When I acquired my first birds years ago, helpful
friends and coworkers assured me that my pet parrot
would become terminally depressed and yank all its feathers
out if I dared go away for vacation or business trip.
As a result, I carefully researched my birds needs and
made careful arrangements for their care prior to each
trip. The birds did so well that several acquaintances,
surprised at the resilience and personality of my pets,
decided to acquire a bird or two of their own.
If you take the same time to plan for your birds' care
that you would for a small child's, you too can take
successful vacations with or without your bird. Many
people don't realize how many options they really have.
In addition to boarding your birds at a friend's home,
a pet shop or a veterinary hospital, you may arrange
for professional or amateur in-home care, or you may
even be able to take a special pet with you.
Before You Go
If you plan to travel with your birds, you may need
to make preparations several weeks in advance, especially
if you're flying. Airlines limit the numbers of pets
permitted to travel in the cabin with their owners usually
to one in first class and one in coach so if you hope
to fly with your bird, you should make reservations
early to avoid being disappointed. Airlines also require
that you carry the bird in a travel cage small enough
to fit comfortably under the seat, so be sure to ask
about the proper dimensions of the travel cage if the
reservation clerk forgets to mention them. Some airlines
may also ask that you carry a health certificate to
prove that you've had the bird checked by a vet prior
to the trip.
If you cannot reserve a place in the plane's passenger
cabin for your bird or if you have more than one bird,
you may be able to reserve a place in the hold that
is pressurized for the safe transport of live animals.
Again, discuss your plans thoroughly with the reservations
desk so you will have proper travel cages and papers
as you board the airplane.
People who plan to travel by bus or train will probably
not be able to take their birds along. Representatives
at Greyhound, Trailways, and Amtrak told me that they
don't allow passengers to take any animals, even caged
birds.
You should also call the hotels or motels where you
plan to stay to make sure they permit birds. Even if
your bird is quiet, I don't advise trying to sneak it
into a hotel. After all, the maid is going to find out
that you have a bird the first time she cleans the room.
Being honest may mean that you have to make a few extra
phone calls before you find a receptive hotel, but it
beats getting kicked out of your room in the middle
of your vacation!
Take with you a cage cover, paper towels and plenty
of newspapers, so you can keep your bird clean and quiet
while it's staying in the hotel. I strongly advise that
you clean up after the bird yourself rather than leaving
the chore to the maid service, especially if your pet's
afraid of strangers or has been known to bite. Inform
the desk, and post a prominent sign near the bird's
cage telling the maid not to touch. In many areas, it
would be a good idea to write your message in English
and Spanish. Spread plenty of newspaper around the cage
to catch scattered food, and change it daily so the
maid won't be tempted to try to help. I would also secure
the doors of the cage with a padlock if I had to leave
the bird in the room alone.
Most campgrounds accept pets confined to cages, but
you would be wise to call ahead just in case the campground
you plan to visit is an exception. Some areas, such
as certain parts of Florida, may be so ecologically
sensitive that the park managers refuse to allow exotic
birds into the area. Also, birds that have the potential
to become agricultural pests are illegal in certain
states. For instance, Quaker (monk) parakeets and European
starlings cannot be taken into California. You might
want to call the wildlife office of the state you will
be visiting for a list of such restrictions. You can
also call or write the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
for more information.
Do not try to travel out of the United States, even
to Mexico and Canada, with your bird. It's possible,
but the regulations are so complex that they're sure
to make your vacation a stressful experience- especially
when you realize that an innocent mistake could result
in your bird being confiscated. I'm told that if you
follow the rules, birds returning from Canada will not
need to undergo quarantine, but I don't feel the urge
to experiment with my pets!
Even if you are not required to get a health certificate
to travel with your bird, you may want to have the bird
checked by a vet to make sure it's healthy enough to
withstand the stress of the trip. You should also clip
its wings and toenails to prevent accidents. Prepare
a small first aid kit including such items as styptic
pencil or powder, scissors, tweezers or pliers to remove
a broken blood feather, any special medication, and
anything else your bird may need. Since airlines do
lose or misplace luggage, carry the avian first aid
kit with you just as you would your own medication.
You should also take along plenty of seed or pellets,
especially if you're bringing a large or unusual bird
to a rural area that may only offer food for small common
birds and poultry. Since I live in New Orleans, I'm
very conscious of the way water quality varies from
area to area- and of the way local officials say nothing
about it until pets start drying and large specks start
appearing in the bottom of people's water glasses- so
I highly recommend carrying your own supply of water
with you. If you don't want to bother, you can also
purchase pure distilled water at most drugstores.
