The Adventures of Constantine

[Helitorian]

I took Con to my hometown yesterday and was it an interesting trip for the two of us! She was out for the entire hour and a half trip and has been on car rides before but never that long. The trip started with her flinching whenever another vehicle passed then went to her playing with my face, the buttons of my shirt and trying to stick her tongue up my nose (oh yeah wasn't that fun...). She ended the trip on my opposite shoulder, preening and chattering away to me so it made me happy she hadn't been traumatized or anything. Meeting my mother was another story...

My mom is scared to death of birds so Con had to stay in her carrier during the visit which in the long run was safer. My mom's cats and dogs were very interested and barked and meowed and just gave poor Con a scare. She screamed for ten minutes until I decided it was best to leave.

She did better at my dad's where she could at least come out of the carrier and eat a bit. My dad really wanted to hold her but she squabbled and nipped when he tried to pick her up which is very unusual for her!

By the end of the night, Con was begging to go home and I didn't want to ruin her adventure so we left. Con whined in the carrier until I took her out and she snuggled under my jacket and promptly fell asleep as we drove home in the dark. Boy was it an interesting day!

Sorry for the rambling but I had to tell someone that would understand the impact of the trip on her. My family just doesn't get it :/

 

[roxynoodle]

That was a cute story. I don't have many places I can take mine either due to strange cats and dogs. A friend wanted me to bring them for Thanksgiving, but she has 11 cats and a super hyper dog. I didn't think they would enjoy it.

 

[Helitorian]

That was a cute story. I don't have many places I can take mine either due to strange cats and dogs. A friend wanted me to bring them for Thanksgiving, but she has 11 cats and a super hyper dog. I didn't think they would enjoy it.

You guys are lucky this is the version you got. I started writing a thread last night and was loopy from lack of sleep so it was actually a story from Con's point of view. As for your friend, Roxy, please tell me all the animals are allowed outside. The most cats my mom ever had was 8. I don't see how someone can have 11 lol Good thing you didn't take the birds

 

[roxynoodle]

No, only one of the cats goes outside. I'm actually allergic to cats. I can deal fine with my one in the house, but her house is very hard for me to be in. I don't want to know how many litter boxes there are. They are all down in the basement so I've never actually looked, lol!

But imagine 11 cats and that crazy dog bothering the birds. They would have been scared out of their minds.

 

[Helitorian]

I expected Con to not want anything to do with me today after yesterday but it's like it never happened. Your birds would have had so much more stimuli than she did. It'd be scary for them but what I'd be worried about would be the cats GETTING the birds. The thought just makes me shiver

 

[Nakiska]

Yeaaaa for Con to get to go bye bye!

I was taking our Franklin just about everywhere with me for a while. He's been to a couple pet stores, my work, the local gift shop, the grocery store, post office...he just LOVES to go bye bye with me.

He also, won't let anyone hold him, but he's happy to preen and kiss me and use me for his human jungle gym.

His wings have grown out now, so he can fly and I have a flight suit for him, but having it and getting him into it are entirely TWO different things. Even though he CAN fly, he doesn't prefer to, he clings to me like glue...but it just takes once...

I just might clip him so I can take him out with me again. In our town, everyone is very receptive of me having him around and just love to see him.

Sounds like a great day for you both. I have a jacket with fuzzy hood, Frankie just loves to snuggle up in it on dark car rides home....and I have a specific scarf he likes to burrow under and into and pass out after a long day of adventures.

Toni

 

[Mamanda]

That is such a fun story. I hope one day to be able to take mine out.

 

[roxynoodle]

On TV a few months ago I saw a young woman who had a bird carrier that was also a back pack. And that way she could take her bird around and not worry about it flying or anything. I'm not sure what company makes those, but I would like one. It had a perch in it and everything. I think I saw it on Animal Planet.

There is no way Rowdy is going to let me put a flight suit on her. And she likes to fly.

Anyone have trouble with stores getting mad about bringing a pet in with you? Around here, unless it's a pet store or you have a guide/service dog, pets are generally frowned upon. Still, we could go to parks and things.

 

[usamimi]

My bird store has those backpacks in stock. Next time I pop by, i'll get a name.

 

[Amber]

I love this! Sounds like con was all excited, then decided she had enough! Sounds like she had a pretty good trip all up though! Glad she travels so well with you!

Alex travels with me a lot (as you all know, lol!) we built up to long trips, started with short overnight trips to the boyfriends (only 10 min drive) where he wasn't overstimulated, to hour long trips and beyond. We've got to the stage where we can go cross country on a 24 hour drive with no dramas! Alex comes with me for day trips to my great grandmas pretty often (6+hr round trip), and trips back to my parents (5 and a half hour round trip) no dramas. It helps though that he is familiar with their houses and has been since he was a chick. He settles right in. I have 'proper' cages (Cheap $50 collapse-able conure cages, but they are pretty good!) in both those places as we tend to have extended stays and I wouldn't want him to have live in the carrier for that long! I have plans to add another collapse-able cage to my car (when I finally get my licence) so we are 100% prepared for trips. They fit in the boot easily. Car trips he is also (obviously) very familar with, but when we stop in a place he has not been before (overnight at friends, hotels, etc)like Con it can take him a few hours to a day to settle in. After that though he's happy! I think the key is to not overstimulate them. If it is a place he is not familiar with I take it easy. If it's my parents, well, he's already used to the place so he's itching to get into everything!

