Thinking about renting a room, but paranoid about Jenga being kidnapped.

[Zumaria]

Hey guys!

So, I'm probably just being paranoid because I love Jenga so much and can't imagine life without her, but I'm thinking about renting an extra room in my apartment (my old roommate moved out). Not as an ongoing or long term lease, but for people who are visiting the city for events or just passing through. Who couldn't use the money, I'd like to meet some new people and I'm also very proud of living in Chicago and want to help other people experience it like I do.

Now, I think most people are just people - 99% of us wouldn't even thinking about stealing someone else's bird (or even stuff) in a B&B type setting, but I'm also worried that I'll get the ONE nutjob that would - and I've heard stories of people whos birds were, or were attempted, stolen.

Has anyone ever done anything like this? If so, have you ever had any issues?

There is a bit of a screening process, both for me and the people I would be matched with (this is airb&b by the way).

My plan would be that if I'm home, she's out and about per usual. If I'm not I lock her cage (I do this anyway) with a padlock that has a cord like bike chains do that has the outter wrapping to prevent it from being cut. Also, I don't have anything in the house that could cut it.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

 

[lquan]

First of all, how big is your CAG's cage? Can it be easy rolled out the door and down the stairs? Can it fit inside a car easily? If not, then don't worry.

Even thieves, no matter how dumb they are, they will be intimidate with the beak size on the CAG if they are thinking of grabbing the bird without a cage. Unless they want to loose a finger!

Even a little parrot like my GCC, she would not let anyone pick her up beside people in her family. Heck, I have to lock my GCC up when we are expecting strangers in our home. If she deems the stranger is bad, she will attack and draw blood.

 

[thekarens]

Your other option is to roll her cage into a room that can be locked while you're gone.

 

[Kalidasa]

You'll be able to weed out the weirdos. If you don't feel 100% comfortable with someone around your bird then don't let them be an option. I'm sure you'll find the right person, and whether your parrot likes them or not, it's still enrichment, something new.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I agree, if you aren't 100% sure don't do it.

Personally I would never rent out a room to strangers, I'd interview several people until I found the perfect person to be a long term room mate. And even then, I'd have to hang out with that person a lot before deciding on the room or not.

 

[Zumaria]

I literally laughed out loud about can the cage be easily rolled out and the answer is HELL NO.

Her cage is giant. I had to take off the bedroom door, the inner frame, the door hinges, buy a special saw for cutting metal and mutilate her cage to take off the extra hooks, hinges and things to even get it in her room. I am never moving again.

This wouldn't be long term - just for a weekend or a few nights - and the guests have references from other people they have stayed with before. I also have a good intuition and am willing to be like GTFO if I'm not comfortable.

I do also think that her bite could be intimidating. She's adorable and all but man, when she is scared or angry I wouldn't want to be around her scissory face.

I just wanted to know if anyone else had ever tried anything like this and what precautions they took or if there were problems.

Thanks guys for your feedback

 

[Mike17]

I've stayed at quite a few B&Bs around Australia and they all have a section which is private. More difficult for you though, in an apartment, but if the cage is big and solid, and you're happy with prospective guests, it should be fine. I've just booked a B&B in Tasmania, and apart from the fact it's a heritage-listed building, one of the attractions was the peacocks and other birds wandering the yard (no parrots, unfortunately).

 

[goalerjones]

The cage isn't an issue. A thief will towel the bird, put it into a pillowcase or something similar and leave. They're not worried about the cage.

 

[MomtoPercy]

I'd be petrified of leaving my birds 'unprotected' in my house with strangers running around. But then, I have trust issues. I wouldn't trust strangers around my 'stuff' either .

Back to the bird though - I agree that Jenga will bite the daylights out of someone attempting to grab her and the thief will hopefully be driven off. My concern however is for the stress she will go through with a stranger first breaking into her cage and then manhandling her! I would recommend you lock her in a closed off section if you're not home. I would also install a motion activated alarm in that area (but I AM a bit manic )

 

[Zumaria]

Momto,

I feel ya. If I'm not home, her room is being taped and I can log in with my phone or a computer at any time and watch her. My coworkers think I'm crazy because I always have a tiny feed window up while I'm at work lol!

