What Pet Sitting Visits Do I Need For My Parrot?
With their vibrant plumage, remarkable vocal abilities, and charming personalities, parrots have captivated bird enthusiasts around the world. If you’re fortunate enough to share your life with a parrot, you already know that these magnificent creatures require specialized care and attention. But what exactly does that entail when it comes to pet sitting visits for your beloved feathered friend?
Parrots are highly intelligent and social creatures that thrive on human interaction and mental stimulation. At Wet Noses Pet Sitting, we understand the unique needs of parrots and the importance of finding a pet sitter who is knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated to providing exceptional care for your feathered companion. From small parrots like budgies to larger parrots like macaws, we take care of them all.
Here are our three recommended visit schedules for parrots. Direct interactions with parrots are limited by how safely our sitters can engage with your parrots, which varies greatly on the parrot and situation.
Parrot Option #1
This is an ideal schedule for parrots who are used to people at home in the evening.
12-Hour Extended Overnight Stay
Your sitter will arrive in the early evening (around 7 pm) and perform any of the normal dinner activities your parrot needs. This can be feeding, social time, cleaning, water, etc. If your parrot likes to come out of the cage and this can be done safely, your sitter will be happy to do so. Your sitter will stay all night and can take care of any issues that arise during this time. The Extended Overnight Stay is especially good for parrots that like having a person around in the evening, or who have a bedtime routine you would like to stick to. It has especially been successful for parrots that have night terrors. In the morning your sitter will go through your morning routine, normal feeding, water, cleaning, and any entertainment that needs to be set up for the day. Most parrot care can be done during these dinner and morning times, but if your parrot requires additional care during the day hours an additional visit can be added.
Parrot Option #2
This is an ideal schedule for parrots that are fine alone overnight.
15-minute to 1 Hour Breakfast Visit – Your sitter will arrive in the morning to care for your parrot. Your sitter can let your parrot out of the cage if it is safe to do so, or interact in a safe way. During this visit your sitter can change food, and water, and clean the cage as needed. The length of the visit should be determined by how much social time your parrot would like and how long the regular care tasks take. At the end of the visit, your sitter will set your parrot up for the day.
15-minute to 1 Hour Dinner Visit – Your sitter will arrive around dinner time to take care of the evening tasks. For many parrots, this can include evening feedings, changing water, and social time. At the end of the visit, your sitter can settle your parrot in for the night.
Parrot Option #3
This is an ideal schedule for parrots that only need to be checked on once daily.
15-minute to 1 Hour Visit – Your sitter will arrive and check on your parrot. This visit can be done at whatever time of day you prefer, based on what your parrot is used to. During this visit your sitter can change the water, and food, and clean the cage as needed. Your sitter will interact with your parrot in a safe way and can change anything in the house you decide to provide mental stimulation. The length of the visit should be determined by how long your typical care routine takes as well as how social your parrot is.
Our Considerations for Parrots
For parrots, there are some very specific steps we take to keep them as safe and relaxed as possible.
- Your sitter will want to know the routine of your parrot and the normal behaviors she should expect to see.
- Parrots can make a mess of their food, water, and cage. Your sitter will need access to all of your supplies in case any issues arise.
- While many parrots come out of their cages daily with their people at home, the safety of your parrot and your sitter is our primary concern. The ability of your sitter to let your parrot out will be determined by how comfortable your parrots and sitter are with each other and the routine. This can be discussed in detail at the new client meeting, and while your sitter will try their hardest to accommodate your requests, parrots that cannot be handled safely will not be released from their cages.
- If you have had any health problems in your parrot recently, please discuss these with your sitter so she can watch for specific symptoms.
- Whenever possible, we pair you with a pet sitter that has experience with parrots. If this is not possible we will discuss options with you to ensure we can provide the best care.
Time to Customize!
We want to work with you to set up the best possible schedule for your parrot, so you are all happy during your trip. We also know that each home is different, and a lot of people have more than just one pet! After you have a basic idea of your schedule we sit down to figure out the nitty-gritty:
- Are there any other pets in the home that need feeding, medication, etc? We make sure your visit has enough time to get everything done.
- We have time to clean out food and water bowls, clean up any messes, etc.
- Many people who love animals, also love plants! Short visits do not have a lot of time for plants. If you need the sitter to water more than 1-2 plants, we will need to schedule a longer visit for those days. If you have beautiful summer gardens, then we need to see how long they take to water and add that on to your normal visits.
- Household tasks such as; bringing in the newspaper, collecting the mail, turning lights off and on, and taking out the trash. This can all be done on your normal schedule.
- Do you want updates every visit? Many clients do, just keep in mind that your sitter will take a couple of minutes to send an update.
- Keep in mind that it will take a sitter a bit longer to get the work done than it takes you. Especially if you have extensive routines for your pets and home. You have had years to perfect your system! We always try to make sure your pet sitter will have enough time for everything. That way they will not feel stressed and your pets will receive the focus they deserve.
