How do your fids react if you go away for a few days?

[MomtoPercy]

I've been out of town for two days and Percy is very unhappy with me He's not reacted this way before after I've been away for a night. Two or more nights is a different story however.

But this time, after one night, he's testy and bitey and he bites me like he used to before I won him over He does step up and does play nicely but instantly turns on me, growls and bites HARD.

Any ideas on this? Will we recover our loving relationship do you think? I've only been home a few hours so perhaps I'm too hasty?

How do you prepare your fids for when you have to leave them? And how do they react when you return? Percy stays in the same place with the same people when I'm away so nothing changes except my presence. My job demands that I spend time away from home so I have to make this work.

Any advice or insights will be greatly appreciated

 

[DallyTsuka]

i get home and my fids scream at me like crazy lol and dally looks at me and looks all sad like i hurt her feelings for leaving her for a few days lol mine dont hold grudges luckily.

i think in time percy will accept you back just its hard when you are first building a bond with them

 

[riddick07]

I get called/screamed for when they hear me come back. When I left for months and came back everyone was super happy to see me and to think I was worried about them forgetting about me! My male cockatiels were traumatized from dealing with the sitter and my mother....

The only one I haven't left since he has settled in is Folger and I don't think he is going to respond overly well to me being gone. But no one else held a grudge when I'm gone for a few days. Monkey might be a little testy at first but she settles pretty fast.

I think Percy will get over it pretty soon! Got to let him sulk for a little while

 

[Kiwibird]

Kiwi acts the same way when we leave for a few days. He gets real grouchy and holds a grudge (does his angry zon flashing around, screeches, bites ect...) for a day or so after we get back. When he feels he has "punished" us enough, he's right back to himself.

I wouldn't jump the gun with Percy and assume you've broken your bond with him. He is probably just upset you left him and excited to see you all at the same time, which can come across quite unpleasantly in an amazon. Spend some extra time with him today to express how truly sorry you are for leaving him. Some extra treats and maybe a bath (?) might butter him up . We travel so rarely, theres no point in getting Kiwi into a routine over it. But, if you're traveling frequently, I might try to get him into a routine that makes it an exciting/positive experience for him. Perhaps if the people he's staying with give him a few extra treats, if they're comfortable with him, have him come out of his cage (they don't like being cooped up, even for just a few days), he gets new toys before you leave, and when you get back he gets a day (or even a few hours) of doing his favorite things with mommy, he might learn that you A. Aren't leaving and never coming back and B. That he gets so special attention when mommy goes out of town, so it's like a little "stay-cation" for him.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Kiwi, those are fantastic ideas! Thanks so much!

He stays at home with my mom and son so he is comfortable with them and vise versa and they do give him plenty of out of cage time. They both mentioned however that he's been more bitey with them than usual since I left - perhaps he's just going through a grumpy patch?

I do make sure I leave enough foragers and shredders with mom to place in his cage each day while I am gone but they are 'the usual' and not special stuff. So I will use your suggestion and make some extra special ones for while I'm away.

I've also spent a long time with him now, helping with pin feathers and he was completely calm and almost dozing off...but then he remembered he is sulking and zapped me! LOL!

I offered a mist bath (he doesn't like any other kind) but he ran away and hid behind a toy - he's normal 'I don't want to bath now' demonstration. So we will try that again tomorrow.

He's sitting in my mom's lap now practically sticking his tongue out at me, the little sulker

 

[Kiwibird]

Well, I suggested a bath because most amazons love baths. If he's not a big fan, probably not the *best* way to win him back over lol. Whatever he really enjoys though, he would probably appreciate his groveling mommy who "abandoned" him to give him today

Just my personal viewpoint, if anything that occurs regularly in life is going to be a negative experience for Kiwi, I always try to think of things he really loves and enjoys to try and work those in or offer special rewards so that negative experience becomes a positive one.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Very good point about the positives!

Percy actually does enjoy baths...but only on HIS terms LOL! Sometimes he wants to bath daily and other times he will hide from the mist bottle for days on end. But when he remembers that he loves it, he goes wild! LOL!

After my previous post, I spent some more time with the biter and he is almost his old sefl . Even let me glide my hands over his head and back to his tail. I know not to do that during breeding time but its ok to do now, right?

 

[Birdman666]

They get clingy as hell for a few days upon my return home...

 

[SandyBee]

Haven't gone anywhere yet LOL maybe I never will.
Actually trying to figure out if we should go away for a few days, I know Bosley will miss me terribly

 

[Jayyj]

I've only had one week away since I've had Alice, and she clung to me like glue for the first day I was back - I literally had her about my person for six hours straight - but then she was back to her usual self. I ended up Skyping the sitter every other day so that Alice could hear my voice and I could see she was coping without me!

 

[getwozzy]

I haven't left chili alone for more than half a day...sometimes she's clingy and bitey when I come home and just wants snuggles, but recently upon my return she ignored me for at least an hour- every time I would try to talk to her or interact she would turn her back on me "I'm not listening!!! Lalalaalaalala!!"

Food always wins them over though

 

[Birdman666]

I've only had one week away since I've had Alice, and she clung to me like glue for the first day I was back - I literally had her about my person for six hours straight - but then she was back to her usual self. I ended up Skyping the sitter every other day so that Alice could hear my voice and I could see she was coping without me!

That would be both macaws, and one of my amazons. "We thought you were gone forever!" NEVER LEAVE AGAIN!

 

[riddick07]

That too was Monkey when I got back from Europe. We have it rough us bird people

 

[JerseyWendy]

I (all of us) left for 2 nights, 3 days TWICE last year. We had a live in pet sitter.

Niko definitely held a grudge. He made sure to give a very good pinch before coming out of his cage, and after that he literally melted in my arms.

Ripley was perfectly fine, no reaction at all, other than flapping as if he was flying around the world (they were all kept in their cages for safety reasons).

Sam flew laps around the house until he was exhausted, and then finally allowed me to love on him.

Hunter tucked herself under my chin, grasping my clothes firmly, as if to say "Don't even DARE and try to peel me off."

I really think Percy will be fine. He hasn't forgotten how good you make him feel.

 

[Birdman666]

Now, here is the funny thing...

Sally, my red lored, that has been with me the longest, and is kind of my flock leader - HAS TO BE THE FIRST BIRD PICKED UP when I get home from work every day. Five minutes right when you walk in the door...

If she isn't, THEN she pouts, and shuns me...

It's a source of conflict because MY GIRLFRIEND thinks SHE is the one who gets greeted the minute I walk in the door... and if not, SHE shuns me the rest of the night!