Traveling with a little bird?

[Raisins]

I bring my birds with me whenever I go to visit relatives in a city nearby. It's a 2 hour drive. They are usually very panicky during the journeys and call-chirp the whole way. All buses I've been to accept birds, but it might be different where you live, so check with the companies. Also, if it is not too long of a journey, don't keep food in the cage as birds don't eat it, because they are too busy panicking and the food bowl usually falls to the bottom of the cage when the bus hits a bump in the road. Only keep water, a couple of perches, and a toy in it. I bring a small transport cage with me and their normal cage stays at home. I normally don't stay more than a week in the city, but if I did, I'd fold the normal cage and bring it in a large trash bag. This journey usually happens once or twice a year, so they arent traumatized, but I don't travel with them too often, simply, because it's a stressful ordeal.

 

[Gribouille]

I bring my birds with me whenever I go to visit relatives in a city nearby. It's a 2 hour drive. They are usually very panicky during the journeys and call-chirp the whole way. All buses I've been to accept birds, but it might be different where you live, so check with the companies. Also, if it is not too long of a journey, don't keep food in the cage as birds don't eat it, because they are too busy panicking and the food bowl usually falls to the bottom of the cage when the bus hits a bump in the road. Only keep water, a couple of perches, and a toy in it. I bring a small transport cage with me and their normal cage stays at home. I normally don't stay more than a week in the city, but if I did, I'd fold the normal cage and bring it in a large trash bag. This journey usually happens once or twice a year, so they arent traumatized, but I don't travel with them too often, simply, because it's a stressful ordeal.

thanks for your advice! Pichu doesn't really panick in the car but this would be a 3 to 4 days-trip in the car each way + 3 weeks at 3 or 4 different houses. Not sure if he would be better off through all this than staying home and being p***ed for half of the time...

 

[Alien J]

I'm a full time RV'er so TD has been travelling since I got him when he was 19 days old. He's almost 6 now. It's been a bit of a struggle on certain things, but we've always managed and TD doesn't know any different life. So you can definitely take a bird on a vacation!

 

[Gribouille]

I'm a full time RV'er so TD has been travelling since I got him when he was 19 days old. He's almost 6 now. It's been a bit of a struggle on certain things, but we've always managed and TD doesn't know any different life. So you can definitely take a bird on a vacation!

I'm sure if you have good routines and habits it is no problem, especially if your bird has its home in a van, he might travel but still be at home in the van. Still I'm not sure it can compare to a bird that's never left home and would have to travel in a travel cage, in a car, then be transfered into a bigger cage upon arrival at other people's houses, people who are not used to have birds around and might leave doors or windows open and such. Pichu is used to be free in our home and go to his cage on his own to sleep. We never need to catch him but I'm a bit scared that he'd escape under transfer from one cage to the other or that the cage would fall -many people around, kids, dogs... - and let him out. That it would be too hot, or too much stress, or that we'd have troubles at borders..
You mention struggles on certain things, could you elaborate?

I'm beginning to question if it would be worth the trouble, although I can't imagine leaving him for about 4 weeks at home, seeing how it turned out last year when we left him for only 3 weeks.

 

[Alien J]

You mention struggles on certain things, could you elaborate?

One of the hardest things is transferring to his travel cage and back to his large one. If the weather is bad the dogs can't go out for long and many times I have had to force him to do something he wasn't ready to do or didn't want to do. That really messes with the trust issues.

The fact that there's no choice but to have him right by the stove on the dining room table.

Trying to keep cold drafts off of him when he's also right by the door.

Your situation is really quite different from mine. I guess I was just saying that the traveling itself is certainly do-able with a bird.

I'd be worried, too, about the higher risk of accidental escape. Most folks don't realize how many dangers there are in a house for a bird. Or how sudden movements or sounds (kids running, darks breaking out in loud barking at any moment...like mine) can really frighten and stress a bird. Once I took TD up to a friends apartment bcuz we were in the middle of an extreme heat wave (in southern California) with temps over 102 degrees every day. We decided that TD and I would stay with my friend for a few of days. I was excited bcuz that meant TD could get some much needed out of cage time. He was in her spare bedroom for 2 days before I let him out of the cage. I covered all the windows and the mirror, etc. He just about bashed himself to death! Flying into the walls in a blur of talons and feathers! Idk if your bird doesn't mind new rooms, but mine sure did!

