What to do?

[Luckys mom]

Friends are asking me to go on vacation for a week. My lovebird is quite attached to me (in my opinion) and I would worry about how she would react to me being gone for a week. Hubby would be home during the evening after work and says he would take care of the flock and the dog. She is always left out free to roam in the birdroom for the day when I am not home and during the day when I am home, she has free range of the house. I know that she would not get the attention with him that she gets with me. I would just die if I went away and something happened to her (ie plucked herself, not eating, stressed out etc). Am I being really silly here or what? Do any of you go away and leave your birds at home?

[Elle]

I've had to leave my bird with friends when going away for a few days. Sometimes I have been able to take with me. Taking her with me is more stressfull (bird poop on your'guest's carpet, new environment for the bird, uneasyness on my part because I am not able to focus on my bird while in a new environment )
One person has been looking after Sam years ago while I had to leave town for a few days. Believe it or not, my bird had a great time. When I came back she made it clear she was ready to go home to our routine ( entertaining 3 kids and sharing kisses between all of them is a lot of work) but no big stress.

If your husband is able to look after Lucky, that would be the most desirable situation. At least you know that he will pay some attention to Lucky. Not like a friend or family member and Lucky will not be so stressed because he is in his normal environment. NOt in a stranger's house that is not birdie proof. When you come back, you may get a cold shoulder for a few hours, but it won't last. Things will be back to normal before you notice.

Lucky will be fine with your husband. You are not abandoning him You are just going away for a few days. I know it's hard leaving our babies behind sometimes. but again, Lucky will be fine :)

Regards,

[Janie]

Leaving my pets has always been the hardest part about going anywhere.....well, it used to be leaving my kids but they are now 20 and 23 so I'm over that! :D I just went out of town for about 26 hours and left the birds in my husbands care. I knew he would take very good care of Oliver since Oliver is so tame and very used to him but I figured Big Boi and Shy would be "cage bound" for the entire time. Not true!!! They were out for three hours today before I got home and about that much time yesterday. :D He called me a couple of times to tell me the funny things they were doing. Good bonding for them and him! I was gone for 6 days two months after I got them but that time, I took them back to their breeder and her daughter took care of them. They were still very shy around my husband and kids and I knew he would not be comfortable letting them out so that was the best plan then. I think your birds will be just fine with you husband but I know that it is hard to leave them. Do you leave instructions? I do! :lol Not sure if he reads them but I leave them anyway! :whistle:

[shylevon]

But just think of how nice it will be when you get back, all the kissies and snuggles... That is after you've healed from the 'Why the heck did you leave me for a week' chomps.

[Luckys mom]

Instructions? Holy crow, last year I went for a week to D.R. and left the fids with my hubby. At that time, I didn't have Lucky and the other 12 birds are not used to being left out of their cages. Everyone got quite a kick out of the "long" list of instructions left behind. Each bird had his/her own paragraph of what they liked to eat and their habits. And the "don't forget to say nighty-night at bedtime" was the real kicker. But what I left is exactly what I do for them. The last sentence read "I better have the same headcount when I come home as I did when I left". Hmmmmm, fat chance! I had four extra peeping sounds coming out the finch nest.....yep, little buggars hatched and I didn't even know they were laying on eggs when I left.

[Janie]

And the "don't forget to say nighty-night at bedtime" was the real kicker

Oh my Lord, I have such a good-night routine for Oliver and it is written down, word for word! :lol I figure that he had no consistency for so many years and now that he has it, he should always have it! :D "Good night sweet boy, sleep tight, sweet boy and, I'll see you in the morning, sweet boy!!!" Because Oliver is an older bird, I am adamant about the "I'll see you in the morning, sweet boy!" I am "willing" him to be there, on his perch, waiting for me every morning! :)

[Buy A Paper Doll]

LOL! I'm so glad I'm not the only one with a nighttime routine for the birds. But here's the funny part - we have not one but TWO nighttime routines in this house because hubby tells them goodnight, too! :lol

[bubble]

i can't believe so many of you have night time routines, i thought i was the only crazy one here.