On the Road
Most people who travel with birds prefer automobile
travel, since you can take more than one bird with you
on a fairly short notice. Make sure that your exhaust
system is in good working order before attempting to
transport birds in a car or truck! Although I wasn't
carrying birds at the time, I'll never forget when the
tail pipe fell off my old Volkswagen Dasher for the
second time within a few months. I was less than a mile
from home and thought I could make it, but I become
extremely nauseated in less than five minutes. Needless
to say, I didn't try to take my birds anywhere in that
car until the tail pipe was replaced and reinforced
with some extra hardware.
Many birds actively enjoy riding in cars. When I moved
about a year ago, one of my Pekin robins took great
delight in climbing onto his perch and standing on tippy-toe
to watch the scenery go by as I drove him to his new
home. All my male Pekins sing enthusiastically when
they feel the motion of the truck, even if they're being
carried in a box! Some parrots also like to travel,
clamoring for the chance to look out the window and
complaining if they haven't been taken for a drive in
awhile. When Bird Talk surveyed readers who traveled
with their birds, one respondent reported that her cockatiel
actually climbed into its carrier and begged for bicycle
rides.
No matter who much your bird enjoys its rides, however,
you must put safety first. Never allow your bird to
sit on your shoulder or wander loose in the car when
you travel. Even if your bird is well-behaved, you never
know when it could be startled by a noisy 18-wheeler
or a red tailed hawk perching beside the road. I strongly
advise that you transport all pet birds in travel cages
that can be locked and strapped into place with seat
belts- even if you're convinced that the bird will not
or cannot fly.
I had to learn this lesson the hard way. Many years
ago I placed a baby sparrow that I thought couldn't
fly in a cardboard box to take it to a rehabilitation
center. Unfortunately, we had a minor accident, and
the startled baby took off out the window. In this case,
I assume that the bird had grown strong enough to take
care of itself, since we were unable to recapture it,
but I can just imagine how I would have felt if I had
lost a treasured hand-raised pet through such carelessness.
To add insult to injury, the accident occurred only
a block from my house, which underlines the need to
use secure travel cages and seat belts no matter how
short the trip.
In the event of a serious accident, such precautions
can prevent the bird from being thrown around the car
or through a windshield, reducing the chance of injury.
Many Bird Talk readers have written to warn others that
they have lost birds by allowing them to roam freely
about the car or by neglecting to secure the cage doors
with a lock.
Before you travel, remove all hanging toys and unnecessary
perches from the cage. Since water will inevitably spill,
place juicy fresh fruit, such as grapes and oranges,
in the water dish instead.
Most travel cages should be all or partially covered
with a light-colored sheet to provide security for the
bird without blocking out so much light that the bird
cannot see. Continue to monitor your bird's reactions
as you travel. Many birds feel more secure if they are
protected from the sight of the road speeding by, but
other enjoy watching, and a few may actually show signs
of motion sickness if they cannot see what's going on.
In any case, plan to take longer rest stops more often
than you normally would in order to exercise the bird
or give it time to relax.
Take extra care during extreme weather. If your bird
becomes overheated, you may need to stop the car and
take a break so you can mist the bird. (Overheated birds
gape, or pant, and hold their wings away from their
bodies because they don't have sweat glands.) Use a
sheet to protect the bird from drafts near open windows
or air-conditioning vents, but do keep the car reasonably
cool.
In winter, you can keep the bird warn by covering the
cage with extra towels or blankets, especially when
moving the cage to and from the car. (A cold bird will
fluff out its feathers and shiver.) Winter or summer,
never leave a bird unattended in a car.
Leaving Your Pet Behind
In many cases, it's impractical to carry your birds
with you. Although Bird Talk readers have written to
tell us about some charming exceptions, most parrots
don't do well on backpacking expeditions or business
trips. And if you have many birds, it's usually impossible
to take them all with you. What to do?
You have many choices. For instance, you may board
your birds with friends, relatives, pet shops, veterinary
hospitals or special bird-care facilities. For heaven's
sake, spend plenty of time and effort to check out your
options; don't park your bird with the first person
who begs for a chance to keep your baby.
Ask some difficult questions. How many birds are kept
in the facility? Will your birds be isolated from others?
What kind of cage will the bird be kept in? What kind
of food and attention will it receive? Is the caretaker
bonded? Can he or she provide references? If so, that's
great, but anyone can make up a list of names and telephone
numbers. You should actually check the references to
make sure past customers were happy with the service.
If you get the right answers on the telephone, visit
the facility and check it out in person.
Follow your intuitive feelings. Once, when I was unable
to board a noisy peach fronted conure with my other
birds, I left him (against my better judgment) with
friends who begged for the chance to keep him.
Fortunately, my misgivings grew stronger after only
a couple of days, and I returned early to fetch the
bird. I'll never forget the cold chill that went through
me as my friend begged to keep him just a little longer.
My wife just loves him, he said, and he's not trouble.
