Birdie backpacks - experiences and things to consider?

[angelbird]

Hello there!
As one of my cockatiels is quite tame, I have recently ordered him a celltei pak-o-bird backpack which I have found for a cheap price on marketplace that seemed to be in good condition.
So far, he has only been outside to go to the vet or to bring him to a friends house when we travel.

Now, to go on walks with him, he would be seperated from his birdie friend because she is super shy and I couldn't get her in it.
I was wondering whether other people have expiriences in similar situations, is it an issue to bring only one bird out?

And generally, to those who bring their birds outside with them, how did you get them used to it? Did they immediantly like it, take time to adjust, or did they never warm up to it?

I would be grateful for any advice, experiences or other threats about bird backpacks, if there are any. I hope everyone reading this has a good day.

 

[Tazlima]

I routinely take one of my birds out in the backpack.

From a technical perspective, the built in perch design (assuming it's similar to mine - a dowel attached with a single screw at each end) leaves a lot to be desired. The dowel surface is slippery, and if the screws loosen even a little bit, it will rotate under their feet, making for an unstable ride.

The solution for mine was to:

1) Replace the dowel with a branching stick. My backpack has a hole for a water bottle that I don't use, so one of the branched bits goes through that hole, and the other is affixed in the usual spot. (See attached photo). This removes any chance of rotation. If your bag doesn't have a hole like that, you can also simply trim the branch piece so it leans on the back or floor of the pack for the same result.

2) For the "slippery" part, I wrap mine in vetwrap to give a good, non-slip surface for them to grip. That way if I have to bend over or something unexpectedly, they can easily hang on.

.....

Don't rush the training. If you force them into the pack, they'll end up hating the whole experience. To start getting them interested, set the open backpack nearby when you do your regular training sessions for a while, but don't make any moves toward it at all.

Once they're basically ignoring it, start using it for "treat storage" during training sessions. So if you're working on step-up, place the treat bowl (or whatever you have) in the backpack, ask for a step up, grab the bowl and bring it out to them for the treat. Have them step down as usual, and replace the treats in the backpack. Don't do anything else different from your usual training sessions. Once they realize "the treats come from there, and are left unguarded", they may venture into the pack themselves to raid the stash (which is perfect, but you can play like they're being naughty and remove them (after being "slow to notice" and letting them feast). At the very least, they'll start moving toward the pack for their rewards.

Once they're doing that much reliably, only then do you want to start asking them to move toward or into the pack itself, and let them come back out immediately. The pack needs to be a source of fun and treats before they're closed inside and before you start taking them outside. For mine, they always have the choice to go in the pack or not. If they don't want to ride, I leave them home that day.

Depending on your bird, all those steps can take a long time to get through, weeks or even months if they're skittish. Don't rush it. A slow introduction is much faster than overcoming an initial bad experience.

....

Going out in the backpack is mentally and physically exhausting for them. The first few times, they'll find the outside world alarming, so keep the trips short. Even after they get comfortable and look forward to the trips, they'll be tired afterward. I think of it like horseback riding. The horse may be doing the walking, but riding works muscles for the human, too, and you can get sore if you overdo it at first.

.....

Bringing out just one bird is fine, but be prepared for the one left behind to be upset and flock call for their missing friend.

.....


Finally, don't leave the backpack where the birds can reach it when not in use. They may get a bit too comfortable with it and start chewing holes, which is much easier to do from the outside (learned that one the hard way, lol)!

 

[angelbird]

@Tazlima thank you so much!! I will definitly follow your advice to get him adjusted to the backpack. Zazu isn't exactly skittish, but he's suspicious of anything that he doesn't know so it might take some time.
I'll wrap the perch in vet tape as well, but I'm not quite sure where to get it? Is any vet tape bird safe?

 

[Tazlima]

@Tazlima thank you so much!! I will definitly follow your advice to get him adjusted to the backpack. Zazu isn't exactly skittish, but he's suspicious of anything that he doesn't know so it might take some time.
I'll wrap the perch in vet tape as well, but I'm not quite sure where to get it? Is any vet tape bird safe?

If you google vet wrap, you'll find it at most major vendors. It's not actually tape, as there's no adhesive. It was originally designed for use in veterinary medicine, because it won't stick to skin or fur, and only sticks to itself, so it's a perfect material for animal bandages (they use it in human medicine now, too, under a different name).

Any brand should be fine for this purpose. It won't hurt your birds if they chew on it, but could cause crop impactions if ingested, so it's a good idea to replace the wrap if it gets gnawed or frayed, and if you see them actually swallowing it, remove if completely.

 

[angelbird]

Ahh thank you I will do that!!

 

[angelbird]

Update: I bought a second hand celltei backpack. It‘s nice but it seems to lack stability. Does anyone know what‘s missing and how I can fix it?

 

[angelbird]

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