importance of a second bird in the house/vacations?

[Gilraen]

Feel free to move this if it's in the wrong spot, I figured it should be here since mental health was being talked about. . .

So the boy and I are hoping to go on vacation to see his family this year(I NEED IT!) but there's no way I would be able to take Ry along. I know his mom(we'd be staying with her, as usual) cooks with teflon and uses all sorts of chemicals in the house to keep it clean. Problem? I. . . Haven't taken a vacation since Rydia was about 3 months old, RIGHT after I got her. And I had some budgies at the time(who the FORMER, thankfully, roommate was threatening to/trying to harm because of how noisy they were, so I gave them away since there was no way out of our lease at the time) Since then I haven't even stayed overnight at anyone else's place and Rydia is my only bird. Or well, my only animal that makes any sort of noise at least.

If we do end up being able to take a week off, how will that effect Ry? She's getting a touch more independent as she is getting older(she used to be glued to me at all times, now she's good as long as I'm in the room and will go to her when she calls me. She also doesn't scream when I'm not home unless Nathan is out in the living area and making noise and she thinks it's me ignoring her.) She's the only bird in the house, and while I'll leave the radio on for her, I can't guarantee that it'll have good music on all the time. And other than a friend coming over to feed her and make sure she's okay in the mornings, she won't be getting any sort of interaction at all. . .

Which brings me to the other part of the topic head. I know that it's said that birds do better with a second bird in the house, but how much better? And does it matter what sort of bird the second one is? I know it would be good for her since she'd be able to have another bird to sound off to, but I don't have the room for a second cage the size of hers, so most likely I'd be getting a smaller fid(or something like a duo of budgies) and not being able to let them interact with each other. Would that still have that benefit of her being able to talk to another bird or hear one, or would it just frustrate her that she couldn't play with the other one, or make her jealous when I'm interacting with it?

 

[Skyler]

It's hard to know how a fid will react to our leaving them for a period of time. However, the idea of acquiring another bird to keep the other company is certainly not fool proof. I have a small flock but with one exception, my birds could care less about the others--in fact, one of my budgies would be elated if the tiels and conure vanished. And my sun wouldn't even notice if all the others left -she only has "eyes" for the two major parronts.

I've been lucky that when Dad has been away I've been with the fids and that when I've been away that he was with them. So no plucking(although I think only my sun would be at all suseptable), although I have gotten the "cold shoulder" as punishment for not being around.
Would your friend be able to sit and talk with Rydia for a while?

 

[Birdasaurus]

None of my birds get along, but they do enjoy each other's company. I can tell because when one sounds off, they all join in, and they mimic each others calls. The two who talk, talk to each other. I find that my little lovebird and conure LOVE the budgies.

That being said, I don't think that would make me any more comfortable about leaving a GCC alone for a week like that. Do you have a friend who would actually take Ry home with them? When I used to have only one budgie, my boyfriend took her and his family was willing to lay off teflon and cleaners for a week. The enjoyed her so much they didn't mind. If you have someone you'd trust doing that, I think it would be better than just a visit once or twice a day. My Tango went bald in his former home that way.

 

[Gilraen]

I don't know anyone in town who doesn't use harsh nasty chemicals and teflon, unfortunately. And the friend I'll likely have take care of her has a couple of cats and burns candles a lot(she's really the only person I trust with her) I really need a vacation away from here, but not at the expense of having Ry start plucking if I go away. I get too stressed out when I come back here anyway, let alone trying to come back and find out that Rydia hasn't been eating or has been hurting herself. She might be willing to sit and talk to her for a bit if she's got the time to, but I wouldn't be able to guarantee that. Or any of the few hours of time that she gets out of her cage with me every day.

I might be able to ask my landlord to take her over for a bit. They have an amazon and a teil. But they also keep them on the porch and I have no idea if I'd be able to ask them to not let her out(her cage is plenty big for her to get enough romping around in, and since she's fully flighted and their porch only has one door outside, and I KNOW they've taken stupid risks with letting their 'zon out with flights before when he was younger, I do NOT want to take that risk with her.) and have them follow that. Do you think her being around the 'zon and the tiel for a week and possibly getting some attention from them or possibly not would be too stressful on her?

