Nipperspal09 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 hi there, i need some advise. i have had my african grey Nipper for 15 months. i love him to pieces. but my partner and i are going away for a week on holiday soon and i dont know how to ensure he will be ok. when we bought him we were told that the previous owner sold him because she couldn't handle him. he seems to have some trust issues and tends to bite, understandibaly this frightens our friends, and honestly i dont know if i trust anyone with him. this is a real issue as my partner and i have been together for 3 years and have never been away. any advise would be great. thank you. nipperspal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaMary Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 There are several ways you can handle this, Nipperspal. Some folks have friends or family who can stop in a couple of times a day, make sure the bird is fed and watered, and spend some time with the bird. It's not absolutely crucial that the bird come out of its cage: if it's going to be risky for the bird or the caregiver, it's probably better to leave it in. But the caregiver can at least talk to the bird, sit with it, play some music for it, read to it - just generally spend some attention on it. Ideally, of course, the caregiver would live in, but a lot of folks here have managed with just a couple of visits a day. There are also some pet-sitter businesses in the US that will do such visits for a fee - I don't know whether that might be an option where you live as well. And in some cases veterinarian's offices will board birds. Also, a vet's office might be a good source of references for sitters as well, if you don't have friends or family who can help you locally. Good luck - let us know hat you come up with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I pretty much agree with what Linda had to say, he could remain in the cage for a week if no one wants to take the chance of letting him out but it is important that he have some attention during this time. So find someone to do that and he should be fine. Have a safe and happy holiday and he will be so glad to see you when you get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilosMom Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Hi, I just came back from a 10 days vacation (Hi guys I m back!!)and I left my grey with my mother to look after because works at home so I figured she would be the best candidate. Before I left, I typed up some instruction for her to follow and emphisized that whether to take him out of the cage is up to her, but "safety first"!! and surprisingly she was able to take him out everyday and did really good with him (except for his diet,.. just like a grandma she spoiled him and let him have whatever he likes the most, which usually means too much grapes and peanuts) but over all she did great! There are also a few boarding places i was considering, which I might leave him there next time when we go away. I know they probably will not let him out of the cage but he will have some bird friends to keep him busy. On that note, I agree with Linda, Its ok not to let him out of the cage since safety is most important. As long as hes got some company and plenty of attention, a week shouldnt be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twosteph Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 LilosMom wrote: ....also a few boarding places i was considering, which I might leave him there next time when we go away. I know they probably will not let him out of the cage but he will have some bird friends to keep him busy.... Isn't it a bad idea to board your bird somewhere with other birds, due to disease or other issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilosMom Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 The boarding place I was considering, will only board birds with recent avian vet's health certificate. They also have an avian vet who is always on call. so I assume its ok. I have never done it before tho, so maybe the other members from the forum who had boarded their birds can tell you their experience.<br><br>Post edited by: LilosMom, at: 2009/01/25 17:05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sorry,I can't help. I have never left my birds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I am boarding my bird at an avian vets surgery in August.The vet is a well recognised vet and was up to last year President of the Parrot Society UK .So i am hoping all is going to be well .They have good facilities and play music and have a TV for the birds as well as out of cage time . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I have only left Charlie once and my Dad moved in while I was away. I was worried about leaving him but he was fine.As lilosmom said the only problem was that he got spoilt rotten.He was given anything he wanted when he wanted it so I came home to a very spoilt bird. My Dad did a fantastic job though. I also have a cousin who is an experianced grey owner who I could call on or failing that I would see if my vet would board him.I would be very doubtful of leaving him in a place that boards other birds because of the risk of disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaM Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Most worth bird boarding places will require documentation from a recent veterinarian visit. I have had to use one and they did. I wouldn't leave mine somewhere that didn't just because of what you said about the risk of diseases from other birds. Call around and ask specifically what they require from the vet so you can be sure to get in to the vet if you need to prior to going out of town. We've been fortunate that for vacations and such we've been able to have someone come stay in our home to take care of all our animals. The only time I've had to board my parrots is when we had a fireplace being installed and had wood being coated with polyurethane. Good luck to you in finding a solution that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now