 

[Helitorian]

I told everyone that Con would be coming along on my visits from now on so she could get use to all of them plus the car ride and new places. I'll be moving soon and I've heard that moving can really stress a bird out but she just seems to take everything in stride and not care!

Also, I've been thinking once back home, I'm going to add two birds to my flock but I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe it'd be best for me to find a house I like and be in it for a year before I do that. I'd want some stability with a job just in case. Oh the decisions! lol

 

[Mitchell]

This I've gotta see, a birdy backpack! I'm going to check the pet store today. I take mine on walks to the par with the kids, and min rides perched on the stroller handle and has a good time. Love taking my bird place with me.

 

[Nakiska]

I love this! Sounds like con was all excited, then decided she had enough! Sounds like she had a pretty good trip all up though! Glad she travels so well with you!

Alex travels with me a lot (as you all know, lol!) we built up to long trips, started with short overnight trips to the boyfriends (only 10 min drive) where he wasn't overstimulated, to hour long trips and beyond. We've got to the stage where we can go cross country on a 24 hour drive with no dramas! Alex comes with me for day trips to my great grandmas pretty often (6+hr round trip), and trips back to my parents (5 and a half hour round trip) no dramas. It helps though that he is familiar with their houses and has been since he was a chick. He settles right in. I have 'proper' cages (Cheap $50 collapse-able conure cages, but they are pretty good!) in both those places as we tend to have extended stays and I wouldn't want him to have live in the carrier for that long! I have plans to add another collapse-able cage to my car (when I finally get my licence) so we are 100% prepared for trips. They fit in the boot easily. Car trips he is also (obviously) very familar with, but when we stop in a place he has not been before (overnight at friends, hotels, etc)like Con it can take him a few hours to a day to settle in. After that though he's happy! I think the key is to not overstimulate them. If it is a place he is not familiar with I take it easy. If it's my parents, well, he's already used to the place so he's itching to get into everything!

I wondered about hotels! My spouse travels often through work and we want to start incorporating at least some of the weekends so I can occasionally meet up with him from a Friday - Sunday kind of thing. I've mentioned bringing our Franklin on some of these "adventures" because he loves to go bye-bye soo much and I just love taking him places, but I wasn't sure about the hotels.

Which hotels do you use that let's you bring your bird??

Toni

 

[roxynoodle]

Try googling pet friendly hotels. My parents travel between Florida and Ohio pretty regularly with their dog and cat, and used to have a bird as well. They always stop along the way for a night.

I remember 3 years ago when we had a 3 day power outage, my ex bf wanted to leave the house and go to a hotel. There aren't any pet friendly ones around here. He said we'll just sneak the birds in. I said, well, we might be able to pass off Bri as a child since she talks all the time and sounds like one, but there's no way we can hide Rowdy's screech. People definitely would have heard her and reported us.

 

[Remy]

Puck loves to go places! He actually gets grouchy if I don't take him anyplace for a few days. I take him whenever I run errands, except to the grocery store. Well, I take him on short trips to the grocery store, but I have to hide him under my clothes.

We are doing some home repairs, and they are starting to recognize him at the hardware store, lol.

 

[Amber]

I love this! Sounds like con was all excited, then decided she had enough! Sounds like she had a pretty good trip all up though! Glad she travels so well with you!

I wondered about hotels! My spouse travels often through work and we want to start incorporating at least some of the weekends so I can occasionally meet up with him from a Friday - Sunday kind of thing. I've mentioned bringing our Franklin on some of these "adventures" because he loves to go bye-bye soo much and I just love taking him places, but I wasn't sure about the hotels.

Which hotels do you use that let's you bring your bird??

Toni

I'm lucky to have friends, most of them animal lovers, all across the country, so usually we stay with them! But, when going the hotel route, I look up and book pet friendly ones in advance. If I can't find any I will ring up the locally owned mom and pop hotel/motels (easy to find, they won't be affiliated with a chain or will be with an independent group) and just ask. Usually I offer a little extra (Extra 10 or 20 a night) and they are happy to allow it, unless they have a strict no pets rule. You will find most locally owned places with a 'no pets' rule actually have a no dogs/cat/large animal rule. That goes for renting places too, by the way! All my previous places have been 'no pets' but once I say 'only a bird' they are usually (90% of the time) more then ok with that as long as I pay a pet deposit.

As long as you plan and book ahead you are fine. I've never had to sneak Alex in somewhere, and I don't advocate it, but if worse comes to worse I'm sure you could cover Con and smuggle him into a hotel for a night.