 

[Birdasaurus]

I think you have every right to ask for them to not let her out, but I guess the question is, would they respect that? I'd see no problem in her hanging out with a zon and a tiel for a week as long as you trust the people. That's the big issue.

 

[Gilraen]

I'll need to ask them if they use any sort of harsh stuff or teflon next time I see one of them out.

Although another thought I had a few minutes ago. . . Could I see if the friend I was going to ask to watch her could stay over for, say, 15-20 minutes 1-2x a day, or depending on her schedule a few times over the week, and let me talk to her over her cell phone(assuming it has a speaker option) I don't know what I'd actually talk about for 15 minutes, so I suppose I could take a book and read to her, but in a way she'd be getting attention. My friend could stay with her and possibly let her out in my room and I could still let her hear my voice.

And I've been wondering about a second bird for a while now, I guess I could have worded that one a bit clearer. Mostly to give Ry someone to talk/listen to while I'm away at work. Like I said, doesn't need to be one who will be completely reliant on me for attention, just so long as it doesn't drive Rydia nutty having a second bird of some sort in the house.

 

[JLcribber]

The bird may recognize your voice but it won't be anything like you being there. It's just a voice coming out of a box. A bird sitter who cares and takes time to interact with her everyday as you do is the best solution. You could call while she is there and make it a threesome. You would be able to coach her in getting to know her. Coordinate times and that way you also know the sitter is there doing what she's supposed to.

 

[Jadesmom]

It took me about 6 months to find the perfect fid sitter. She will lfeed, clean, spend time, and she gives them all out of cage time every day so they can interact together, but they are used to hanging out and being together. That works best for me.

 

[Chicklette]

Chiquita and Boomer don’t like each other one bit but they talk to each other. They communicate. But they each get individual play times. I do think they enjoy the sounds of another bird in the house.

It’s hard to say how your bird will react when you get home. I can say this thought, it will be a step back. A week is a long time for a bird. You will have to start from square one.

 

[Gilraen]

What do you mean when you say I'll need to start from scratch? Rydia has been bonded with me from the moment I met her(*I don't think I'll ever get tired of telling this story) Even when I left her for a week before she was fine with me afterwards. She didn't have any setbacks, or try to act like I was a stranger who she'd never seen before. Do you mean she'll START to act like I am a stranger?

Also, another question. If I can find a bird sitter, how long out would I want to ask her to play with Ry, or to let her out of her cage? Like I have mentioned, her cage is pretty roomy, and I usually only see her on a couple of her perches, so I don't know how active she is in the day while I'm not home. She doesn't usually just fly around for any reason, but she does love to get attention from me. Either our early morning snuggles, or talking to me and having me respond through the day.

*she was "that bird" at the pet store who didn't want anything to do with anyone. When anyone tried to take her out, she'd grip the cage and shake, she was too scared to even try to bite them or scream at them. I'd thought she was adorable, but told that she was a spaz and hated people. So I went in to talk to her for a few minutes. Less than 5 passed and she was over getting scritches from me, and when I would walk out of the bird room and back into it, or when I'd walk around it so she could see me, she'd sit on the cage as close as she could get to me. And she's been like that with me ever since.

 

[JLcribber]

Also, another question. If I can find a bird sitter, how long out would I want to ask her to play with Ry, or to let her out of her cage?

As close to the same amount she has now is what she expects. If you know someone you can "really" trust, you can allow them to stay in your home and basically pretend to be you for one week.

I know so many people that fit that bill, the trouble is they all have these funny little Avatars. I must be on a different planet. You guys are all posting from earth right?

 

[Chicklette]

She might be a bit stand off ish. That’s what Im saying, like when you got her from the pet store. She might be put back a bit.