Do you ever feel quilty...

TacoNTiki

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May 27, 2015
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Calgary, AB, Canada
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Taco: female cinnamon pearl cockatiel - hatched: ~September 2013, Gotcha date: Nov 29th, 2013
Tiki: Male yellow-sided green cheek conure - hatched April 10th, 2015, Gotcha date May 24, 2015
... When you have a long day at work and then after work activities with your child that keeps you out until after supper. Then when you get home you only have an hour with your fids before having to lock them up for bedtime?

Today was one of those days and I work tomorrow too. So only 10-20 minutes in the morning of out of cage time to play and so I can change food/water dish and wipe cages up and then off to work again.

I am so glad they have each other even though they are in separate cages. I keep telling myself that it is good to have them entertain themselves and not get too used to being out with us 12 plus hours everyday for those days when "life" keeps us away from home. But I can't help but feel like I let them down being locked up all day.
 

Puck

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Mar 8, 2015
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I do feel quill-ty when this happens, and a little guilty, too. ;) I am lucky since I work from home and so my pets get to spend plenty of time with me, but on days when I have to be gone all day I do feel bad. But I just remind myself that every now and then there are rainy days where we humans are stuck in our houses and we survive. They will too! :)
 

Dinosrawr

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Aug 15, 2013
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Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Avery, a GCC born on March 5th, 2013 & Shiko, a blue IRN born on February 25th, 2014
Yup - definitely agree. I feel guilty too when it happens, and sometimes I even let them stay up late to make up for that lost time. That's why I'm really quite excited to do a renovation soon... we're building a room specifically for the birds so that they can be out all day without us being worried about enough time out.

But I agree with Puck - they will survive!
 

Hawk

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5 Parrots, 8 year old Blue-fronted Amazon, 2 1/2 yr. old African Grey, 2 3/4 year old Senegal. 5 month old ekkie, 5 month old Albino parakeet. Major Mitchell Cockatoo, passed away at age 68.
I've had to do that in the past, and heck yeah, sometime times there is very little time with them before it's nite nite.....BUT they have their own room where there main cages are. They are never locked in their cages, ever. (Except for a time out if they get cocky or an attitude, which now is very rare...they learned it better to behave). Their room has a radio, and tv...Both safely built into cabinet so they don't mess with it. They have their toy chest ( 2 of them ) they can rummage thru if they get bored with their cage toys and radio, TV, or playing with one another.
 
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TacoNTiki

TacoNTiki

New member
May 27, 2015
263
0
Calgary, AB, Canada
Parrots
Taco: female cinnamon pearl cockatiel - hatched: ~September 2013, Gotcha date: Nov 29th, 2013
Tiki: Male yellow-sided green cheek conure - hatched April 10th, 2015, Gotcha date May 24, 2015
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I've had to do that in the past, and heck yeah, sometime times there is very little time with them before it's nite nite.....BUT they have their own room where there main cages are. They are never locked in their cages, ever. (Except for a time out if they get cocky or an attitude, which now is very rare...they learned it better to behave). Their room has a radio, and tv...Both safely built into cabinet so they don't mess with it. They have their toy chest ( 2 of them ) they can rummage thru if they get bored with their cage toys and radio, TV, or playing with one another.

Wow, lucky birds. Maybe one day they will have their own room and never have to be locked up in their cages, but right now they are stuck in their cage while a work part time. Our daughter is very active after school and twice a week I go straight to her skip class after work and don't even get to go home to see the fids. My husband is home from 1:00pm on but the fids don't like him and he is not fond of them since they hate him. They are totally my daughter and my fids.
 

Birdman666

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Sep 18, 2013
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San Antonio, TX
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Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
I don't feel guilty about it. I do something to "make it up to them" the next day that I can... and that seems to make it okay. Dad's just really busy today, but that means I'll get extra tomorrow...

Feeling guilty about it does nothing constructive.

We all have lives...
 

ruffledfeathers

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Aug 23, 2012
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Gilbert Oliver, Blue Crown Conure; Georgie, Sun Conure (2/8/01-8/8/12) RIP little girl; Percy, budgie 1993-1999. RIP Pepito-spanish timbrado canary
Well I feel a little bad but I think somehow they understand how much they are loved. I try to give quality when there is a lack of quantity time. And Gil doesn't seem bored at all.
I think he is most bothered by the change in season and not being outside a lot, not my work schedule. haha Gil is very much a 'go downtown and see the sights and mingle' bird so he gets bratty when he is home with just us. Mr. Party Animal. ha
 

Kyoto

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Mar 18, 2015
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Halifax, NS, Canada
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Kyoto (AKA Kyo)-Green Cheek Conure
Charlie - Canary
Tommy - Budgie
Sunny - budgie
Ditto!! Sometimes I have to go to the studio after work, and I just manage to steal the car for a few hours to go home and give Kyo some loving… She is obviously very cranky the next day, but she will usually forgive me by the evening if I give her extra one on one time.

Now today, I don't work tomorrow so I thought hey, I'll go up after bed time and give her extra loving… Well, she cussed me out for waking her, grumbled at me, and then hid behind her blanket (it's a little fleecy tent over a perch). Guess she didn't want any extra mommy time today :p Princess Kyoto has to have her beauty rest!
 

SilverSage

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Sep 14, 2013
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Columbus, GA
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Eclectus, CAG, BH Pionus, Maximilian’s Pionus, Quakers, Indian Ringnecks, Green Cheeked Conures, Black Capped Conures, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Budgies, Canaries, Diamond Doves, Zebra Finches, Society F
I do sometimes, because sometimes we just have those days! And certain members of my flock can't be out at the same time as certain other birds (but getting better, thank God), and my poor dog is very high energy and we no longer have a yard for him. But then I think back to those times when j was a kid and my parents didn't have time for me; I still knew I was loved, I had plenty of toys, I had my brothers and sisters, I had yummy food, I was safe, and I understood my place in the world. So sometimes we don't get to give as much love as we would like, but in a lifespan of 30-90 years, we will give them plenty of love :)
 

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