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A new adventure on the horizon

SeverelySweet

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Sometimes in life, we just have to say "enough is enough", and accept it when our efforts become futile. After 20 years of continuous battling to just barely survive and exist in Socal, the time has come for me to say that I'm done here.

I just don't have it in me anymore...and I'm so very tired of merely existing, rather than living!

With that being said, I've decided that it's time for Syd and I to take life in a different direction...in the next week or two, I'm packing up whatever is necessary to take with me in my Jeep, putting Syds cage on the roof, and we will be Florida bound!

It's going to be a really long trip...unfortunately, Syd hasn't learned to drive yet, so it will just be me behind the wheel. I know he will be an awesome co-pilot...but, I'm thinking he will be over it within a day or 2 lol.

I know some of you have done some long distance driving with your featherbabies, so I was hoping to maybe hear some suggestions on how to make things work best for my little guy, so that he won't get all stressed out over several days of hours upon hours in a vehicle.

Any and all suggestions, ideas, and advice are welcome!

Please and thank you!
 

finchly

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How fun! Hope you make it over here to the W coast. It''s the best. :D

Mine like looking out the window so they don't get bored. The hard part is eating someplace without leaving them alone in the car. I'm sure someone else has ideas.

Good luck and be safe!
 

TikiMyn

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Good luck on your journey! I am happy you are moving to a place where you can truly be happy:)
 

MommyBird

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We've driven between CO and PA a number of times for moving and long visits.
That's a long drive with just you driving.
Remember- depending on your route, in the west and Midwest it can sometimes be a long ways between gas stations.
Plan to stop before dark if you can. My guys hate the big trucks but add in headlights and while they never panicked, they didn't like it.
Have some sort of car sunscreen to put in the window or large towels/blankets to put over cage to block hot sun or headlights.
No hanging toys to bump into him.
lots of favorite shreddables for working off tension and keeping quiet in hotel.
Hello McDonald's drive-thru!
Wishing you a safe journey and good fortune in your new home. Let us know when you arrive!
 

Familyof12

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What a wonderful adventure! Plus you will see all the fall colors as you drive through the different states! I've done long drives with Tito our lovebird. He loves the car a lot! I've learned to put his travel cage a little higher (he's little) so he can look out the window. I will admit to breaking down and putting him in the front of the car for an hour of him doing his "call" to me. I put him back when he fell asleep and didn't scream "call" after that. He just would call, and I would answer, and he'd get quiet. I'll tell you though, I did not use my rearview mirror for traffic as much as I did looking at Tito to see if he was okay.

I made a lot of stops. Brought his cage out, let him enjoy not moving, give him lots of treats, re-fresh his water, sight see (gave me a good reason to talk out loud) and get back in the car. I enjoyed it. I don't believe I would have enjoyed my 18 hour trip otherwise (we drove from NoCal to Washington near Canada) and back.

Now he loves car rides. He can tell when we're going somewhere and begins that call looking straight at us, asking for rides.
 

javi

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Congrats on the move. New places are always fun.
Hoping you are taking cage apart and wrapping it up for the trip. I am sure ya will hit some rain on the way over and screws and wheels have a way of coming loose with the vibrations.
 

SeverelySweet

Sprinting down the street
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How fun! Hope you make it over here to the W coast. It''s the best. :D

Mine like looking out the window so they don't get bored. The hard part is eating someplace without leaving them alone in the car. I'm sure someone else has ideas.

Good luck and be safe!
The West coast is the best coast!

I'm actually going to St. Petersburg. I lived in Clearwater for awhile when *I* fledged the nest (omg has it really been 35 years?), and I absolutely loved it!

My sister relocated there a little over 2 years ago, and my mom just moved up there from Jensen Beach about 2 weeks ago. My bestie (who I haven't seem in 6 years) was Iiving in St. Augustine and was having some domestic issues, so she packed up, and moved to my sisters, lol...it would seem that St. Pete is the place to be!
 