It's too bad you couldn't take him on a mini version first. It sounds like there will be a lot of people there (as there should be in a family get together) and a lot of excitement. If you could replicate the situation without actually going far from home that might help you see how he'd do.

I don't know about Europe, but here in the States you have to get a wellness certificate from an avian vet within 10 days of your departure date to show when you cross the borders into different States.

 

[Gribouille]

One of the hardest things is transferring to his travel cage and back to his large one. If the weather is bad the dogs can't go out for long and many times I have had to force him to do something he wasn't ready to do or didn't want to do. That really messes with the trust issues.

The fact that there's no choice but to have him right by the stove on the dining room table.

Trying to keep cold drafts off of him when he's also right by the door.

Your situation is really quite different from mine. I guess I was just saying that the traveling itself is certainly do-able with a bird.

I'd be worried, too, about the higher risk of accidental escape. Most folks don't realize how many dangers there are in a house for a bird. Or how sudden movements or sounds (kids running, darks breaking out in loud barking at any moment...like mine) can really frighten and stress a bird. Once I took TD up to a friends apartment bcuz we were in the middle of an extreme heat wave (in southern California) with temps over 102 degrees every day. We decided that TD and I would stay with my friend for a few of days. I was excited bcuz that meant TD could get some much needed out of cage time. He was in her spare bedroom for 2 days before I let him out of the cage. I covered all the windows and the mirror, etc. He just about bashed himself to death! Flying into the walls in a blur of talons and feathers! Idk if your bird doesn't mind new rooms, but mine sure did!

It's too bad you couldn't take him on a mini version first. It sounds like there will be a lot of people there (as there should be in a family get together) and a lot of excitement. If you could replicate the situation without actually going far from home that might help you see how he'd do.

I don't know about Europe, but here in the States you have to get a wellness certificate from an avian vet within 10 days of your departure date to show when you cross the borders into different States.

Oh wow, that sounds like much stress... I'm sure the traveling itself wouldn't be an issue but the logistic around it is what gives me headaches. Also all the pitch stops on the road where we'd have no AC in the car but couldn't really take him out to restrooms/ restaurants are a problem, although we could keep him out of the car by taking turns to stay with him outside.
I don't think I can replicate the family-gathering situation but he sometimes gets out of the appartment with me and down to the washing room in the basement or up in the attic. He is tense but stays on my shoulders, and if he gets spooked he flies away but comes back to me almost immediately as I am his secure base.
3 of the houses we might visit could provide spare rooms where he'd be alone but there is no AC there and one of the houses might be too warm. The 4th house would be FULL of people and we'd be camping in a tent. The safest protected place for him to be would be the car, if we can park under one of the big trees, but still, the issue of transferring him from travel cage to large cage would be a big problem then.
Maybe the safest and least stressful alternative is to keep him home and instruct the bird-keepers to let him out during the week-ends so he can stretch his wings and release some of the tension of being held up in his cage for so many days at a time...

 

[Alien J]

Oh wow, that sounds like much stress... I'm sure the traveling itself wouldn't be an issue but the logistic around it is what gives me headaches. Also all the pitch stops on the road where we'd have no AC in the car but couldn't really take him out to restrooms/ restaurants are a problem, although we could keep him out of the car by taking turns to stay with him outside.
I don't think I can replicate the family-gathering situation but he sometimes gets out of the appartment with me and down to the washing room in the basement or up in the attic. He is tense but stays on my shoulders, and if he gets spooked he flies away but comes back to me almost immediately as I am his secure base.
3 of the houses we might visit could provide spare rooms where he'd be alone but there is no AC there and one of the houses might be too warm. The 4th house would be FULL of people and we'd be camping in a tent. The safest protected place for him to be would be the car, if we can park under one of the big trees, but still, the issue of transferring him from travel cage to large cage would be a big problem then.
Maybe the safest and least stressful alternative is to keep him home and instruct the bird-keepers to let him out during the week-ends so he can stretch his wings and release some of the tension of being held up in his cage for so many days at a time...

