Are you leaving your avian companion to a sitter?
If you have already found a reliable person to take care of your pet, the next thing to consider is what to instruct a bird sitter.
In this article, we’ll discuss the sets of instructions you should give to a pet bird sitter regarding the:
- Food
- Shower
- Cleaning arrangements and many more
You surely don’t want to miss a thing so your bird can still have the best quality of life while you’re away. So, we’ll help you sort everything out before leaving.
What to Instruct a Bird Sitter?
There are lots of things you need to inform your bird sitter about. But what should be included in pet-sitting instructions?
1. Food
Before anything else, you must ensure your avian companion won’t starve by providing detailed feeding instructions to your bird sitter.
You have to write down everything, including:
- What time to feed your bird
- What type and flavor of food, treats, and snacks should be given
- How much food does your bird needs
- Any restrictions and allergies to prevent medical emergencies while you’re away.
Be detailed as much as possible, especially if you don’t have enough stocks of bird feed at home.
If your bird’s diet mainly consists of fresh produce, you must leave a list of the vegetables and fruits your birds can eat. And if you’ll be gone for a long time, you may need to leave money so your bird sitter can buy fresh produce.
Don’t forget to leave a list of foods that are dangerous for birds, such as:
- Salty foods
- Sweet foods
- Chocolate because it contains toxins that can be fatal to birds
- Avocado since it has persin which affects the heart of your pet
- And dairy products (a little will do but too much can pose a health risk)
To add, instruct your bird sitter on what type of water to give your bird, whether tap, bottled, or filtered water.
You must also stress how often should he or she change the water and clean the bowls to ensure slime won’t grow on them.
2. Cleaning Up
Don’t forget to inform your bird sitter about the location of your cage-cleaning supplies like paper towels, what bird-friendly cleaners you use, and how often you want the bird cage to be cleaned.
Ensure that the trash can is accessible and that there are extra garbage bags. You can also note when trash pickup can be expected and how to use cleaning supplies like a vacuum.
3. Shower Tips
If your bird takes a bath regularly, you should inform your pet sitter how it should be done according to your pet’s liking.
Tell him or her if you mist or bathe your birds and how often you want your pet to go to the shower.
Grooming is important for birds. And if your pet has other special needs, let your bird sitter know to ensure he or she can carry out the job properly.
4. Your Bird’s Sleeping and Waking-Up Time
You also need to inform your bird sitter when your bird sleeps and wakes up to ensure your pet can sleep on time without distractions.
Birds need at least 12 hours of sleep, and it must be met to avoid cranky behavior.
But he or she must make sure to keep the environment as peaceful as possible so birds can sleep on time at night.
5. Socialization Tips
Not all birds are friendly to strangers. In fact, most of them are wary when they see new faces.
So to help establish trust between the bird sitter and your avian pet, introduce them to each other and give your pet some tips on how to approach your bird.
If your bird bites or nips, you need to let him or her know what to do to avoid it.
You can also give him or her your bird’s favorite snack, treats or toys, and music to make socialization easier for your sitter.
If possible, give your bird sitter some tricks that can get your bird’s attention, and it can show off to your sitter.
But some birds only bond to one specific person. So, if the bird sitter fails to get your pet’s trust despite all the efforts, he or she may have to focus on the chores and avoid bothering your avian companion.
6. Medications
If your bird is on medication, you must inform your pet sitter about the name, dose, frequency, and time to give the medication.
Give him or her detailed instructions about how to administer it and where to keep your bird’s meds.
He or she also needs to look out for signs of discomfort and illness and let you know if there are noticeable signs of sickness, such as:
- Puffed up perch
- Head tucked into the back of its feathers
- No response when called or when the sitter walks into the room
- Not eating the food or favorite treat nor drinking water
- Watery, different-colored droppings
- Bald spots caused by feather picking or injury
- Bleeding due to broken blood feathers or injuries
7. Flight and Pet Rules
Does your bird interact with other pets like cats and dogs?
Whether they have a designated socialization time and location, it’s important to note that birds are vulnerable. Your other pets can also attack them even if they’re used to seeing each other.
Cats’ and dogs’ predator instincts may arise anytime. So, it’s best to separate birds and other pets and instruct your bird sitter to watch them closely.
You also need to provide instructions on where your bird can fly and if it’s clipped or not.
Birds may fly away when given a chance, so he or she must know which controlled environment is suitable for free flying.
8. Things Your Birds Should Not Be Exposed To
Remind your bird sitter not to use chemicals when you’re bird is around because avians have a sensitive respiratory system. Even non-stick pans containing Teflon should be avoided because they give off toxic gases to birds.
