the first year if possible, this time is needed to spend quality time with your new grey and to develop the bond that will carry you two thru the rest of your life, after that travel will be possible as long as you have someone who is familiar with your grey come and do the daily care and allow your bird some out of cage time as two to three weeks is a long time to spend all day and night in a cage.

I do like the idea of taking your grey along on car trips.

[Darkfifi29]

Thankyou Judygram, I will certainly make sure our wee man has a person he already knows and who knows how to care for him, including being out with him in the house during the day....my kids - 26, 18 and 17 are all dying to make friends with him, and my house sitter loves my dogs and is keen to learn also. You have all been very kind assisting me with your advice. My 18 year old is at home with me doing correspondence school (the others are in Auckland at University) so he's around all day too. He wants to be the primary babysitter. So it looks like we are covered. Morpheus Grey will be a doted on feather baby!

[Spinner]

From my experience, being away for extended periods is ok with my greys. I try to take a 2-3 week tour away from home at least once a year and my greys tolerate it well. I think they're actually happy to get a break from me once in awhile

 

As has been suggested by others, I have someone here at the house in the evenings and overnight that would spend time with them as I would. They (the person) is comfortable with greys, interacts with them (the birds), and knows how to handle any emergency that might come up.

 

Be ready, however, for your baby to pick up some habits and words that you might not particularly choose. Be sure to set good ground rules on behaviour. My young grey picked up da**-it really well while I was gone, complete with proper emphasis.

 

I am glad you are waiting to travel this year - it is important for you baby to not be confused with disappearing owner at this time.

[Darkfifi29]

Thankyou so much, Spinner! I'll do exactly that.

[Jane08]

I call ours when I am away and have them on video so they can see me and I talk to them. Makes me feel better to see them and they know it's me as well and seems to work to let them know I am okay.

 

You might see some sulking when you get home, our male is very good with that when I come home after traveling. He won't look at me or come to me and just ignores me for awhile. I can see on him though that he is excited to see me but trying to contain it. So funny as he can't hold out long before he is flying over to me for a cuddle.