Special Summer Care for Your Parrot
Along with the pleasures of the season, summer also brings special problems and risks. Most people take at least a short summer vacation which frequently involves travel. Your parrot is better off at home or temporarily living with a friendly host than he would he on any lengthy journey with you. Before you make any housing commitment went for your parrot you should consider certain important aspects of the home in which he will temporarily live.
If possible, try to arrange a reciprocal arrangement with another parrot owner: he takes your bird when you go on vacation and vice versa. Such an individual will have some knowledge of parrots as well as a liking fur these unusual birds and this gives your pet immediate advantage. Food and care in such a household will also be a cut above average (for patio.) and this will help make up for the temporary separation. If you have any doubts about the type of care your bird is going to receive, it would he a good idea to check on the cleanliness of the cage of the resident parrot as well as the contents of the food and water dishes. Needless to say, home with a parrot or any other bird who has a running nose or a listless appearance should remove that residence from consideration as a summer resort for your bird.
If you are anxious to have your hookbill stay with a parrot owner but you don’t know any such person, you may be amazed to find how many contacts you can make in your own area by checking at your local pet till, or seed supply store. The parrot ’sub-culture” tends to keep a low profile al present due to the rising incidence of parrot-napping. Thus you may have to expend some energy to find people who share your interest. It is worth the search, however, as parrot people tend to look after their own.
Other possibilities to consider would be pet owners who keep Budgies or other cage birds. ‘These are all individuals who may want to exchange smites with you. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to bird people. Someone who keeps fish, hamsters, or gerbils may also lea likely candidate. Think twice, however, about dog and cat owners. Not every dog or cat is a menace to your parent as these animals to develop some very amicable relationships with parrots but it is unusual and unlikely to develop during a short summer vacation.
Children in the household are another factor to be taken into consideration .fore committing your parrot to summer residency. Very young children pose no problems unless the parents object to the usual morning and evening jungle screams at which parrots excel. Any child capable of walking (but not fully capable of reasoning) may prove a danger to your bird. The apparently harmless, inquisitive act of opening a cage door could mean “bye bye birdie” if a window is open in that room. Very few escaped parrots are ever returned to their original owners.
If you feel you know someone well enough, it is much safer, less traumatic to the parrot and generally easier to have the pet-sitter come to your home instead of bringing the parrot Io his. Big Beak is then in his own familiar surroundings and you need not worry about any ‘treats to his safety from other animals or from children. A light should be left on and it would also be humane to have a clock radio , if you have one, set to go on and off instead of remaining on, constantly. The light should also to on a timing device as the parrot will not sleep soundly if the light is constantly on.
One approach always open to you is to have your bird boarded by your local pet shop or veterinarian. This has the advantage of generally guaranteeing that the people who care for your pet will be relatively knowledgable and quick to spot any problems. The disadvantage of this approach is the possible exposure to other birds who may be infected with a contagious condition.
Regardless of who cares for your pet when you are on vacation, remember to simplify the routine of care that you pass along to the pet-sitter. A limited variety of seeds which should include the parrot’s favorites makes for easy feeding. Remind the host that the seed dish should be emptied and refilled every day even if it looks full. Some parrots eat the seeds on the bottom first and what looks like a full dish really isn’t. If your vacation is just a two-or three-week affair, -Mullins, and other additives can be omitted and this will prevent the possibility of the parrot’s water becoming fouled if the weather turns warm and his host or hostess is a little slow in changing his water.
Don’t hestitate to caution the people your parrot stays with about the key factors of parrot keeping. These of course, include food and clean water, absence: or drafts and air conditioning and normal safety precautions to prevent harm from children or pets.