For how many days can I leave my only pet pigeon alone at home?

Your friend wouldn't need to stay all they with the pigeon, just check in once a day or every two days to check his food and everything.

Has your pet pigeon got an aviary which the bird can fly around and exercise the wings? And food and water bowls that do not tip up or or will empty if knocked over ?

If the pigeon is in a small cage I would not leave the bird for more than 2 days at least returning of the morning of the third day.

Also your pigeon is a pet pigeon and would miss the reassurance of your usual routine.Of course this is my opinion and others will probably disagree.If you have a friend who could check the bird and that the pigeon is used to, that would help but a stranger might upset the bird.

The bottom line is that you have to make sacrifices when you take on any bird or animal as a pet. I know people who have rescued many pigeons and now have them as pets and have never had a days holiday. However Im not saying dont have a holiday , the question is how long you should leave the bird and only you can make that decision in the end.

Is there someone close by to you who also keeps pigeons? I don't know about how your pigeon would fit in with others if it has not been around other pigeons for awhile (if it is handicapped or has some other disability), but it might be something to consider.

Where are you located, roughly?

(I presume you are not near Antwerp, Belgium, by the way, otherwise I would try to help. LOL.)

Larry

mistergugu said:

Hi guys,

We are thinking of going on vacation but we have a pet rescue pigeon at home. This time we can not take it with us.

How many days can she stay home alone without any negative effects (please have in mind solitude and water needs)

Awaiting your replies. I would like to especially hear from people who have a single pet pigeon and have left it alone for a few days.

Thanks!

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I appreciate your concerns over this pet and I myself wouldn't leave the bird alone at all, unless you were only going to be gone a day. Do you have any friends or someone that can take the bird in for the time you will be gone?

dont do it!

you will cause it truma, if it a pet and its used to seeing you around and you leave it alone for days, it will think you have abandoned it, and the truma will affect its health and could become ill, please dont do it!

I had to leave my single pigeon for a week. He is in a cage and I couldn't see him staying in there for full week, so I had someone stop by. Once a day she let him out and changed his water and feed bowl. Laid some fresh paper down in the cage and then put him back. I think to leave them for longer than a day in a cage isn't good at all. Unless he can actually fly in his cage (some use screened in enclosures). I was able to call my vet as well and they will watch them for a small fee if you drop them off...just like boarding my dog. Hope this helps you make up your mind.

Actually, it depends on how attached to him, right? If he's your "mate" he'll be surely very very upset, but if you're not, then he won't suffer it as much.

I, personally, would leave it with somebody else. I left mine with my parents not long ago and didn't show any kind of trauma, even if my parents didn't interact with him. However, we're not "mates", he probably didn't miss me as much as he missed the interaction itself.

If you post your location, maybe a member near you can take care of him while you're gone. That would ensure you the pigeon is going to have all his needs met, psychologically and physiologically speaking.

How long are you going away?

Thanks for the reply guys! The pigeon doesn't have a cage, just an open box that she visits when hungry or thirsty. Our whole living room is her domain.

I don't think we are "mates", she is in love with my slippers

We took the pigeon abroad with us last time we had to travel, but this time it is just impossible to take her. We'll be away for 4-5 days. I can't get anyone to come and interact with her, maybe we could ask the neighbor to come and check the water levels every other day but that's it, I don't see him playing with the pigeon lol.

The Gravity type waterers is a good idea, I will check that out.

To try at the vet for them to keep her I don't think it is such a good idea as there she would have to stay in a cage and she has never been in a cage before.

mistergugu said:

Thanks for the reply guys! The pigeon doesn't have a cage, just an open box that she visits when hungry or thirsty. Our whole living room is her domain.

I don't think we are "mates", she is in love with my slippers

We took the pigeon abroad with us last time we had to travel, but this time it is just impossible to take her. We'll be away for 4-5 days. I can't get anyone to come and interact with her, maybe we could ask the neighbor to come and check the water levels every other day but that's it, I don't see him playing with the pigeon lol.

The Gravity type waterers is a good idea, I will check that out.

To try at the vet for them to keep her I don't think it is such a good idea as there she would have to stay in a cage and she has never been in a cage before.

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having a bird out in the house unsupervised is not a wise thing to do, for her safety she should be caged when no one is around.. the vet would be your best choice to keep her safe, she will adjust without any harmful trauma.

wow.. 4-5 days...haaahha i would never leave any of my pets that long alone.. ever... i would make sure i have people coming in and out 2 times a day... if not having somebody live at my place while im away.. id give my keys to somebody and say do whatever u want in my apt but dont let my pets go thirst or hungry .. u feel me
it aint a good idea to leave a bird alone to suffer for that long...

i wouldnt have the heart to leave something that long ALONE.. i cant leave my plants alone without somebody comin in and watering them every other or third day .. but my pets...
they either going to my friends house.. or my friend is moving in my house while im gone...
i wouldnt have a heart.. usupervised.. God know what might happend

4-5 days, I thought it'd be longer, hehe.
How "bird safe" is that living room? Don't you have any relatives that could stay that small amount of time at your home?

goga82, I often leave my plants unsupervised LOL. I tell my parents "don't touch them while I'm gone", they'd probably water them so much (durrr hurrr orchids. Popular myth: they need daily watering) that they'd end up killing them!

The biggest headache would be cleaning up all the poop after being away for a week. I always leave a radio on tuned to a classical music station for my pigeons when I go to work. I think they like the music.

One more thing. What about lights? Are the lights going to be on 24hrs a day in the living room or off? You should at least have a table lamp on while your away. A lamp that can't be knocked over . Are the curtains going to be open? How much light natural light gets in the living room.

Budd said:

One more thing. What about lights? Are the lights going to be on 24hrs a day in the living room or off? You should at least have a table lamp on while your away.

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what if the pigeon knocks over the lamp and it gets a curtain hot.... no good IMO... THE BIRD SHOULD NOT BE ALONE OUT OF A CAGE FOR SAFTEY REASONS. Would anyone leave a 4 year old at home alone.. think not.

Spirit Wings. Common sense would dictate not leaving a lamp on that can be knocked over. I have an avian light lamp that I leave on when i go to work. Of course I secure it to something so it can't be knocked over.I still have a friend come by to make sure all is well. Okay play it safe and plug in a night light. I say cancel the trip and go somewhere else so you (mistergugu) can take the pigeon with you as you have done in the past.

Budd said:

Spirit Wings. Common sense would dictate not leaving a lamp on that can be knocked over. I have an avian light lamp that I leave on when i go to work. Of course I secure it to something so it can't be knocked over.I still have a friend come by to make sure all is well. Okay play it safe and plug in a night light. I say cancel the trip and go somewhere else so you (mistergugu) can take the pigeon with you as you have done in the past.

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common sense would be not to leave a pigeon uncaged alone for any amount of time, so if they are thinking of doing that, perhaps the lamp idea is not so far fetched. plus, my pigeons live in a loft and they do not need a night light, the natural sunrise and sunset is fine for birds, not sure what the big deal is with needing a light when it is supposed to be dark anyway.

Spirit Wimgs, i'ts fine for pigeons that are in a loft to be in total darkness at night. I'm just concerned about mistergugu's pigeon being in dimmed light during the day and in a pitch black room at night for 5 day's. I never leave my pigeons alone for more than 5 hours. I have my girlfriend check on them when i'm at work.