# Leaving My Dove (only for a short time!) Will She Forget Me?



## NewDoveInTown (May 20, 2013)

Me again! I am really happy being apart of this forum! I'll try to do this short and simple. :3


I'm on vacation, visiting my sisters in Texas (I live in Michigan), for two and a half weeks.... And I'm miserable. I love my sisters so much, I really do! But, I miss my dove. There are wild morning doves _everywhere_! I see them preening and cooing and I am miserable with all my worries.

I left my only female ringneck dove in Mochigan with a very close friend who has watched her before and everything went very well. 

My dove had just bonded with me a week before we left for Texas (the first time my dove was staying at my friends house, she just tolerated everyone), and instead of a couple of days like last time, it's for two and a half weeks.

Will my dove forget about me after she just bonded with me? Is she in some bonding-frenzy-state were she'll pick anyone to bond to? She's staying with my friend for a good amount of time...

Well, that's my worries. I'd be so relieved if someone answers my questions, even if the outcome is good or bad.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I went away on holiday for 2 weeks and had to leave my 3 month old pigeon (that I've raised since a baby) for a friend to look after. Well, the bird (to my amazement) immediately recognized me when I returned. It was as if I never went away!

I know how you feel, I felt the same on my trip. Worried a lot if the bird is ok etc. I even took a lot of photo's of other pigeons. Hopefully yours will remember you, if it does not, you will have plenty of time too catch up. Enjoy your holiday.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

NewDoveInTown said:


> Me again! I am really happy being apart of this forum! I'll try to do this short and simple. :3
> 
> 
> I'm on vacation, visiting my sisters in Texas (I live in Michigan), for two and a half weeks.... And I'm miserable. I love my sisters so much, I really do! But, I miss my dove. There are wild morning doves _everywhere_! I see them preening and cooing and I am miserable with all my worries.
> ...


No she won't forget.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

There was a feral pigeon who remembered me a year after I had moved to another city. He was part of the neighborhood flock near where I had lived, and where I had released several rescued and re-habbed pigeons. I could tell he remembered me, since he "helicoptered" in a couple of tight circles around me. Unfortunately I had nothing with me, to acknowledge him. We merely looked at each other for a while.


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## jordan.royal (Sep 7, 2010)

Pigeons/doves have EXCELLENT memory. I have a single pigeon, snowball. She is bonded with me and when I went away to college, snowball stayed with my grandmother for my freshman year. Then I went out of the country for the summer and back to school for my sophomore year. During this time I saw snowball maybe 3 times for about an hour. When I finally got my apartment close to campus I went to get snowball and she flew to me like I never left her side. Mind you, my grandmother tried desperately to get snowball to bond to her but snowball refused the ENTIRE time. And snowball was kept with other birds, including a young male pigeon, Rock.

So all in all. I would worry about her forgetting you, she may be a little upset that you were gone but she will most definitely remember you


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## NewDoveInTown (May 20, 2013)

*Thank you very much!*

I'm back from my vacation and all your replies gave me strength! Only now I can reply because of Internet problems. 

Much to my relief my dove (I believe) recognized me! It's just that she's a very mellow bird and will perhaps love everyone. Even at my friend's house she preened my friend and ate from her hand. (which took her a long time to get used to)

She still gives me as much affection as normal and today she did something amazing. For the first time with me and perhaps since I got her at a year old, she laid an egg!

I had originally put a nice comfy nest in her cage and now a white/creamy egg is in it along with my dove. I'm very new to this whole egg-thing! Since there isn't a male dove in the cage (and not in my house), will she stay on the egg until she gets dehydrated? 

I don't want to forcefully get her out and she seems content in just sitting there until she might lay her second egg, though I've heard some doves lay one egg.

Will she know when to get on and off since there isn't another dove 'incubating' the eggs?


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## jordan.royal (Sep 7, 2010)

Glad to know that your dove remembered you. Once you've properly socialized your bird they'll tolerate anyone but once they're fed up they'll come right back to you. My pigeon, snowball will let anyone pet her as long as she can see me, once she loses sight she is in the air looking for me. 

One time I took snowball to the park to let her get some free flight exercise (there are virtually no birds of prey so I don't have to worry much about that) and within minutes there was a crowd of about 20 people just passing her around and snowball seemed ok with. One guy blocked her sight and snowball went crazy. Pigeons have a loud clap when they fly and that scared everybody and she flew right to me.

But about the egg, once birds are bonded with you, they begin to see you as their mate. With you being gone, your dove obviously missed you and got so excited with your return that she laid an egg. She will lay on the egg for about two weeks. She will also look to you for relief from her duties. What I do is, about every half hour or so (when snowball has eggs) I take her out of her cage and take her to the bathroom to relieve herself. And I let her stay out until she feels the need to go back to her nest. Your bird will hold her bowels for as long as she can in an effort to keep her nest area clean. She will still get up to eat and drink but make sure to take her out every once in a while so she can use the bathroom

Hope this helps!


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## jordan.royal (Sep 7, 2010)

Also, your bird will let you know when she's done laying on the eggs. She'll start to sit on them less and less. Once you notice that she is eating and drink more than tending to her eggs, you can just throw them away.


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