SeverelySweet

Sprinting down the street
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What a wonderful adventure! Plus you will see all the fall colors as you drive through the different states! I've done long drives with Tito our lovebird. He loves the car a lot! I've learned to put his travel cage a little higher (he's little) so he can look out the window. I will admit to breaking down and putting him in the front of the car for an hour of him doing his "call" to me. I put him back when he fell asleep and didn't scream "call" after that. He just would call, and I would answer, and he'd get quiet. I'll tell you though, I did not use my rearview mirror for traffic as much as I did looking at Tito to see if he was okay.

I made a lot of stops. Brought his cage out, let him enjoy not moving, give him lots of treats, re-fresh his water, sight see (gave me a good reason to talk out loud) and get back in the car. I enjoyed it. I don't believe I would have enjoyed my 18 hour trip otherwise (we drove from NoCal to Washington near Canada) and back.

Now he loves car rides. He can tell when we're going somewhere and begins that call looking straight at us, asking for rides.
Syd really likes riding...he's my "ride or die...we rollin' they hatin'" buddy. Lol

He despises riding in the carrier, and will constantly pace...same with his travel cage. He gets really really stressed out if he's locked up, so I remedied that with a makeshift "copilot perch" (basically a stick that a secure to the top of the driver and passenger seats, shoulder height). This way, he can see out the windows...a 360 view. He likes to "fly" when we first start moving...he stand dead center of the perch, leans forward a little, and spreads his wings. No flapping, just gliding along, lol.

In spite of the fact that I know he's comfortable in co-pilot position, the longest drive he's done with me has been just about 2 hours...the distance from home to Long Beach, with only minimal bouts of traffic. Hopefully, he will remain the happy co-pilot doing multiple days of this.

I've done many cross country treks in my life, and I'm a rest stop junkie...lol...we will definitely be getting out and stretching, and enjoying not moving! Unfortunately, even after trying for the last 6 months to get him into the harness (it took almost 18 months just to move it across the room to where his cage is, without him completely freaking out), there's been no success with even getting his head through it...he will definitely have to be caged when we exit the Jeep. I let his wings grow out completely, and though he still hasn't figured out that he can fly, being in the middle of nowhere and having him realize it is too big a risk to take!
 

Hankmacaw

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Yeah, frequent stops are a must. When I was traveling a lot in my RV, I forced myself to stop every two hours and give myself and the birds a break. My feelings are that that allowed us to drive longer and farther every day. I always kept in mind that the birds couldn't sit like me and were constantly bracing on their legs, so really needed a rest stop.

Hank loved his naps and learned to grab the side of the cage with one foot and brace to take his naps. We had a fine time traveling in the RV.
 

SeverelySweet

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Congrats on the move. New places are always fun.
Hoping you are taking cage apart and wrapping it up for the trip. I am sure ya will hit some rain on the way over and screws and wheels have a way of coming loose with the vibrations.
Lol...yes, it will be completely dismantled, otherwise it couldn't be transported rooftop. It's HUGE!

Since I literally made the decision to go yesterday afternoon, I'm now contemplating a couple different options...like maybe a small trailer, if I can find one that's not too expensive to rent. It would definitely make less worry over the cage receiving any damage, I would be able to take more of my belongings (I'm already able minimalist, but downsizing even more just sucks), and I would have enough space in the back to actually lay down and sleep, which would definitely save on hotels.
 

SeverelySweet

Sprinting down the street
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Yeah, frequent stops are a must. When I was traveling a lot in my RV, I forced myself to stop every two hours and give myself and the birds a break. My feelings are that that allowed us to drive longer and farther every day. I always kept in mind that the birds couldn't sit like me and were constantly bracing on their legs, so really needed a rest stop.

Hank loved his naps and learned to grab the side of the cage with one foot and brace to take his naps. We had a fine time traveling in the RV.
Yes, that weighs heavy on my mind...Syd being able to take his beloved naps. His travel cage is really only large enough that he can sit on the perch without either his head or tail touching the bars, and he has more than enough room to turn around, even with the food and water dishes in there. He's slept in it for several nights in a row when we've gone down to the marina and stayed on the boats...but it's not very useful for anything other than transporting from vehicle to stationary structure, or putting him to bed.

