Getting ready to paint

[BirdSquawk]

So my parents are dead set on painting the whole basement and the upstairs bathroom this summer, and the only question is what to do with Jack. Am I right in saying that he needs to be out of the house for a few days? They think he'd be fine in the farthest bedroom with all the windows open and fans going, but it really doesn't sit right with me. How long would I need to leave to make sure he can come back to the house after we paint? I'm thinking the best route is to take him to one of my friends houses and just check up on him every day. There is a rescue nearby that boards birds but I think being in a room full of larger parrots he's never really seen before would stress him out.

 

[Josiegirl]

I'd say out of the house until the fresh paint smell has gone, or at least faded considerably. Definitely not in the house at all when it's being painted.

 

[Freebird1969]

Can you get them to use a pet friendly / non toxic paint? Otherwise make sure he is a separate room with door kept shut to avoid the fumes.

 

[Kentuckienne]

My friend's family bird died after they painted some rooms. The paint is nontoxic usually when dry, and so the label might say nontoxic but there will be dangerous to bird fumes come off it until it dries. If the bird can safely go to another house, I would advise it. If the other house has dogs and teflon cookware and bird neophytes it might not be any safer. The vet might be able to keep him a couple of days too. I wouldn't bring my bird back in until I couldn't smell any paint after being outside a while- the sense of smell gets fatigued and used to odors - and then only to a distant closed off room. And only gradually come back into the regular space if there are zero indications of the slightest hint of a suggestion of trouble.