I leave my bird alone for a weekend: what can I expect?

You will be brought at the time of preparing your small weekend to deal with the place of your birds and especially their possible guard. We are going to be able to bring you here some elements of answers which will allow you to leave more serenely in weekend.

In order to answer a maximum of questions that you could ask yourself, we will first of all try to determine if it is necessary or not to keep your birds, but also what to foresee in the cases where the guard is not necessary.

We will also dwell on the issue of the birds’ environment and the positioning of the cage to ensure the good health of your birds. The layout of the cage is also a necessary step to occupy your birds, which must be arranged on a regular basis to keep your birds occupied in your presence or absence. A few brands and products will be presented to you to help you make your choice when you need to purchase the necessary accessories.

I’m leaving for a few days, should I have my birds looked after?

This formula is certainly vast because we can hear 2 days as well as 10 days. In any case we will consider here that you leave for a weekend that we will establish over a maximum of 4 days. Once this duration is established, when we talk about “weekend” from now on, you will have to hear a maximum of 4 days.

Concerning the behavior of birds in general, it is important to know that birds are relatively independent animals and therefore do not necessarily need the presence of man at their side to live. Our presence as well as our absence is therefore not a particular source of anguish or despair for the birds. You will find that even a bird that you have managed to tame, which will be attached to you, will keep its instincts and will be totally capable of living alone or within a group of congeners. They therefore adapt very easily to the situations in which they find themselves, on the condition that you have prepared carefully for your departure.

As for the care of your birds, you should know that it is not necessary and that they can easily stay alone for a week on the condition that they have the essential elements to live: water and food. They will be able to stay alone for a weekend without you having to worry. In fact, there is no more risk when you are away than when you are present. You will indeed notice that you do not take care of your birds every day and therefore they can do without your presence for a few days. You will therefore have to choose, when you prepare your weekend if you want to have your birds looked after or if you want to leave them alone.

Note however that there is a difference between a bird alone and a group of birds. Birds present in an aviary live in groups, not to say in a community – if not in pairs when there are two of them – and are therefore always interacting with each other. Birds living in groups can therefore easily be left alone for a week without fear, whereas birds alone, used to seeing humans, could be bored once 3 or 4 days of the weekend have passed. If your weekend is longer than 4 days and you have only one bird, consider having a friend or family member look after it. If necessary, try to get someone to come to your home to check on your bird to see if it is okay and allow it to see someone.

In summary: you can leave your birds alone without worrying about them as long as you guarantee them enough subsidies to last until you return.

I have decided to leave my birds alone, what should I do for my birds?

When you’re about to go away for the weekend, think about taking care of your dear pets. Always keep in mind that the most important thing is, as for humans, not to run out of water. Your birds can go a few days without food, but it will be very difficult for them to go several days without water, which could lead to their death.

So before you leave, remember to fill their water trough as much as possible, and if you have a second one you can put it on for safety. Indeed, you are not safe from a possible leak or other problem that would lead ipso facto to the loss of all the water without your knowledge. This would be highly damaging. A simple cup of water, placed high up, can also do the trick and you are certain that it will not leak. Opt for a stainless steel bowl that you can perch by attaching it to the bars. Caution: do not place a bowl of water on the ground because it will be quickly soiled by droppings or by your birds swimming.

As for food, fill one bowl per bird to ensure good rations for each until you return. These rations should allow your birds to last at least until your return, and even more in cases where you would be detained during your weekend. So think bigger and think that your birds will be able to regulate themselves and will not consume all their food in one take.

A little extra to make sure that your birds will not lack anything. You can install cereal bars, which come in the form of small perches that you simply have to hang on the bars of your cage so that your birds can come and peck. You can also place various treats in the cage and scatter them around so that they can last for a while without being eaten too quickly. You can also have a special fruit range, in which you will put everything that is fresh: fruits and vegetables.

Once you’ve taken these precautions for food and water, you can be sure that your birds won’t have any worries about food and water. We do not recommend that you buy special accessories for food as birds are relatively rational animals that are able to regulate themselves, unlike dogs for example. Your usual feeding bowls may be sufficient, if they can hold enough food for the duration of your weekend.

I am afraid that my bird will get bored… What can I do?

Birds can very well live without human presence, but it is true that for subjects living totally alone, it is more difficult for them to get used to this temporary solitude, especially if they are used to always see animation around them: noises, passages, lights, animals… They can quickly lose their habits. So there are two attitudes to adopt concerning the environment of your birds.

If you have several birds, be aware that they are self-sufficient and do not need a particular environment. You do not have to take any particular precautions regarding light or possible noises showing your activity. They will be able to take care of themselves and maintain their own discussions.

On the other hand, the situation can be difficult if you have only one bird. Accustomed to being with you it could be lost in the first few moments of your departure. This is why you can arrange its environment a few hours a day to show it that it is not alone. If your bird is in the living room, program your TV to turn on for 10 minutes every two or three hours of the day so that your pet can have light and sound as usual. If necessary, a simple radio will suffice on the same programmer system. This will allow your bird to feel a presence in the house. This is certainly not obligatory because some of them adapt very well and even appreciate these moments of “tranquility”. You must adapt to your pet’s behaviour.

I have several birds and I don’t want my birds to be bored in my absence?

Whether you are present or not, your birds can be bored in their cage. Since not all birds can fly as they would like to, they often need to spend their time in another way. For this reason, we advise you to adapt your bird’s cage to its needs and activities. They are certainly flying animals, but they also need physical activities with their legs or beak.

You can therefore provide your animals with several useful, or at least pleasant, accessories to keep them occupied while you are away.

The first of these is a swing. Very rare are the birds that do not like these very pleasant little accessories that you just have to attach to the top of the cage. They will very quickly try to take advantage of it and swing on it. This activity is certainly simple, but it will allow your birds to find a game in their cage.

As for games, you can install several of them in your cage and think that everything that is colorful, bright and noisy is likely to interest your birds. In pet stores, you can find small ropes attached to a bell. This will allow your birds to hold on to it, while playing with the bell which will be of particular interest to them. You can also shape these ropes by placing ladders of such a kind that your birds can jump from one to the other.

Very narcissistic, most birds like to look at themselves in a mirror. Perhaps basic, installing a mirror in your cage (you can find some in pet stores) will allow your birds to take care of themselves for a little while every day. This is mainly useful if your bird is alone. He will then have the impression to have one of his fellow birds at his side.
Finally, concerning the comfort of your birds, we would advise you to install a bathtub either suspended or on the ground to allow your birds to bathe. Generally very fond of baths, they will be able to take advantage of their free time to bathe. If you have a couple, also think of installing a nest because you never know, eggs could be laid during your absence.

Apart from these few accessories that will allow your birds to have fun, we do not recommend the purchase of other accessories that would be superfluous.

Where to install my cage before leaving?

Before leaving, be careful not to install your birds near too bright light rays or air currents. In both cases, this could be detrimental to your birds, which, locked in their cage, would not be able to escape the climatic conditions.

Therefore, do not place your birds too close to windows that may be poorly insulated or to a heating system in winter that would overheat your room and be harmful to your birds. Make sure, however, that the room temperature remains pleasant for your birds.

Finally, concerning light, try to let some light rays filter through your shutters so that your birds are not in total darkness for 4 days. If you own an aquarium, do not hesitate to put your birds in the same room.

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