do birds think you abandon them when you leave for a couple of days?

[analliecat]

i know this is a silly question but i’m very curious. i recently had to unexpectedly leave the country due to my grandmother’s death. my cag was left with a friend, who cared for her grandmother’s for ten years and my gcc is with my friend, who has several. my cats are being cared for by my dad, so they’ll notice my absence but they know my dad and are still home. my birds had to go in a carrier, move their cage, and go to another home and i worry that they may think i’ve abandoned them.

 

[Lady Jane]

That's a great question I wish we had an answer to. Only the bird can tell us!

 

[Icey]

Just my opinon from what I've seen with my birds.
Hubby and I went on holiday last month and left the birds at home where they feel secure and had his son-in-law come to feed them.
When we got back Bebe had been plucking herself. Her feathers were all over the bottom of the cage. So in my opinion, yes they feel abandoned.

 

[Brittany0208]

Probably, but it really depends on the bird. If I step out of the room for a second, or even think about stepping out of the room, Java starts screaming like someone's trying to pluck him.

 

[Clueless]

My amazons greet me excitedly when we return from vacation.

 

[RawPasta]

My hahn's macaw was sooooooo pissed at me when I went away for a 3 day weekend. My husband stayed home and cared from him and my nanday conure. My conure was fine when I returned but my macaw was aggressive for weeks. He eventually calmed down.
It depends on the bird.

 

[JLcribber]

Flocks are together every minute of every day. Without the flock there is no life. A bird without its flock is doomed.

"Any" time away from the flock causes stress and anxiety. This is an instinctual response. So yes they feel abandoned because they have no reason to believe they weren't abandoned.

 

[Begone]

Flocks are together every minute of every day. Without the flock there is no life. A bird without its flock is doomed.

"Any" time away from the flock causes stress and anxiety. This is an instinctual response. So yes they feel abandoned because they have no reason to believe they weren't abandoned.

And this is also my answer.

 

[Max83]

That's one of the reasons I don't like holidays...I'm pretty sure that yes, they feel abandoned. No one can explain them you'll return.

 

[Shezbug]

I had to leave Burt for one night and two days and he stayed home with my adult kids (we all live together). His routine was the same, food was the same, everything was the same except that I was not home. When I got home he was excited to see me but was not very happy with me and he let it be known. He was a little agro with me for a while after I returned and I even got the cold shoulder for a little while. I think it does bother them, I can not say if it is abandonment, confusion or stress but it definitely affects them.

 

[hrafn]

The first time I went camping after I got Kraz, he was absolutely furious with me for a good two weeks after I came back home. My cousins were looking after him and said he was sullen and quiet the whole weekend while I was gone, and when I came back (before he started giving me heIl) he was dancing for joy to see me again.

They do get over it. Your babies won't hate or lose faith in you, they may just be miffed for a while. Or they may just be happy you're home!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

My birds are not happy when we leave, but they have someone come in who keeps their routine mostly the same and gives them out of cage time. They are very happy when we get back, but sometimes they let us know their disappointment. We are never gone for more than a week, and they know that we are coming back, so I don’t think my birds think we abandoned them, but only because they are used to it. The first time they probably did think that I guess.

 

[LSA]

They do get over it. Your babies won't hate or lose faith in you, they may just be miffed for a while. Or they may just be happy you're home!

Because of location, I've had to go away for multiple weekends. They're familiar with their "babysitter."
When I get home, I get the cold shoulder, but arrange to spend several hours with each on my return.
What I've learned is two things:
1) Make sure the birds know your housesitter and vice versa;
2) Leave regularly so they know you're coming back.

 

[Lodah]

One of the reasons why we thought long and hard about caring for Pilo! We knew our vacations away were gone (without him) and lots of other factors of life’s little luxuries! A few days away due to emergency is always on the cards... but other than that we are home bodies! There is usually one of us at home with him and I know if his routine changes, Pilo will give us the miffed one eyed stink! They don’t really know why we are not there, but they know if something changes!

 

[Leiura]

I'm pretty lucky with my tiel. He knows my parents since he grew up with them and is ok with them bird watching. We take a month long vacation every year to visit the in-laws and when we come back he's happy to see us and doesn't hold a grudge. Lol.
He's one of the most chill birds I've ever come across.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[enigma731]

My tiels have never reacted that way, probably because I work to socialize them with my friends/family. So even if I have to go away, they're cared for by people they love and know. Even if we don't plan to travel, it's unrealistic to think we never will. So it's worth preparing them, just like we would with syringe training or carrier training etc. I also think the more times we come and go, the more they get used to the idea that it's only temporary.

 

[nu2birds]

Twice I've left mine with the breeder for five days............at the breeders there are many other birds so they see and hear the other birds, when they come home they "flock call"for days, I attribute that to them coming home to just me after being with a jungle of birds for a week, LOL. It's sort of reverse for them........my birds are mad because they had to come home, LOL

 

[LSA]

That's the best answer yet!

 

[Dartman]

Nerd used to give me the talk to the tail treatment after we'd come back from vacations, Lurch never experienced me leaving for longer periods, Dobby went to a highly reviewed bird boarder just down the street and had a great time hanging out with all the different birds and causing trouble. When we got back he was very happy to see us and wanted extra attention but was otherwise just fine. I think having a whole new flock to hang out and play with made it like a mini vacation for him to make new friends.