Traveling with Bumble?

I’m going to Virginia for Christmas to spend the holiday with my family (stepdad is paying for the flight). I’m leaving around 12/16 and returning around 1/1 so about 17 days. The flight - if they put me on non-stop - is about 5 hours from Seattle. Longer if I have layovers.

Sis says she’s fine with the idea of me bringing Bumble. They have a couple of dogs, but I’m already in tune with dog precautions since I have my 2 part time. And in case you wonder what that means, Bumble is never out of her cage with the dogs in the room. Sis agrees to no non-stick and only vinegar as a cleaner while we’re there. So Bum would be safe. I can take her smaller cage with me, so she would be in a familiar (if not grand) cage and she’d be with me, her human.

If I leave her home, my boyfriend will care for her. He likely will not stay at my house, but will come over, uncover, and check on her in the mornings and then come by after work, hang out, feed her, and play with her until her bedtime (this will probably include more millet than is strictly good for her). He’ll also Skype with me so I can talk to her. He took care of her when I went to Oklahoma for a long weekend and all was well. My daughter will also be home part of the time. She’s also going to VA, but I have lots of paid vacation time and she doesn’t so I can stay longer. So when she’s home, she could take care of Bum and boyf would be off the hook. Bum is familiar and at least semi-comfortable with both of them, and we have time to work on her comfort.

I’ve googled and the airlines all seem to have about the same guidelines for pets including birds. If I get documentation that she’s an emotional support bird, she flies free. I am about 85% sure my doc will go for that. He’s been treating me for anxiety forever. The idea of leaving her home for that long is causing me CONSIDERABLE anxiety. I’m sure that she’ll pluck herself naked and die or something else horrible without me.

So what it comes down to is which would cause less stress for HER. Long plane ride, unfamiliar place but with mom the whole time? Or familiar place but no mom for 2+ weeks and nobody in the house for more time than she’s used to being alone?

Thoughts please?


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Take Bumble with you. As long as you can get that letter, thats what I would do. Now I have a a 2 week trip to CHina coming up and I will not take Salty for 2 reasons.

1) 12 hour flight and airlines will not allow you to take your bird out from their travel cage. Thats too long IMHO.

2) I'll be working Mon- Fri with long hours , so Salty would be alone in a strange hotel room for 12-14 hours a day.

But you'll be on vacation right? And 5 hrs is not so bad, Bumble's travel cage is small enough to put on your lap and talk to her right? Yeah < I 'd take her along - Travel is good for the soul!.

I wish I was going to China! I vacationed there once and am in love with it. Thanks for your input.


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wrench13 said:

Take Bumble with you. As long as you can get that letter, thats what I would do. Now I have a a 2 week trip to CHina coming up and I will not take Salty for 2 reasons.

1) 12 hour flight and airlines will not allow you to take your bird out from their travel cage. Thats too long IMHO.

2) I'll be working Mon- Fri with long hours , so Salty would be alone in a strange hotel room for 12-14 hours a day.

But you'll be on vacation right? And 5 hrs is not so bad, Bumble's travel cage is small enough to put on your lap and talk to her right? Yeah < I 'd take her along - Travel is good for the soul!.

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Well stated Al!

Take her with you!

Please assure you contact your CAV tomorrow so that you will have a Well-Bird Certificate to take with you!

I third the motion of taking Bumble with you! Odds are your doc will provide the necessary documentation.

Airlines only allow a specified number of animals in the cabin, but I don't know whether emotional support animals are included with the tally. Probably not, but check. You'll want to avoid bulkhead seats (first row of the coach or first class cabin, no seat in front to store cage below) and exit rows.

Let us know what you decide!!

I'd take her if at all possible! The travel industry is really becoming so much more pet friendly than it ever was in the past.

I'd take her too, being a Celestial she's so tiny even a cage that can meet requirements for flying will have decent space for her and of course it'll be nice for her to meet the extended family

I guess I'm going against the grain here; I'd love to show my bird off to my family and all that, but if your boyfriend is really good with him, then it might be easier on bumble's nerves to stay home. It would almost be like re-locating the bird with you being the only constant.

If he will be over every night then it might even be good for him to bond more with your boyfriend esp. if you two are serious. He might be adoptive daddy someday.

