I know it sounds strange but, the fact that this girl works at a bird store to me would be no. 1 in not hiring her.
I have always been amazed at how many pet store employees are too scared of getting bitten to actually handle any birds. I know this isn't true in every case but there have been many times where I have said 'leave it. I'll do it myself' when puchasing a bird.

I think there is only one way to see if someone is going to be good with your birds. You've got to see how they physically handle them, and your birds reactions to the person in question is the safest way to measure their worth as a sitter.
Hope you find a sitter that you can rely on for future peace of mind.

Debbi
NZ

Around here, most of the people that work in pet stores would be fine with Bebe. But Bebe is very friendly for a GSC.

Agree with Debbi on trial, and seeing if good with birds. We were in Europe for two months and before we went Bebe spent a few weekends with siter to make sure all would be OK for all. We have heard of some horra stories, but Bebe was just fine and had no problems.

Murray

Please! Everyone out there who uses a birdsitter - Always,
ALWAYS, have a back-up! And don't just "take their word" for
it if you call and are told everything is fine.
When I had to work a 12 hour day week-end and called to see how
my birds were doing (I had them at a so-called friends house),
they were in the process of dying from dehydration and starvation -
and I was told everything was fine.......Long story short, I lost
12 birds, some expensive, some not. They sat there looking at a
huge bag of pellets as they died...My "friend" had put her daughter
in charge - who just happened to work at a bird shop!!
This was a nightmare I would not wish on anyone...These people
assured me they would make it right, they knew what they did, and
although it really wasn't about the $1600 worth of birds, they
have never done a thing and now blame ME for the bird's death and
her daughter losing her job...
Truly there are scum out there, even among those who claim to
love animals and have even been involved in rescue. For the sake
of your beloved birds, always have a back-up and have them CHECK
UP on the primary caregiver. Even if you totally trust them, illness
or an accident might prevent them from showing up. Having a back-up
could have saved my precious babies...It was a heartbreaking way
to learn a sad sad lesson.........

Wow, this is horrible stuff. Some people...

I guess I'm fortunate to have friends who have birds who could pet-sit for me if necessary. If you guys have bird clubs in your areas, they're a good way to meet bird people. I figure if they can keep their own birds healthy for a few years they can keep mine well enough for a few days.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

byrdsatplay
You would think people doing animal rescue and working
in bird shops would know how to keep birds alive for a few
days too, wouldn't you?
Although it makes me very sad to talk about it, I guess it
helps me to "vent". And if my story can help save even one
bird then perhaps it will give some meaning to something I
will never understand or find forgiveable.......

Bird sitters is a great topic to get spun up about.
I always have the sitter call me from my home phone when they arrive at my house. If they don’t call me on time I start calling them. I always get a phone number and a backup phone number that they can be reached at 24/7. I ask if they have a back up sitter and get their name and number also. If they don’t I line one up. Most bird sitters are women and more often than not they have husbands, boyfriends or kids that often come with them. This can be a problem. I always check this out. I have a check-of list hanging on the inside of the door they leave from with blocks to check every visit.
Besides the usual list of things to do I always add things like double checking that the cage and feeding doors are closed, the thermostat is set correctly, they called me and don’t forget to lock the door.
If you have flighted birds, think twice before you tell the sitter its OK to let them out of the cage. It’s the second person in the house with the door open smoking a cigarette or the kid this decides to come running in or out the door at exactly the wrong time that can be a disaster.
I find birds and sitters don’t act the same way when you’re not around. If you get a nanny-cam and have it accessible remotely from the internet you can keep an eye on what’s going on with your birds as well as the bird sitter. I find its best if you let them know if you do have a camera.

Mike Bross
Phoenix AZ

Mike, thanks so much, this is excellent advise, duh why didn't I think of it. The sitter bringing the boyfriend irked me too. I've been thinking about going with one of the professional services, most are insured and bonded and I could find out if they have backup. Also being a more formal business arrangment you could really grill them and if you don't like the services you could call and complain.

Can you recommend anyone in the Phoenix area? Who do you use?

Nikki
Phoenix, AZ

Is Noelle Fontaine in the Phoenix or Tucson areas? I forget. She's wonderful macaw mom who has been known to take in boarders for a while. Her kids are clipped. She has a full-time job, so I don't know if she could do in home visits.

Chris, Dobby (YCM), and Pigwidgeon (SIE)

OMG.... :(
Does that put me in that catagory? I have a hubby and kids and other birds and dogs etc...But that is common knowledge around here. I look at it this way, Sadie is the first I have ever sat for, She is in my home and part of the family here as with all of my zoo :) I am not getting paid to do this, I do this out of concern for Sadie, not many people around here would understand how she acts and become annoyed with her actions. When I was approched by her parents, I told them they needed to find someone that was used to larger birds and how they act. That they should find someone in the same way you would find a sitter for your 2 legged kids, You need to think about the safety of your baby and how he/she will respond to the person whom you intrust them with. I had them come to my house and see my other FIDS here and the rest of the zoo. Have the baby get acoustomed to the sitter (unless is part of the family flock already) and not just drop him/her off there and go on your way, they need to have some sort of bonding,a respect for each other. This is not going to happen over night either. Your baby senses people and thier true actions , you learn from them who is going to work out for you the best. This works with other babies too..Even the 2 legged ones :)
I don't know if this will be of any help to anyone, but I have found that mostly this approach works out for the best. This gives you a chance to get to really know the sitter and for the "bond" to be established. And gives you Peace of mind , knowing that they will be cared for while you are away :)
Best Reguards,
Star and FIDS

"She was not quite what you would call refined.
She was not quite what you would call unrefined.
She was the kind of person who keeps a parrot."
~Mark Twain~

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry for your loss!!!! I would be madder than a wet hen!!!!!! people make me so mad sometimes...

I am very sorry for your loss. I can't believe some people! Doing absolutly nothing, killing your birds, and then blaming you for it!!? I am glad that your "friend's" daughter got fired! She was probably prevented from killing lots of other birds! No animal desreves to die like that! Just bacause of laziness! I know this might sound crazy, but you could sue them! ( If you live in America. )

Noelle Fontaine lives in Tempe, Arizona and now does bird-sitting. She has a web site. I can't remember the name but she would be an excellent choice for a bird sitter. Your birds would be in the best of hands with her. Only problem would be they might not want to come home. LOL

Bev, Zazu, Sally Ann and Gypsy