Summer, exotic pets alone at home? The vet: "No more than 24 hours."

From bearded dragons to parrots, Nicola Di Girolamo: "After the holidays, there have been many cases of heat stroke. Pet sitters should be trained on their needs."

Snakes, rabbits, parrots, fish, wallabies, kangaroos, otters, ferrets, meerkats, bearded dragons. Exotic pets require attention, and on the eve of Ferragosto (August 15th), it's important to plan ahead if you're thinking of leaving them at home, assuming they're less demanding than your faithful friend. "My personal advice is to avoid leaving exotic pets alone for more than 24 hours, even though bearded dragons and snakes may not eat for several days. However, snakes live at home in a terrarium, which is a delicate structure with lights. If the lights go out, these animals risk being left in the cold for 2-3 days, with a high risk of dying," veterinarian Nicola Di Girolamo, associate professor at Cornell University (New York), who specializes in exotic animals, explains this to Adnkronos Salute.

"We can think about some exotic animals that rarely eat, but—for example—a rabbit must eat continuously, and leaving it alone for more than 24 hours means it won't have enough food," he continues. "It's true that nowadays there are automatic feeders that are used at home when you're away, but it can happen—and it's not uncommon—that the animal can accidentally tamper with them, as cats do, causing them to jam or dispense all their food at once." The recommendation is based on field experience: "High temperatures, and in Italy during the August holiday season, it can be very hot, are a risk for rabbits because they can suffer from heat stroke, which we often see in clinics. So, if you absolutely have to go away, you shouldn't leave them on the balcony because they could die, or leave them alone at home because they could be locked in a room without food." And what about birds? "Never leave them alone because they eat and drink a lot and need to be cared for in this regard," Di Girolamo specifies.

Often, those who have exotic pets organize themselves; if they need to go away for several days, they entrust the feeding to a friend or a pet sitter. "But even here, the person taking on the task must be informed about the animal's needs and habits," warns the veterinarian. "For example, I'm caring for a cockatoo parrot that had been entrusted to a pet sitter, but he didn't know that the bird only ate when its owner was nearby, so it stopped eating and became ill. The owner brought it to me. They are very intelligent animals," he concludes, "and there's no way to make them happy."