We haven't even had to feed him yet! It turned out that
he thought the hulls Arthur had neatly shelled back
into his dish were seeds. If I hadn't returned early
my bird could have starved to death.
Cost shouldn't be the primary consideration. If money
is a serious problem, however, you might want to exchange
services with another bird owner. Relatives who like
birds are often ideal caretakers. I know that my peach
front was happiest when he was boarded with a former
roommate's mother. Although he's usually hostile towards
strangers, he took to her at once, seeming to sense
the link between us. As a result, she was able to take
him out of his cage and play with him.
Commercial facilities where other birds are kept, such
as pet shops, boarding centers or vet hospitals, are
often considered less than ideal because of the chance
that strange birds may transmit disease to your pets.
You may minimize problems by choosing a facility that
insists on seeing a health certificate from an avian
vet before accepting any birds. A pet shop should board
birds separately from birds awaiting sale, just as a
vet should keep boarded birds isolated from those receiving
medical care. A clean boarding center that provides
jungle gyms for active parrots can be lots of fun for
the birds, but you should check it out yourself to make
sure the play areas aren't overcrowded.
Having said this, I'll admit the first and only golden
conure I ever saw was being boarded right in the middle
of the wholesale facility. This beautiful bird called
out a cheerful Hello each time I tried to walk away
and then charmed me with its repertoire of acrobatic
tricks. A naïve novice at the time, I tried to
buy the bird. After explaining about the high cost of
the endangered conure, which was certainly not for sale,
the shopkeeper told me why it was in the store. It seemed
that the bird was used to spending 24 hours a day with
its owner and would tear is feathers out each time he
traveled out of the country for business. Boarding the
bird in the busy shop provided so much stimulation that
it completely forgot about its distress and regrew its
golden feathers. While this isn't the prescription I
would have suggested, it certainly worked.
In addition to providing entertainment for the bird,
boarding can offer other advantages. For instance, a
bird specialty shop will often have a groomer and parrot
trainer available to work with the bird. A vet hospital
can offer timely, appropriate medical intervention should
the bird get sick or depressed. Boarding centers, as
I've mentioned before, may also provide valuable exercise
by engaging activity on parrot playpens.
Although my favorite parrot prefers being boarded with
people he knows, I must admit that I prefer in-home
care for several reasons. Once when I boarded the birds
for three weeks, I had the post office hold my mail
during my vacation. They lost it. If you've ever had
to track down three weeks worth of bills, bank statements,
checks and magazines, you'll understand why I had someone
come to the house to check on the birds and take in
the mail during my next vacation. One vacation, I returned
home to a note in the mail informing me that 30 houses
on my block had been robbed while I was gone. Even though
we were out of town, out house was skipped- apparently
because the conure made so much noise any time anyone
tried to approach the house. Now that I have set up
breeding pairs of birds, I have an additional incentive
to keep them in a safe, familiar environment.
Be very selective about the person you choose to care
for birds in your home. A service should be bonded and
willing to provide references that you can (and should)
check for yourself. I prefer to employ responsible people
that I have known for many years, even if they are less
experienced with birds. While I would not hire a teenager,
I had a very good experience with a graduate student
I know who had never cared for birds before. He was
enthusiastic about the chance to feed the birds, paper
their cages, play with them a bit while airing out the
house, and take in the mail at a very reasonable cost
of $5 a day.
When I hire a caretaker, I leave detailed written instructions
as well as actually show him or her how to care for
the birds. Because people forget things, especially
if they're more used to caring for cats and dogs than
for birds, label each bird's cage with its name and
species, and don't forget to label the food containers.
After all, you don't want your toucan to end up staring
at a bowl of seed for two weeks! You should also mention
any special quirks the bird has so that the caretaker
will know whether to worry. For instance, if your canary
has a benign lump on its shoulder, you should point
it out so the caretaker won't suddenly notice it and
panic when you're 3,000 miles away.
You should also leave the name and address of your
vet, in case something does go wrong while you're gone.
I also like to leave about $50 I cash so the caretaker
can give the vet something toward the cost.
Since caretakers usually spend only about an hour in
your home each day, you should also invest in some special
timers to rotate the lights in your home at night. One
of the timers should also switch on the radio to a favorite
station so the birds will have something to listen to.
I do not, however, leave the TV plugged in when I'm
gone because I've known people who have had them destroyed
during the frequent thunderstorms in my area. Fortunately,
most birds are just as happy dancing and singing to
the music as they would be watching TV.
In an ideal world, I would have someone come to the
house to do the basic chores and care for the less people-oriented
birds while the more attention-loving pets stayed with
someone who could play with them as often as I do. Although
I don't always achieve the ideal, I have found that
I can travel and still maintain healthy, happy birds.
With some care and planning, you will too.
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