Now that we are at home is there anything we should do to limit the stress of having our birds /or so they dont develop seperation anxiety. I was reading an article about cats and dogs needing a “break” from young children. Should we be putting birds away for a while?
Hi Lia,
This is certainly a concern with all pets. When sending a bird to a new home, I used to tell the new owners that they needed to be consistent with how much they handle the bird each day, because so many people make the mistake of playing with a new bird or any pet non-stop and then when they go back to their regular schedule, the bird is left wondering why he is alone so much now.
While this is a great time to do activities with your bird, you do need to be aware of his needs. Birds nap a lot during the day and become more active when their people get home. So it is important not to rely on your bird for entertainment and for your bird not to rely on you being around all the time. Definitely give him some down time where he can nap or play with toys. If he starts getting too demanding for attention, then take this as a sign that you are making him too dependent on you. Again, this means cage time, toys and maybe some foraging foods for enrichment. When you go back to a normal routine, he will likely have some behavior reactions. All you can do is reassure him that you will be back home, soon and leave him with toys and food. All pets are confused right now and they are going to act out when the schedule changes again.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
