Vacationing with a parrot

[rescuebird]

David and I take weekends away as often as possible in warm weather. We are able to do this about once monthly from Mid-April through early October, mostly because we have an RV.

The ongoing debate is what to do about Jojo. She's making such great progress and I don't want to cause her more stress than necessary. Here are our options:

1. Hire a pet sitter to stay in the house when we're gone. At this point she will only step up for me, so she would be cagebound for 2-3 days. I don't personally know a reliable sitter to call on and feel hesitant to hire a stranger to come into my home, but there are such services available in our area.

2. Board her at the AV. She hates it there and wouldn't eat or drink there the last time the rescue group had her there overnight. They actually tube fed her due to concerns about her anorexic behavior. It is also the most expensive option, though that is obviously not the most important consideration.

3. Board her at the grooming salon associated with the rescue group. This is where she was being kept before we began fostering her. She turns into a perch potato there but seems to enjoy interacting with clients and dogs from inside her cage. Care there is a bit erratic, as it's provided by different volunteers daily. When we had to fly out for a week for a funeral we chose this option but I was unhappy with the cleanliness of her cage when we returned, particularly a dish where veggies had been left to mold.

4. We can take her along. Doing so would mean her spending days on her smaller play stand (tabletop size) and sleeping in her travel crate. My biggest concern with this is over the risk of escape... at home she'd have to go through three rooms and get past two separate doors to get outside, and we're very careful to only have one door open at a time. The RV has only the one door, plus screen. If she were at the point of wearing a harness I would be confident this is the best choice. As it is, I hesitate. We're very careful, but there is still a risk of escape.

Any advice or other suggestions?

 

[texsize]

Consider what you would do if the parrot in question was your child instead of a pet.

When you have a child there are some things you just have to give up. What is more important.
Stability for your foster bird or your enjoyment on a vacation?

 

[rescuebird]

If she were a child, she would go with us.

Giving up vacationing isn't an option. My husband agreed to us fostering with the stipulation that we would find a way to still take the RV out. He is willing to do what is needed to make it work, but not to give up the trips entirely. David is a very good man who has no prior experience with birds of any type. He's been wonderful about rearranging his life to accommodate Jojo, but there are limits. I don't think that's unreasonable of him. I just need to figure out how best to make it work.

I lean toward taking her with us. It may mean moving her into her travel cage whenever there's risk of the doors being open, but that's doable. She likes the travel cage and car rides - sings and dances whenever we're driving anywhere with her. There's time yet before the season to introduce her to the camper, and a roomy corner we can set up in the dining area for her cage and play stand. We do all our cooking outside, so I'm not worried about fumes from food or cookware. We also set up all-electric when at the campground, so there's no propane/CO2 risk.

If we try introducing her to the RV and it doesn't look as if she'll acclimate, I will hire someone to stay here... I'm sure I can find someone who is reputable and does that type of work with a bit more searching. I just tend to trust my desire to care for her more than a stranger's.

 

[SailBoat]

Life Style is always a question when it comes to having a Parrot as part of the family and like my good friend stated, you have to take them into consideration.

That stated, people travel with families all the time. It becomes knowing what works and what doesn't.

The first question should be how well does she travel? Each parrot is very different in that regards and that is even more true for a rehomed parrot, because the history is hidden or missing. So, its a trip in family transportation 'unit.' Our DYH Amazon, loves to ride, not only short trips, but very long trips. But he greatly dislikes being in the travel cage, he wants to be in front and he keeps the family safe from those aircraft, hawks, etc... So, see whether she like to travel, short trips and if she does, what is preferred by her, in or out. If she is Ok, take a short trip and check that out, etc... Most Parrots really like to travel. Riding for them is much like flying, but without working. They are 'hardwired' to process things moving by.

The second is fairly easy, since it is just time in the RV. The normal introductions (The Realestate Agents tour) of the RV. It also will provide you a feel for the general room she will need and where she likes to be.

The third pulls to the type of RV unit you have. As part of the PF membership, there are individuals with tents, travel trailers and motor homes, so its not like you are the first ones break new ground. The motor home is the easiest since it is self-contained. Travel trailers require a bit of set-up and a transfer. And tents, are the most problematic.

The reality is that people do it all the time! So, it takes a bit of consideration and added safety, but that's all part of life with children and Parrots.

Some general information:
If you are crossing State Lines, you need to have I.D. paperwork proving ownership of your Amazon. Our CAV has upgraded their Invoicing and Medical reports to include a picture of the Pet (Parrot) on that paperwork. This turns out to be a great help, since you have proof of Vet Care and it includes a I.D. Photo. If your Amazon has a leg band, include the provided information on that document. The more you travel the more you will want to have her Micro Chipped and that number included.