I hate to say it, but leaving him home might be safest. There's also always the possibility of the car breaking down or being involved in an accident. I can remember our RV breaking down on the 60 highway in Las Angeles. We were able to pull over but were just inches from speeding traffic and it was over 100 degrees that day. Inside the RV is like being in a tin can. I was really afraid I'd lose TD that day.

Who are your bird sitters? Are they friends? Would they be willing to come and practice (with you outside where your bird can't see you) letting him out of the cage and putting him back in? Would they be willing to sit there while he's having out of cage time? Lots of things to consider to determine what would be best.

 

[Gribouille]

I hate to say it, but leaving him home might be safest. There's also always the possibility of the car breaking down or being involved in an accident. I can remember our RV breaking down on the 60 highway in Las Angeles. We were able to pull over but were just inches from speeding traffic and it was over 100 degrees that day. Inside the RV is like being in a tin can. I was really afraid I'd lose TD that day.

Who are your bird sitters? Are they friends? Would they be willing to come and practice (with you outside where your bird can't see you) letting him out of the cage and putting him back in? Would they be willing to sit there while he's having out of cage time? Lots of things to consider to determine what would be best.

yes, that's a possibility I've been thinking about too, it's bad enough to have to manage the luggage over to some plane or train if the car breaks down, but having a bird in addition would really be tricky.
My sitter is the neighbor girl, and a couple of friends can also step in for some days if she isn't available for the whole period. Both Nova and Pichu are used to go back inside on their own in the evening to eat and sleep. There is no food anywhere else, I give them seeds only when it's time to go back in so the routine is already in place here.
I think it would be OK to leave them out of the cage from late morning to evening on their own. I usually leave them if they are out and I need to leave for some hours, it's never been an issue. Pichu goes and cuddles with some jar or box in the kitchen, Nova usually sits in her cage or on her tree over it, she takes a couple trips to the kitchen to see what he is doing. He hides, she leaves, no drama. I'm not sure it'd be enough for Pichu to be left out one or two days a week, but it's certainly ease the stress and he'd be better off than sitting in there for 4 weeks straight.

 

[Alien J]

yes, that's a possibility I've been thinking about too, it's bad enough to have to manage the luggage over to some plane or train if the car breaks down, but having a bird in addition would really be tricky.
My sitter is the neighbor girl, and a couple of friends can also step in for some days if she isn't available for the whole period. Both Nova and Pichu are used to go back inside on their own in the evening to eat and sleep. There is no food anywhere else, I give them seeds only when it's time to go back in so the routine is already in place here.
I think it would be OK to leave them out of the cage from late morning to evening on their own. I usually leave them if they are out and I need to leave for some hours, it's never been an issue. Pichu goes and cuddles with some jar or box in the kitchen, Nova usually sits in her cage or on her tree over it, she takes a couple trips to the kitchen to see what he is doing. He hides, she leaves, no drama. I'm not sure it'd be enough for Pichu to be left out one or two days a week, but it's certainly ease the stress and he'd be better off than sitting in there for 4 weeks straight.

Of course. Absolutely what you feel is safest. You know your birds better than anyone else! I don't know if you have a double door entry...like a front door that opens to a little foyer where you remove shoes and hang coats, and a second door leading into the house proper. If you do, it takes a lot of worry out of the sitters coming in and out. I'm already designing one I can make for the bird room in our new house when we get there! Wish me luck!

 

[Gribouille]

Of course. Absolutely what you feel is safest. You know your birds better than anyone else! I don't know if you have a double door entry...like a front door that opens to a little foyer where you remove shoes and hang coats, and a second door leading into the house proper. If you do, it takes a lot of worry out of the sitters coming in and out. I'm already designing one I can make for the bird room in our new house when we get there! Wish me luck!

we live in an appartment, so there is no issue there. Also the birds never wander into the entrance anyway