FAQ

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Q: What do I need to bring for boarding?
A: You need to supply their food, carrier, and toys for their stay. We ask that if you’re bringing fresh/frozen food, you prepare it ahead of time in a ziplock bag. For longer stays where fresh food may go bad, you can provide a food budget for us to use instead.

Q: Do you supply cages for boarding?
A: Yes, there are a total of 21 boarding cages (18 in the boarding room and 3 in the large bird room) to accommodate every species of bird to use during their stay. Our boarding cages include perches and dishes; however, you can bring additional cage accessories to help your bird feel more comfortable. If you’d like to bring your own bird’s cage to use during their stay, they have to stay in the private boarding room (additional $6/night) as we can not guarantee the security of other people’s cages and want to avoid the risk of injuries caused by escapees.

Q: Do you let boarding birds out of their cages?
A: Yes, under supervision, either together or separately, unless their owner requests they stay in their cage.

Q: When can I drop off or pick up my bird?
A: Between 8AM and 8PM. Drop-off and pickup times MUST be scheduled ahead of time (no later than the morning of) to ensure we are home. Please do not show up without scheduling a drop-off or pickup time.

Q: Can I get my bird groomed while they’re boarding?
A: Of course! We are happy to offer our grooming services during your bird’s stay and can add the grooming costs to the boarding total.

Q: Can I come to see the boarding facility before booking my bird for boarding?
A: Yes, we are more than happy to allow pre-boarding tours before booking for boarding. Contact us to arrange a time during the week.

Q: Is the home bird safe?
A: Yes, safety is our number one priority here and since there are many everyday toxic items to birds such as Teflon cookware, candles, aerosols, heavy metals (lead/zinc/copper), and numerous other chemicals, we have made sure to eliminate anything from our home that could pose a risk to their wellbeing. That includes only using stainless steel/cast iron cookware, non-scented/natural cleaning products, and storing any bird-toxic foods in a safe place.

Q: Do you require a deposit to hold a spot for boarding?
A: No, we don’t; however, if plans change and you need to cancel or change dates, please let us know as soon as possible.

Q: Do you board other animals
A: Yes, we can board up to 3 dogs under 60lb from 2 separate households ($40/night per dog), and can look after other small animals, reptiles, and chickens ($20/night per pet)

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Q: Can you guarantee that my bird can’t fly away now that they’re clipped?
A: No, clipped birds can still fly! Clipping limits their ability to fly, but unlike popular assumption, it does not take away their flight altogether. Please never take your bird outside without a harness, carrier, or travel cage unless they’re professionally free-flight trained (and even then, accidents happen!)

Q: What’s a blood feather, and why can’t you clip it?
A: A blood feather is an immature feather that still contains blood in the feather shaft. They can’t be clipped as they will bleed and may need to be pulled if the bleeding does not stop.

Q: When should I get my bird’s beak trimmed?
A: Beak trims should only be done if the beak is overgrown, causing difficulty performing daily activities such as eating or climbing, or deformed (scissor beaks or prognathism). It’s also worth noting that a parrot’s beak should have a sharp tip on the upper mandible, which allows them to crack open nuts/seeds and crush apart pellets, so I will not file down the tip to get rid of the sharp point.

Q: When should I get my bird’s nails trimmed?
A: Nail trims are recommended if the nails are overgrown, deformed, or too sharp for the owner’s comfort. Difficulty performing daily activities such as perching or climbing is a sign that their nails are too long, and whenever a nail begins to curl towards the toe, it needs to be trimmed ASAP to avoid injury/discomfort to the bird.

Q: How often should I make a grooming appointment?
A: Beaks, wings, and nails grow at different rates depending on each bird, so how frequently they’ll require grooming varies. Keeping track of the amount of time between each appointment is the best way to figure out how frequently they’ll need grooming for their needs.

Q: When do you offer grooming appointments
A: We offer grooming appointments on Mondays/Wednesdays from 12PM – 8PM, Tuesdays/Thursdays from 8AM – 11AM, and occasionally on weekends.

Q: What tools do you use for grooming?
A: For beaks and nails, we prefer to use a Dremel tool at low to medium speed. Sometimes we have to switch to nail clippers if the bird becomes too stressed by the dremel’s noise. For wings, we use regular scissors.

Q: How long does grooming usually take?
A: It usually takes around 5 minutes to do a beak, wing, or nail trim, depending on how cooperative the bird is with being toweled and what they need done during their appointment.

Q: Will you show me how to trim my bird?
A: I’m happy to show you how to properly trim your bird’s beak, wings, or nails and will even walk you through it if you’d like to try it during your bird’s appointment; however, I’d strongly advise you bring tools yourself so you can get used to them.

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Q: What payment options do you offer?
A: We accept payment by cash or e-transfer. Unfortunately, we can not take payments by debit or credit cards as we do not have a card reader due to the high fees associated with them