If your only option was a pet hotel I'd say take him, but...he might be better off with someone he knows, and you will be distracted a lot with family stuff, also the dogs present, which you said you could work around but all it takes is one mistake. Anyways that's my two cents.

Either way I'm sure everything will be fine, I'd just consider this.

Also, remember it’s the holiday season. Candles, room sprays, visitors wth perfume, doors opening and closing, lots of cooking which can mean accidental burning, higher noise levels, etc.

We considered bringing Percy with us when we flew to New York later this week for a few days. I just know my mom and her habit of pulling out a Lysol wipe or spraying perfume and hairspray. It’s not her fault, that’s her routine.

As long as you can be sure that everyone that will be around Bumble is on the same page and you have a backup plan in case you need to relocate her, I’d say bring her. If there are any doubts about whether you can keep her safe, I would take the cautious road as you have two people she is familiar with that you trust to care for her and a home you are certain is free of unnecessary safety hazards.

Thanks all of you for your input. My sister bought my tix today and is calling to pay for pet in cabin, so Bumble is going.

I won’t be her only constant-my daughter who currently lives with me will be there 10 of my 17 days. And Bumble met my niece this summer so they’re friends [emoji5]

And I asked my sis what kind of candles she’d be burning on Christmas and she replied, “None. You’re bringing your bird.” Thanks for the other reminders of things to watch for! I feel certain that Bumble will be safe and happy. You know I’ll let you all know about it when the time comes!

Annnnnd I think I may have reached maximum crazy bird lady status. Man that was fast. [emoji23]


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Jamie - good points, but Inger will take good care of her little Bumble.

I have no doubt she will Wrench ! Just little things I know I’d run into with my family over the holidays so making sure everyone knew and could be safe would be my biggest issue (personally). I have a huge family, though. For some reason, the need to warm wax that smells like cookies is also impulsive around my family haha.

(Side note Mr. Wrench, I’ll actually be heading home to NY for a christening later this week on LI where my aunt and Uncle live. We’re all from Brooklyn)

I'm happy he's going too, but sometimes when everyone says the same thing it's good to play devil's advocate, you had good advice Jamie.

clark_conure said:

I'm happy he's going too, but sometimes when everyone says the same thing it's good to play devil's advocate, you had good advice Jamie.

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Absolutely! Always good to get advice beyond what is expected, helps to make the best decision!

wrench13 said:

Jamie - good points, but Inger will take good care of her little Bumble.

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Thanks for this [emoji2]


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Jaime1215 said:

I have no doubt she will Wrench ! Just little things I know I’d run into with my family over the holidays so making sure everyone knew and could be safe would be my biggest issue (personally). I have a huge family, though. For some reason, the need to warm wax that smells like cookies is also impulsive around my family haha.

(Side note Mr. Wrench, I’ll actually be heading home to NY for a christening later this week on LI where my aunt and Uncle live. We’re all from Brooklyn)

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My family is small. Stepdad, sister-BIL-2-kids, me and my kid. Easier to control the environment.


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Scott said:

clark_conure said:

I'm happy he's going too, but sometimes when everyone says the same thing it's good to play devil's advocate, you had good advice Jamie.

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Absolutely! Always good to get advice beyond what is expected, helps to make the best decision!

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Truthfully, I was surprised at the immediate “take her!” from so many people I’ve come to trust. I thought I might be taking crazy too far. Of course, I did ask other crazies [emoji23][emoji23]


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Inger said:

Scott said:

clark_conure said:

I'm happy he's going too, but sometimes when everyone says the same thing it's good to play devil's advocate, you had good advice Jamie.

Click to expand...

Absolutely! Always good to get advice beyond what is expected, helps to make the best decision!

Click to expand...

Truthfully, I was surprised at the immediate “take her!” from so many people I’ve come to trust. I thought I might be taking crazy too far. Of course, I did ask other crazies [emoji23][emoji23]


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As Lewis Carrol wrote "we're all mad here"

never an issue wit playing devil's advocate or throwing a different opinion into the ring. I think most of us here are so institutionalized that the idea of not having our fids at a large event like christmas is unthinkable!