Even cigarette smoke, air fresheners, fragrant candles, perfumes, hair sprays, and bug sprays should not be used when the bird is around.
Your pet sitter may have known these facts, but it’s best to remind them to ensure your bird’s safety.
If you allow your bird to go outside to enjoy some fresh air, tell your pet sitter to check if there’s any construction work or painting near you because they’re hazardous for birds.
Information Every Bird Sitter Must Know
Aside from the set of instructions above, your chosen bird sitter must also have access to the following information to provide the best possible care to your bird.
1. Pet Information
Before signing a contract with your bird sitter, it’s best to provide the following basic information about your beloved pet.
- Bird’s name, age, and gender
- Diseases your pet is currently experiencing or has screened for
- Bird’s waking up and sleeping time
- Bathing and drinking habits
- Flying habits/ routine inside your home
- Biting incidences and violent tendencies of your bird
2. Trip Information
You must also inform your bird about your departure time and return to prevent misunderstandings.
You need to detail if you’ll feed your bird or clean the cage on the first day of your trip and if you expect the house and cage to be cleaned when you arrive.
3. Contact Information
Don’t forget to ask and give your contact information to your bird sitter. It’d also help if you could provide details about your campground or hotel.
If your bird sitter has any inquiries and can’t contact you via email or texts, you may also provide your friends’ or families’ contact details.
4. Vet Information
Don’t forget to provide the name of your veterinarian as well. It’s important to let the veterinarian know who will care for your birds while you are away.
The last thing you want to happen when you’re away is your pet getting sick.
But if your bird needs to visit the vet, provide the pet caretaker with a signed authorization form.
Make a note of your veterinarian’s name, contact details, and clinic address for your pet sitter. Let people know whether you have pet insurance at this point.
Include your bird’s medical background, especially if it has any recurring health problems. Include the contact information for an after-hours emergency veterinary clinic as an added precaution.
Then, if financial limitations or care requirements arise because of a bird’s known illness, let the doctor and the parrot sitter know.
5. House Information
The last thing you want while you’re leaving is to be pestered with inquiries about where the electrical panel is.
Your Wi-Fi network and password, as well as any security codes or other crucial information, should be communicated to your bird sitter in advance.
Last but not least, before you depart, make sure to stock up on all of your pet’s necessities and leave them out in the open where your pet sitter can readily locate them.
This will prevent them from having to leave your pet to get more supplies.
What Are the Duties of a Pet Sitter?
Feeding, interacting with your bird, and cage cleaning are all included in bird-sitting services.
You can ask your bird sitter to bathe or groom your pet bird and engage it in games or activities stimulating the mind.
Professional bird sitters must undergo first aid training, be licensed, and have client references.
Some pet sitters also deliver mail, pick up newspapers, and water plants at their clients’ residences.
Where to Find a Bird Sitter
Asking friends, family, or neighbors who also own birds for references is the most effective approach to discovering a reputable bird sitter.
Inquire whether your local humane society and your veterinarian have staff members working as part-time bird watchers. Try looking for adverts on bulletin boards at nearby businesses or your veterinarian’s office.
Additionally, you can look for bird sitters online. You can search for qualified applicants on neighborhood and local Facebook groups and pages.
However, membership lists from professional pet-sitting organizations like Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters are more trustworthy.
Another convenient resource for finding the top local bird sitters is Care.com.
Simply input your requirements for a bird sitter, check out parent reviews, and arrange a visit at a time that works for you. There are hundreds of local ads, along with the best bird-sitting experts.
There’s a good chance that the local bird club has a list of pet bird sitters if there is one.
If you can’t find one, a dependable friend, neighbor, or family member who gets along with your bird and can take care of it will do.
Do You Provide Food for Pet Sitter?
You are not obliged to provide food for your pet or bird sitter unless you want to. The bird sitter’s rate is usually inclusive, but discuss the food, guests, tv, and sleeping arrangements before booking with your chosen sitter.
Other bird owners leave extra food and a generous tip for their bird sitters since they find them a valuable resource. But it all boils down to your personal preferences.
Final Recap on What to Instruct a Bird Sitter
And that’s it! We hope you’ve picked up several valuable information about what to instruct a bird sitter from this guide.
Of course, food, shower, cleaning arrangements, sleeping time, and mentally-stimulating activities should be the sitter’s priorities.
But you also need to provide complete information about your pet, trip, avian veterinarian, and house to make it easier for your bird sitter to do the job.
In return, you may ask your pet sitter for updates via email or text to see how your bird is doing. And if you have security cameras around your home, you may check your bird’s situation anywhere.
However, how should you choose the right pet sitter? The article below will answer that question.
Have we missed something on our list of what to instruct a bird sitter? Let us know in the comment section below.
