Q: I’m getting ready to go on vacation for two weeks and I am thinking of boarding my bird. I am feeling extreme guilt about having to leave her. I am thinking of boarding her at either a vet clinic or a pet hotel. I live in an area that has no bird stores at all. The issue is that my parrotlet is a special needs bird. Will it cost more because she has special needs? Should I provide her special perches to them? Are there any questions or steps that I can take to provide them with to ensure that she is taken care of? Are there any questions that I should ask up front since she has special needs? Thank you.

Sandee Molenda explains:

All depends on the ‘special needs’ of your bird. Only you and your vet can determine the level of care and skill required by a caregiver. I would imagine that any kind of ‘special’ handling whether it is a dietary need, administration of medicine or certain environmental requirements would involve higher fees than an animal that does not require such care. However, you would need to discuss that with the proposed caregiver before hiring them. I would not change anything in the bird’s cage whether it is toys, perch types or placement, special equipment such as ladders or sleeping areas that is not normally part of its’ environment. Only you and your vet know what type of special needs your bird has and what it needs so I would make sure to have a list of questions to ask the potential caregiver prior to hiring them.