alone time.

[LovelySydney]

I seem to be in the habit of posting new threads lately.....:blush:


I recently posted a thread how I feel bad when I am gone at work and my little one is home by himself. I'm just wondering what everyone else's schedule is like when it comes to their birds being alone?

I don't have the luxury of working from home so I'm gone at the most 8 hours (not including my hour lunch where I come home) M-F. I spend at least an hour with Gus in the morning before I leave, too.


How long are your birds alone, if at all? Has this affected their relationship with you?


& for anyone who might know: Is it more difficult to tame a bird when you aren't there all day, everyday? Does this confuse them to have you in & out of the home?


Thanks in advance everyone, I appreciate it!!

[NickyBeth]

I work every day from 4AM to around 1:30PM or so. When I come down the steps in the early AM, Cherry squawks to me as I leave and lock the door. I tell him "Goodbye, I'll see you later."

He seems to know when I come home, because as I pull in the driveway I can hear the chirping. (We are in Southern FL, so Cherry is right by my front door.) We open the door when the weather is nice so he can get some sun and breeze, and otherwise I leave the hallway light on for him so he can tell AM from PM.

When I come home and get settled in, I open the door to his cage and normall he comes out to scout around for a little. Then he will sit on the steps for a while, as if he was the king and is keeping watch over everyone in my household. I just go about my day and normally he walks up the stairs with me to see what I am doing....laundry, cleaning, whatnot. If I am not doing anything interesting...he'll come back down and then he decides if he wants to go back in his cage or not.

When we eat mid-day snacks, I do shut the cage door as my kids don't apprecitate a birdie dive-bombing them in the kitchen as they try to eat. Cherry normally eats when he sees us eating (another reason we keep him by the front door) and after we are done and the kids are in the next room, I will open the cage again.

If we go outside, he is returned to his cage and I shut the door to it so that he won't into trouble when I am gone.

So yes, I do get to spend more time with him...as I get done work earlier....but he seems to be independent. I mean, he'll ride around with me on my shoulder, or sit with me on my shoulder if I am doing something....but when he is done he will venture back out to his house where he wants to be.

I guess you could say....I have an open door policy! And that works well for us!

[dieflying]

I haven't had a job in 3 months, so I guess I'm "lucky" in that sense!

[bookworm0550]

hey, i can answer here :) Ok, so i work from 8-4 sometimes even later, but no later than 5:30, but there are times i do switch hours, but anyway, i work the typical 8-9 hours a day. When joey was the only bird, i would rush home from work to be w/ him. i let him out in the mornings as i got ready too. it didn't affect us at all. he bonded to me rather quick. after a week, but i think that was cuz it was just me and him (my bf doesn't live w/ me). but being a single bird in a single parront home, he had other issues (anxiety), but that's a whole different thread.

i think that you can tame a bird even if you aren't home all day. i thought i had to spend every moment w/ joey when i was home. i wanted him to just love me and now he loves me in ways i shouldn't be loved by a parrot. but you can still tame them w/o being there 24/7.

as much as i love my trio, i can't be w/ them 24/7. i would go nuts. i need my space and they need their own spaces too, from me and from each other. so when they do come out to play, it's fun for all of us. i love coming home to see them and they're all excited to see me too cuz they know what's gonna happen: recess!!!!

i don't think it confuses them that i'm in and out of the house just cuz it's such a part of the routine already.

[jimpierce]

my birds have a saying..................


How can we miss you if don't go away?!!!



hehhe I am the maintenance manager where I live. I'm in and out all day. My birds prefer to be left alone in the morning. Up to about noon or so. I interact with them all as often as possible.
\Each one has a different way to interact with me too.

[LovelySydney]

on a positive note Gus seems to be more excited when I come home for lunch now. I let him out of his and today he instantly came out and flew (to the best of his ability with clipped wings) to our jade tree, which is his favorite outside-the-cage perch. He happily took millet from my hand and is still fast learning that clicker means treat. So he (or she, considering the behavior we've had over the past few days) has been having a good day today!!


We called the vet today to check on the sex since the previous owner still hasn't heard anything and they said the sample isn't back yet!! We asked how long it would take and the receptionist said at the most two weeks but we told her it's been over 2 weeks now!! She said she would call back......Anyone ever experience it taking longer than 2 weeks when doing it at a vets office? the suspense is killing me!!! lol

[bookworm0550]

wow, i don't know it long it normally takes when you do it thru the vet. mine took a week, but we had to pluck pan ourselves.

[StormyMom]

My birds handle it very well when im gone. Altho i work alot less than my husband..most of the time i work half days. My longest day is 10 hours.

Jaden (my G2) is by himself, but the lovies are in another cage in sight and the radio is on. (theyre locked in when i leave)My other birds are in the birdroom with their cage opened and the door shut. They have each others company and dont mind me gone. The only ones that REALLY seem to miss me are my G2 and my Quaker.

[Enko_chan]

I work at home- which isn't exactly a luxury- its because I can't drive or walk. I do still have work hours, though. When I am working in the fish room, the bird cannot be with me. It isn't safe. I usually work seven days a week, several hours per day on six of them, with minimal work on Sundays, and A LOT of work on Tuesdays. When I'm not working, the aquariums are covered and my hands and clothes are clean so my birdie can be around the house with me. I also write professionally but luckily the birds can be with me when I'm writing. I also have class, physical therapy, and other medical appointments. I like being able to be home when my bird needs me, but it makes me concerned that on days, weeks, etc. when I have to be away that it will be tough on her.

[MykL]

I too work 8-4 M-F, and like you i also thought it would have adverse effects on the relationship between me and my lone Lovie... That said, I've learned otherwise. When am home he gets to come out, both in the morning before work and in the evening... So I don't think it's a bad thing to be away for parts of the day...

HOWEVER....

And here's a question I hope some of you can answer...

I am planning a trip in the summer... Backpacking for a few weeks... And I am ALREADY having anxiety about leaving my little guy for that long... He will be well cared for, i know this for a fact, but will he forget me??? :(