Going on a trip

[kaylee]

I have a sun conure, his name is Sunny. Sunny and I are very close. Next year I have a choice to go to Germany and I really want to... but I also really don't want to because of Sunny. What if Sunny gets depressed without me and dies!!! or what if he forgets about me... I don't know if I should go or not because of these reasons, and I really don't know if I should because I love Sunny and I don't want anything bad happen to him. Also, I could keep him with my mom but she works and will not be able to give him that much attention.

Also, I spend a lot of my day with Sunny. When I have school, I wake up in the morning, hang out with him, put him in his cage, and then when I come home I hang out with him again. In the summer, I wake up and get him out and then at night I put him to bed. The only time I'm not with him is when I leave the house or go outside.

Is there anything I could do? like prep him for me leaving so it doesn't hit him as hard... Im planning on buying him a bigger cage, should I get him more toys?

 

[IndySE]

How long is the trip ? A week or two might not be terrible for the little guy.

I think the best thing you can do is teach him how to play independently. If he's almost always with you, he might not know how to play on his own. Teach him how to play with his toys (i.e. treat if you touch it, treat if you chew on it, etc.), and then progressively leave him alone longer and longer. Ideally he'll start playing with his toys. Also, get new toys for him often, especially foraging toys since those really challenge a bird's mind. It's also fun to make them and hide treats in creative places !

Best of luck !

 

[kaylee]

How long is the trip ? A week or two might not be terrible for the little guy.

I think the best thing you can do is teach him how to play independently. If he's almost always with you, he might not know how to play on his own. Teach him how to play with his toys (i.e. treat if you touch it, treat if you chew on it, etc.), and then progressively leave him alone longer and longer. Ideally he'll start playing with his toys. Also, get new toys for him often, especially foraging toys since those really challenge a bird's mind. It's also fun to make them and hide treats in creative places !

Best of luck !

The trip is 3 weeks long. thank you for replying.

 

[DoubleTake]

Sunny should be fine for 3 weeks, although he may or may not be upset wit you when he first sees you after being gone for that long. I would just make sure whoever is taking care of him is dependable.

I have a two and half week vacation coming up at the end of the year and will be dropping my 3 suns at a local bird store that has a boarding room. So they'll get to watch the disney channel all day and I know their at least basic needs are met.

 

[BoomBoom]

I understand how you feel! First, I'd start to introduce Sunny to your mom so that he will not go in complete shock when you are gone for 3 weeks. Also write down a detailed list of Sunny's daily routine. This will also lessen the stress on the bird because they thrive on routine. Write this down on a paper to be taped right by his cage or the refrigerator door. Also make another list of his diet and make sure to include what NOT to feed him.

How about hooking up a monitor and camera by his cage? There are aps that let you activate the camera remotely so you can communicate any time. Birds do respond to the images on the screen and they can certainly recognize your voice. That way, he knows you are alive and able to 'visit' him. Birds don't understand the concept of vacations and to them their flockmate has been eaten by a predator or was lost in the wild.

 

[wrench13]

You need to tell Sunny that you will be gone for 3 weeks , not to worry and that you will be back. Seriously. Tell him several times, over a couple of days before you leave. It will greatly reduce the "I'm pissed off at you" phase of your reunion. Parrots don't understand what 3 weeks are (some do), but Sunny understands more then you think.

 

[takito]

On a few occasions when I was "out of town", when I called home, which was daily,
my wife would hold the phone close to the young conrues, and I would talk to them,
they all ways got very excited, and responded, she said it made them very happy, and after
I had talked to them, they settled down, and went to sleep, generally it was late evening when
I would call, it also helped me to hear them, the same as it is all ways nice to talk to my wife
as well, when I am away I miss her, but also miss the parrots as well.
When I got back, there was no anger or anything with the parrots, they were real happy to
see me,..
They do understand a lot of what we say, I would tell them hello, how are you, don't worry I will be back soon, I am fine, things like that,... of course a I love you, when the conversation ended, and my wife took the phone back, My wife said, they still would get as close to her and the phone as they could, trying to listen to what else I said, she would keep the speaker on so they could
hear.
For one bird , alone,... well it may be a little harder for him, it might help a lot to have your mother put him where he can see the TV, and leave it on, does he like TV, ?,... at least it would be some entertainment, during the day while she is at work.
I am sure he will be fine though.
When I went away, what had been planned to be 2 weeks, turned into 5 weeks, because of some
complications, and if it were not for the phone calls, who knows, but they certainly did not forget me, they were so happy to see me when I got back, lots of "kisses" climbing all over me, nibbles, not bites like when they are angry,.... kind of like checking me out to make sure it was really me.
One thing, note that odd really, I have seen the same with very young kids as well, for a few weeks after I returned, they would get pretty upset when ever I went out the door, and did not take them with me,...before they had not been like that.
The same occurred with my son, (now grown up and married) years ago when he was about 3 years old, I had gone to the US to work, and of course I called home regularly, and would say hi , etc on the phone,.. When I got back , 6 months later, he was very happy, but
for several days he would start crying and get very upset when ever I went any where with out him, seems like for a while they are afraid you are going to leave again, but after a while they forget it, or get over it, and regain the confidence that you will return shortly. Both the parrots and my kid did get back to normal after I was home again and several days had gone by.

