Re-Homing a 5 Year Old CAG

[Rich Craig]

So as the title says my wife and I are Re-Homing a 5 year old Congo African Grey. We will be it's 3rd home in its life. The original owners had her for over 4 years and a divorce caused her to be re-homed to the family that has her now. This family got her on August 15th and says she is not working out. I think the main reason is because the CAG was supposed to be for the wife but has attached itself to the husband. I have had a CAG in the past but I raised him from a baby, this will be my first time with a re-homed bird. The current owners have been very host about her behavior. Sounds like she is very stubborn, but mainly only towards the wife. There has been biting issues and lack of eating unless the bird is in the cage. I know it seems like a bunch to take on but for some reason this just feels like it was meant to be for me and my family. We will be meeting the current family halfway to make the transfer which is about a 12 hour drive round trip, so not sure how much stress that will be on the bird. Any advice you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome to the Avenue

Boy they have not even given this bird time to settle in yet Hopefully she will find her perfect happy place in your home!

Are you looking for advice specifically for the trip or the settling in period?

For the trip many find that covering half the cage is helpful, stopping frequently to let the bird stretch and rest its feet from hanging on so tight and also grab a drink or bite to eat, no water dish usually for actual travel but fresh fruit instead- seats stay dry this way and water is offered when you stop for a short rest, make sure any toys in the cage are secured so they do not swing about and hit the bird.

For settling in I would say do not expect anything but be ready for everything lol, seriously I think you should let the bird lead and tell you when she is ready to interact, investigate, communicate and be a part of what is your normal life.

 

[Clueless]

@Hankmacaw any tips for long car rides?

 

[ParrotNuts]

@Hankmacaw any tips for long car rides?

@MiniMacaw had a long vet drive with her birds recently I think.

 

[Rich Craig]

Welcome to the Avenue

Boy they have not even given this bird time to settle in yet Hopefully she will find her perfect happy place in your home!

Are you looking for advice specifically for the trip or the settling in period?

For the trip many find that covering half the cage is helpful, stopping frequently to let the bird stretch and rest its feet from hanging on so tight and also grab a drink or bite to eat, no water dish usually for actual travel but fresh fruit instead- seats stay dry this way and water is offered when you stop for a short rest, make sure any toys in the cage are secured so they do not swing about and hit the bird.

For settling in I would say do not expect anything but be ready for everything lol, seriously I think you should let the bird lead and tell you when she is ready to interact, investigate, communicate and be a part of what is your normal life.

Thanks so much. I was thinking the same about the current owner not giving her enough time to get used to all the new after being with the original family for 4 years. Was looking for advice for both the ride and the settling in and you have some great advice. Thanks again.

 

[Miss Annamarie]

Me and River had a 6 hour trip, a 12 for me. She has a large dog kennel we used and there was about 2 perches in there. I had 1 or 2 toys but NOT hanging, they were screwed to the side. She didn't use them since she hadn't really liked toys ever from what I know but it was still offered. It was warm out and every 2 hours back I stopped and let her have about a 10 minute break from driving which she really appreciated.

 

[MiniMacaw]

I actually live just a few mins from my vet thankfully, but I did have quite a drive when picking up my macaw for the first time. I think Shezbug gave really good advice. I found so long as the cage is secure and safely outfitted with a couple toys, most parrots will be just fine on a long road trip.

 

[Greylady1966]

My CAG, Nikki, would get car sick. My husband made her a higher seat that her travel house could buckle into. I'm sure you already have planned out how your getting there. I always checked ahead of time if there were CAV along the way in case of accident ect.

 

[Tazlima]

For the car ride, arrange a perch so the parrot can sit with their face is near a grate/window they can grab with their beak. This will provide a 3rd point of contact to grip while the car is in motion.

For longer term, give her time to adjust. I don't know how many homes my grey had before me. (She was 11 when I got her and the previous owner only had her a year. The rest is a mystery). It took a loooong time for her to really be comfortable in my home, like 18 months. She was polite, but stand-offish. It really felt like I was dealing with a teenager who had been bounced from home to home and was afraid to get comfortable in case she got sent away again.

 

[Circling]

That covers quite a bit of his or her history. With a warm car, and no drafts from windows, you'll definitely have lots of time to talk or sing to each other!