Bird care during the holidays: which solution should you choose?
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
For the holidays, the best solution is almost always to have your bird cared for at home: unchanged surroundings, minimal stress. A daily visit from a friend or a pet-sitter (10 to 20 € per visit) is enough for a pair of budgies for one to two weeks. Specialist boarding (8 to 25 € per day) and travelling with the bird are best kept for long absences or highly dependent parrots.
Contents · 5 sections
Which options should you compare, and at what price?
- Friend or neighbour at your home: free to 10 € per visit; ideal if the person is properly briefed.
- Professional pet-sitter at your home: 10 to 20 € per daily visit, insurance included.
- Care at the sitter's home or with a foster family: 5 to 15 € per day, cage transport included.
- Specialist bird boarding: 8 to 25 € per day depending on size; insist on quarantine and trained staff.
- Taking the bird along: realistic by car for long stays, to be prepared seriously.
How do you set up in-home care so it goes smoothly?
Write an instruction sheet: exact rations, permitted vegetables, warning signs (huddled bird, abnormal droppings), the avian vet's contact details and an authorisation for treatment in your absence. Have the carer come round once before you leave, prepare the seed portions in advance, double up feeders and drinkers as a precaution, and forbid out-of-cage time if the person is not experienced — most care accidents are escapes through a window. Our guides in the travel and safety section round out the preparation.
Is boarding risky for a bird?
The main risk is sanitary: proximity to birds from various backgrounds means exposure to psittacosis or viruses. A serious boarding facility requires a recent veterinary certificate, keeps boarders separate and sends you updates. Visit before booking. For an elderly or ill bird, always prefer home care.
What if you are only away for a weekend?
Two days maximum: healthy birds, kept in pairs, with double feeders, multiple drinkers and a clean cage floor can stay alone for 48 hours — never longer, and never a lone bird, an ill one or a large parrot, which is highly sensitive to isolation, as our article on day-to-day life with a parrot explains. Beyond that, organise at least one visit per day.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you find a pet-sitter who knows birds?
Pet-sitting platforms with an exotics filter, avian welfare associations, local bird clubs: ask for specific « bird » references.
Can I leave an automatic feeder and go away for a week?
No: a dispenser clogs, droppings change within 24 hours, a bird masks its illness — without a daily visit, nobody will notice anything.
Should I move the cage to the carer's home or keep the bird at mine?
At yours if possible: moving the cage adds stress; only do it for long stays with someone you trust.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Parrot outdoor harness with elastic lead (€25.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Birds universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
