Budgie Alone at Home? Is that alright to do?

Kids and pets [ budgie ] are a great responsibility for every household. Whether it is a vacation, or a long business trip, leaving budgie alone at home is the hardest decision. Where we can always drop our kids to our parents’ house, pets are very particular about who they like or not. Hence, for their betterment, we have to leave our furry or feathery friends at home.

Though a tough decision, especially with our avian family members, we all are on the crossroads of do’s and don’ts when leaving them home alone. Being the most famous bird pet, the budgie species has experienced a lot of empty home hours more than anyone else.

Budgie’s parents are also curious to know if there are ways to leave their little birdie safely at home? Let’s know the possibilities.

For how long can you leave your Budgie home alone?

Ideally, budgies must not be left home alone for more than a weekend. Though there is no hard and fast rule, that is the maximum time where any unforeseen event could still be brought under control. Say, you have filled enough food and water in your budgie’s dishes to feed upon, fill his bathing bowl, filled his cage with ample toys, and even switched the music or television on to keep the bird entertained. God forbid if the bird accidentally tangles himself in his perch or choke himself by over-stuffing the pellet mix accidentally, the chances that you’ll reach home sooner are higher if you leave him for two days than leaving him for a week.

But you must make all the preparations for the safe survival of your bird behind your back, even if it’s just for a weekend.

What to do before leaving your Budgie alone?

For the uncertainties of life, the best we certainly can do is to take every measure to reduce the chances of any disaster happening to our little birdie. Prevention from accidents, starvation, or boredom, all form the part of the well-executed plan.

Basic necessities

Keep the food and water dishes full as per the length of your holiday period. Always ensure multiple backups, in case if one source runs out, there is always the other. For eg., apart from keeping dishes on the cage’s floor, you can also keep hanging food and water bowls as backups.

Cage preparation

Add as many non-toxic toys to budgie’s cage for his entertainment. You can also add multiple foraging toys to keep the bird engaged. Try placing them at different places so that it keeps the bird’s interest piqued all the time.

Additionally, check all his new as well as existing toys for any crevices or cracks where the bird might get stuck and hurt him accidentally. Also, remove all the complex rope-kind of swings or toys so that the bird doesn’t end up strangling himself.

Ensure adding a human voice

Adding a human voice will not make your bird feel your absence. And the options are aplenty. Leaving the television on with a timer set to switch it off, or even leaving a recorder on with your words and phrases pre-recorded are great options. But if you’re leaving him for more than a day, you can try Amazon Echo as it will help you to switch the sound on day’s start and off when it’s time for budgie to go to sleep, thereby, not disturbing the bird’s sleep cycle.

Maintain the set routine

The best way to make your budgie feel he’s not alone is to maintain his usual routine behind your back too. That way, he will not feel any difference and before he can realize your absence, you’ll be home. The best way to not let him sense any change in his days and nights is to use Light Timers to let him know the wake-up time and bed-time.

Keep a watch

If you’re one extremely anxious parent, then investing in a security camera is your best bet. You can always see what is happening inside your little birdie’s cage. Additionally, talk to him through your smartphone’s microphone too.

How to leave your Budgie alone for a week?

Leaving your budgie alone for more than two days is a big risk and is not advisable even if any medical emergency is the reason. And if it has become inevitable to leave him longer than a weekend, say, for a week or so, it is best to have somebody to look after the little bird. Maybe your parents, if it’s possible, or you can hire a responsible pet sitter and leave your budgie with him with all the instructions and a set schedule. But have your budgie covered and don’t leave him alone for so long.

Precautions to take while leaving budgie home alone

While leaving your bird alone at home, double-checking everything doesn’t take much time. After all, the bird’s safety is paramount.

• Never leave any kind of access for the bird to the cage’s exterior. He might injure himself in the open area as sources of danger are numerous.
• Budgies are natural chewers and might chew plastic food and water dishes. Be thoughtful of the material of all the dishes you keep inside the cage.
• Being prone to boredom real quick, don’t forget to provide ample options to keep the bird engaged. Failing to do so, might make your budgie develop behavioral issues like depression or feather-plucking.
• Against popular notion, avoid keeping mirrors in his cage. In an attempt to find a company, budgies take their reflection as a companion and start talking to them or regurgitating food on them. This can become a great behavioral issue if they are kept alone for longer periods.

Wise Words

Leaving your budgie alone for the first time is just like dropping our kids to school on their first day. It freaks us out as a parent. But as we get used to tips and tricks to safely handle these tough times, it all gets easier and we get better with time and experience. Simply prepare everything by keeping your bird’s safety in mind and he’ll be safe until his favorite human is back home.

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