[kimsbirds]

hahaha....
We have a routine every night before birdiebedtime too. And the cats, and the dogs, and the hamster, and the bunny....
Birdies get chirps and head scritches (those who let me) and a cheery "night night", kitties get treats from the shaker can and a "c'monnnn girls and boyssssss bedtime !!"....doggies get their favorite mats on my floor and a Milkbone as well as a good rubbin', and hamster gets 2 yogurt drop treats, bunnykins gets a new veggie kabob hanging from her cage...and I rub her lil ears a few times...
Hubby sometimes gets scritches or an ear-rubbin too....hehehe
K

[Angelwing]

Janie, what with your new avatar, I keep thinkin' you're Shy!!!

I've only left my birds with my father for a few days at a time. They aren't allowed out, but they are fed and watered properly. This usually happens twice a year, and the max is five days each time, so it's not so bad, I suppose.

All the birdies get good night chirps and kisses (those who let me), the puppies get pats and kisses (and usually a few treats!) and the fish and stick bugs...don't get much of anything. :(

[BarbieH]

My birdies' bedtime routine includes a song:

Good night my little birdies, good night.
Good night my little birdies, good night!
Good night my little birdies, good night, good night.
Good night my little birdies, good night!

It's sung while the cages are covered up. Sammy has his own routine; he comes out and snuggles up my bathrobe sleeve for about an hour before he's returned to his cozy. :) He gets very upset if he thinks I will pass up his routine.

Neko, our cat, takes me to bed around 11 o'clock. I snuggle her while watching a little more TV. There's nothing like a drowzy cat to put you to sleep!

[Janie]

Janie, what with your new avatar, I keep thinkin' you're Shy!!!

Lisa, the secret is out.....I am Shy!!!!! :rofl: Yep, but without the brain power or creative gene! :D First time I saw my new avatar, I thought they were Shy's birds, too! Then I saw that tiny bit of "yeller" on that beautiful little peachie and knew that was my boy, Oliver. I told Shy that I wanted an avatar like hers so she did that for me. All the way from Canada to Atlanta! I've sent her so many photos of my birds that she used what she had. :D

Why am I not surprised that we all have our special night time routines? We're not nuts....just good lovie parents! :whistle: Well, maybe we are a little bit nuts! :lol

[Angelwing]

Lisa, the secret is out.....I am Shy!!!!! :rofl: Yep, but without the brain power or creative gene! :D First time I saw my new avatar, I thought they were Shy's birds, too! Then I saw that tiny bit of "yeller" on that beautiful little peachie and knew that was my boy, Oliver. I told Shy that I wanted an avatar like hers so she did that for me. All the way from Canada to Atlanta! I've sent her so many photos of my birds that she used what she had. :D

Heheh, maybe we should all have birdie divided avatars. :cool:

When I used to put the covers on the cages at night, all little birdies ceased to sing. Ever since I got Kali and Trixie, though, this is not the case. They sing until I tell them to 'shhh'. And they sing as soon as it gets light out. I'll never sleep in again (gotta get me some earplugs...).

[Z28Taxman]

Of course there's a night time routine here. When Ditto's light shuts off he'll sit quietly on his perch for a few minutes waiting for me to come over (he won't go to bed without his night night routine). If I fell asleep on the couch he'll yell at me after a few minutes of darkness.

Then it's time for scritches and he'll put his beak between the bars and make kissey noises. Then when I cover the cage and say night night he gives 2 quick chirps and it's into the happy hut for half an hour of beak grinding as he drifts off to sleep. :cool:

[Mummieeva]

I will be going away for a week in April and am all ready writing a list. My birds come out daily but my brother could not deal with birdy rounding up.lol. SO I am just leaving a 3 page list for him.:rofl: Plus I will make up birdy bread for him to leave in their cages. I am worried too but I have to go to this wedding:cry:

Steph