I'm sure he will figure out how to take his catnaps lol
 

SandraK

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I don't want to make you worry but there are two things I'd recommend because I can't tell what kind of fid you have.
1. Make sure you have a copy of your fids medical records with you.
2. Check the states you will be driving through for restrictions as to what birds can/cannot travel through or at risk of being seized.

Congrats on the move, FL should be cheaper than CA and I suspect you might meet up with several AA members. We're planning on moving to FL around the middle of next year when our lease is up.

I'd also recommend trying to stop for the night before it gets dark. I seem to remember reading somewhere that moving/transporting companion animals when it's dark makes them nervous and jittery since they don't know where they are.
 

Familyof12

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I was going to tell you I purchased a small dog carrier (for my puppy when he was little) and it goes around the passenger seat giving them safety buckles (you may be able to use a harness? Not sure.) and you could probably put his perch on it and he could have a platform too.

Pet Gear Medium Car Booster, Charcoal - Chewy.com

I've been putting their cages into mine (mine is a little different than this one) and buckle them in. I wonder if that will work too?

Whatever you do, you will have a blast! Please take a lot of photos and give us updates if you can! I would love to enjoy your journey with you!

:congrats5: on your new place!!!! :swoon:
 

SeverelySweet

Sprinting down the street
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I don't want to make you worry but there are two things I'd recommend because I can't tell what kind of fid you have.
1. Make sure you have a copy of your fids medical records with you.
2. Check the states you will be driving through for restrictions as to what birds can/cannot travel through or at risk of being seized.

Congrats on the move, FL should be cheaper than CA and I suspect you might meet up with several AA members. We're planning on moving to FL around the middle of next year when our lease is up.

I'd also recommend trying to stop for the night before it gets dark. I seem to remember reading somewhere that moving/transporting companion animals when it's dark makes them nervous and jittery since they don't know where they are.
Sydney is a Severe Macaw. The thought of state restrictions never even occurred to me...thank you for the reminder! See, this is why I love this place!

I've already put in the request for his vet records. I may need a transport truck just for his file...lol...should prove to be pretty hefty, with all the issues he had when I first got him. I already have my sister investigating avian vets in the area, too, so that I will have some idea where to go if need be, before it's time for his yearly well birdie exam.
 

Hankmacaw

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I hope you have a personal protection device, if you plan on stopping in rest areas. Some of them are pretty shaky.
 

SeverelySweet

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I was going to tell you I purchased a small dog carrier (for my puppy when he was little) and it goes around the passenger seat giving them safety buckles (you may be able to use a harness? Not sure.) and you could probably put his perch on it and he could have a platform too.

Pet Gear Medium Car Booster, Charcoal - Chewy.com

I've been putting their cages into mine (mine is a little different than this one) and buckle them in. I wonder if that will work too?

Whatever you do, you will have a blast! Please take a lot of photos and give us updates if you can! I would love to enjoy your journey with you!

:congrats5: on your new place!!!! :swoon:
Thank you!

Wow...this is a great idea! And not only would he have a platform, but a poop catcher too! Lol

Trust me, I plan to take lots and lots of pictures to document our adventure! I'm thinking about creating a Facebook page just for Syd...if I do, I will be sure to post the link here in the forum.
 

Tyrion

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Best of luck in your travels ..cant wait to see your pics ..and stay safe :)
 

SeverelySweet

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I hope you have a personal protection device, if you plan on stopping in rest areas. Some of them are pretty shaky.
Hehe...funny you should mention that. About 10 minutes ago, my friend messaged me to tell me she has a tazer that she's insisting I take with me. If my Italian Broad mouth dosent deter any would be shady people, then the tazer should do the trick lol
 

Hankmacaw

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"Las Vegas" - that should be enough to convince you to take it and KEEP IT WITHIN REACH AT ALL TIMES. There are very evil people out there - thank goodness not many - but enough to keep them in mind.
 

iamwhoiam

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Best of luck with your move. I would also like to leave So. CA. Too much traffic, taxes high and housing $$$$$$$.
 
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