Starting new job soon, worried about my cockatiel

[Emmalyn]

Hello! I have had my cockatiel for a little over a year now. We are very close and bonded. He spends most of his day outside of his cage and with me, except for 3 days a week where I work from 10-6. After I get off, he immediately comes out until he is ready for bed.

I am beginning my last year of grad school and part of that is starting internships. I am beginning an internship this week that is an hour and half away. I will be commuting there 3 days a week and will be gone from early in the morning until 6 pm at night (around the time I will get home). I am then keeping my part time job on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-6pm. I am worried about Potsie (my cockatiel) of not getting enough time with me and getting sad about it. This internship is 8 weeks long..

I was wondering if anyone had any advice or opinions.. Or if he will be okay and stay happy? He is such a happy boy! He sings all day long, has a large floor cage and many toys. He's healthy and bright- I would hate to disrupt anything that would cause him to be unhappy. When I am gone, I leave the radio on for him and my mom comes home during lunch time and says that he sings very loud when home alone. Also-his cage is by my back door so he gets to stay in the sun and look outside while I am at work. I just want to keep him healthy and happy! I am such a worrier when it comes to him.. He's basically my first bird. The last time I had one was about 20 years ago when I was 6.

I have thought about getting him a friend so he doesn't get lonely, but being a grad student, I can really only afford one bird and I live in a small apartment. I am also so attached to Potsie that I don't want our bond to be different if he meets a new friend..

Thanks!

 

[blewin]

Buddy's managed work changes, living arrangement changes, and even other animal changes, and has handled it all okay. The biggest thing is making sure that the quality of your time together doesn't change. You'll be missed, but he'll get used to it.
Maybe leave the TV on as well for entertainment.

 

[HolliDaze]

My cockatoo, Dexter, handled my full time job well. Your tiel should do fine =)

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Can your mom visit him a bit when she is home, and maybe let him out?

 

[Emmalyn]

Thank you all for replying! I am new to this site so having quick responses is awesome and relieving!

 

[Emmalyn]

Can your mom visit him a bit when she is home, and maybe let him out?

Potsie isn't too fond of other people.. the only other person that he will come out for is my boyfriend but isn't too good with stepping up with him.. With my mom, he only likes to hear her talk but won't come out for her. But thats a good idea! I'll have my boyfriend come over when he is off and take him out to play and exercise. Thanks for the reply!! It is relieving to hear that birds adjust to schedules. I'll definitely free him out of his cage the second I come home so we can have our time together.

 

[Erikalynnha]

I have thought about getting him a friend so he doesn't get lonely

Sometimes this doesn't always work out. If they don't get along you could end up with two birds needing seperate attention. I would start the transition now, maybe figure out a new schedule for him to still get his social time. They adjust to new routine well. As long as you are still there for him he will be fine. I work a full-time job with crazy hours. Sometimes they get 6hrs out, sometimes 3hrs and other days they don't get out at all but they enterain themselves and usually don't make a peep (I stalk them on a netcam from work xD) until they hear me coming through the door.

 

[rocky'smom]

Make sure to give Potsie things to in his cage, like forging toys, new things to investigate, new toys. I don't work any more but if my 2 are going to in their cages for the better part of a day. I try and leave them with something to do. This web site has great ideas for DYI toys, enrichments, forging toys. If they are kept busy less chance of boredom.