 

[CarolineRose]

We have two conures, a sun and a green cheek. My husband is from a different country, and we went on a month long trip to visit his family. I was really concerned about the birds, but my mom was gracious enough to take care of them for us. I think the important thing is to not leave your bird with a stranger, and if you can have someone that you trust take care of him in the familiar setting of your home that may be best. If not, look into having him boarded at an avian vet's office. They understand your parrot's need for enrichment and would take good care of him, but it may be pricey. Before we left our birds, we had my parents over to do training sessions with them to make sure everything was comfortable with the situation. Even if your mom isn't able to let Sunny out as much as he is used to, she may be able to do some short training sessions while he is in his cage to offer some stimulation. I would also say that I'm not sure it would be a good idea to move him to a new cage too close to when you'll be leaving. A new cage, while it may be an upgrade, is still an adjustment and may cause a lot of stress. He should get new toys pretty frequently, though. Whatever you decide, he won't forget you! Birds have great memories and he may be a little annoyed with you, but he'll be glad to have you back. Our guys didn't actually seem to miss us and didn't skip a beat when we got back. Good luck!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I think that so far you've received a lot of good tips. Nothing I can really add other than agreeing with a lot of the tips. I do think early preparation is ideal.

I would not last three weeks away from Skittles. lol. Maybe he would, but I wouldn't.

I was away from him for five hours last week (the longest time so far) and I barely made it through.

 

[SailBoat]

Traveling is much easier today then ever before. The costs of international calls is very reasonable. Plus, the wide availability of Smart Phones assure face to face communication from anywhere in the World! Note: Data is expensive, so shut data services off when you do not need it!!!!

As my good friend (Salty's Dad) stated, start with telling your Parrot that you will be going away and you will be back and yes, state the length of time you will be gone. Lots of will miss and I will be back before you leave really does help. And, use your Smart Phone!!!

FYI: Let your Credit Card carrier and your Mobile carrier know you will be traveling. With the Mobile carrier talk to them early on, some phones cannot connect outside of North America. Most all Smart Phones will, but it worth checking several weeks before you go!!! Know how much Data costs before you leave!!!

Call your Credit Card carrier a least a couple of days before hand. Provide both with as much information about where you will be not only Country's but cities, towns, etc... Also, Hotels you will be staying with.

Carry the phone number international contact for your Credit Cards written down! So, if they shut the card down or you loss it, you can contact them. VERY COMMON! And, if you are making a big purchase, call prior to buying!!!

Travel Smart, Travel Safe!

 

[flyingron]

We've had Bacca (Quaker) boarded. In one aviary, they put her in a room with about 30 other pets being boarded. It's amusing that they pick up things from each other in that environment. We called it sending her to camp.

We moved, our current boarder is actually a dog/cat kennel and they keep her in the staff lounge where she can interact with the humans (they also have a Cockatoo). It took her the second trip there before she got accepting of it.

We put her in the car or plane and take her with us when we can.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I left my Sun Conure Ollie for 3 weeks about 2 months ago and he quickly recovered and we were back to normal in a day or 2. While I was gone though he decided he hated vegetables and won't change his mind. I'm working on it... so don't be surprised if something weird like that happens. I did as suggested and told him I'd be away and I'd taken two smaller week long trips before that so me leaving him for 3 weeks wasn't the 1st time. I'd advise you to go but set aside extra time to spend with him before and after the trip.