Thanks guys for the feedback!

 

[Turk]

I would not.

Years ago I was renting a room for a week to friend of a friend who was in town visiting. I returned home from work to find this guy and some girl he met throwing peanuts, crackers and whatever at my bird from across the room. They literally threw 100's of items at the poor thing.

There are many, many idiots out there!

 

[MomtoPercy]

I would not.

Years ago I was renting a room for a week to friend of a friend who was in town visiting. I returned home from work to find this guy and some girl he met throwing peanuts, crackers and whatever at my bird from across the room. They literally threw 100's of items at the poor thing.

There are many, many idiots out there!

You see? That right there, THAT is why I wouldn't trust anyone near my birds except my immediate family!

 

[CassMarie]

Momto,

I feel ya. If I'm not home, her room is being taped and I can log in with my phone or a computer at any time and watch her. My coworkers think I'm crazy because I always have a tiny feed window up while I'm at work lol!

Thanks guys for the feedback!

Wow that is so interesting! How did you create a setup like that where you can see your birds through your computer while at work? I would love to do something like that!

 

[Zumaria]

Turk I would have beat that guy. Maybe a good lock for the door? I'm still rolling it over in my head.

Cass, I use a website called "ustream" and got a membership. It allows me to both stream and record at the same time. Then, when I'm at work I just go to the link and watch. They also have an app so I can view from a mobile phone or tablet so I can check on her if I'm commuting. I use an HD webcam that I bought to watch her. It has motion detection so it follows movement. It's plugged into a desktop PC that I have in her room that's always running like a server. I can also remote into the computer if I want to change her music. I also pause it throughout the day so she can have some quiet for napping and we can skype

Maybe my coworkers are right....I'm obsessed

 

[strudel]

I wouldn't worry. The chances of getting somebody who knows enough to want to take your bird, or knows enough to have a market for it lined up would be fairly slim, I would think. I wouldn't let them have unsupervised access for the reasons Turk mentioned. You'd also need to have decent liability insurance if you are going to let them interact with the bird at all. Yes, it could happen, but it could also happen with your meter-reader or some other person allowed into your home. If the people are screened and provide authenticated information as to identity and normal place of residence, they'd have to be pretty stupid to do anything. The cops would be on their doorstep within minutes of them going back home.

 

[lquan]

CassMarie, you can use www.logmein.com to remotely control your home PC or laptop. The first 10 PCs are free! You need to have Skype installed on both PCs. When at work, go to LogMeIn, remotely activate Skype on your home PC. Then Skype your home PC from work, through LogMeIn, you can answer Skype on you home PC. If Skype from your home PC goes offline, as it oftenly does, activate it again from LogMeIn window.

You have becareful to log off and don't store your LogMeIn password on your work PC. If you left your work PC on, someone can use it to gain access your home PC.

Through LogMeIn, you can also access your work PC from home.

Don't worry about your home PC going to sleep mode. Through LogMeIn, you can wake it up. Once LogMeIn has access to your home PC, it won't let your home PC go to sleep.

 

[Zumaria]

Exactly what lquan said!

Thanks all for the feedback

 

[Mayden]

Think of all the aerosols, the potential danger foods that get given in good will as a treat, etc. I'd recommend a lock on the cage (we have one on our birds travel cages when out, we don't trust people not to try!) but you can't be there to supervise the entire time.

I know if someone has a pet at a place I'm staying at, I'll want to interact with it as much as possible, but some people are ignorant to their 'needs' and might cause harm when not meaning to.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

If u rent for a da or two every now and then, do u have a local trusted friend or family that jenga can hang out at their house when u cant be home? Or, only rent when u will be able to arrange for u or someone else to be in your place during rental stays.

 

[Zumaria]

I do have people that would be willing to do that for me if I were out of town or something, but for people staying here two days it wouldn't be worth the trouble. I live in Chicago and don't have a car (rent one for vet visits etc.) and would have to lug a cage over there - her travel cage isn't large enough to be humane for several days worth of living.

I'll play it by ear. I think everyone has raised some good points! Frankly, my apartment isn't super decadent so I'm not sure who would be super interested in staying here, but if someone was I wouldn't say no to $60/night!