As with all things, it will take a couple trips to get everything comfortable for everyone.
Remember to include an Avian First Aid Kit, which can be en expansion of your Human Kit.
A couple of members are active hikers and have a Bird Pack that they modify for their parrots.
Toys, food, water and lots of news paper, etc...

This really gets fairly easy the more you do it.

Safety, safety, safety!!! Just like taking small children.

Start testing and find out whether you have a traveler or not.

If I would offer our Amazon the job of driving he would step right in, loves to travel.

 

[rescuebird]

Life Style is always a question when it comes to having a Parrot as part of the family and like my good friend stated, you have to take them into consideration.

That stated, people travel with families all the time. It becomes knowing what works and what doesn't.

The first question should be how well does she travel? Each parrot is very different in that regards and that is even more true for a rehomed parrot, because the history is hidden or missing. So, its a trip in family transportation 'unit.' Our DYH Amazon, loves to ride, not only short trips, but very long trips. But he greatly dislikes being in the travel cage, he wants to be in front and he keeps the family safe from those aircraft, hawks, etc... So, see whether she like to travel, short trips and if she does, what is preferred by her, in or out. If she is Ok, take a short trip and check that out, etc... Most Parrots really like to travel. Riding for them is much like flying, but without working. They are 'hardwired' to process things moving by.

The second is fairly easy, since it is just time in the RV. The normal introductions (The Realestate Agents tour) of the RV. It also will provide you a feel for the general room she will need and where she likes to be.

The third pulls to the type of RV unit you have. As part of the PF membership, there are individuals with tents, travel trailers and motor homes, so its not like you are the first ones break new ground. The motor home is the easiest since it is self-contained. Travel trailers require a bit of set-up and a transfer. And tents, are the most problematic.

The reality is that people do it all the time! So, it takes a bit of consideration and added safety, but that's all part of life with children and Parrots.

Some general information:
If you are crossing State Lines, you need to have I.D. paperwork proving ownership of your Amazon. Our CAV has upgraded their Invoicing and Medical reports to include a picture of the Pet (Parrot) on that paperwork. This turns out to be a great help, since you have proof of Vet Care and it includes a I.D. Photo. If your Amazon has a leg band, include the provided information on that document. The more you travel the more you will want to have her Micro Chipped and that number included.

As with all things, it will take a couple trips to get everything comfortable for everyone.
Remember to include an Avian First Aid Kit, which can be en expansion of your Human Kit.
A couple of members are active hikers and have a Bird Pack that they modify for their parrots.
Toys, food, water and lots of news paper, etc...

This really gets fairly easy the more you do it.

Safety, safety, safety!!! Just like taking small children.

Start testing and find out whether you have a traveler or not.

If I would offer our Amazon the job of driving he would step right in, loves to travel.

We haven't done a lot of driving with Jojo yet, but have done 4 separate drives of about 30 minutes each way (hour round trip). She spent most of the time hanging upside down from the cage top, singing, talking, and laughing. She seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Her travel cage is a medium size wire dog crate, 18x30" and 18" high (ish). There are a couple of bolt on crocks for food & water - I'll add a third for fresh foods. There's a natural perch mounted to the door that swings out when the crate is opened, as well as a cotton rope wrapped, hand shaped 1.5x3" perch extending across the width of the cage near the back.

Her play stand also has two crocks. Perches are one 3" tapering to 1.5" natural branch, one highly variable sized manzanita branch, and one wrapped 1x2" pine perch. In addition, there's an arch of square tubing I've covered with cotton rope that she uses for climbing from tray to perches to recover dropped bits of favorite foods or the paper-wrapped bundles she enjoys shredding as foraging/foot toys. The stand has a toy hook I use for kabobs and shreddable toys.

The spot we plan to set her up in would be near a window that is protected by our awning. The windows are tinted and can be easily covered by closing the blinds/curtain if she seems to be stressed.

The RV is a travel trailer, but a larger one. We bought with the idea of someday taking an extended cross country trip lasting several months or more, so got the largest we could comfortably pull that is still small enough to park in the National Parks. It's just David and I with Jojo, so we can give her the entire dining area. We generally spend evenings on the couch, which is within a couple feet- as close as her stand to my chair at home. She'll actually be a bit closer to David, who is her favorite person.

We won't be crossing state lines but I'll carry her medical file with us. The campground we've chosen for our first time out is approximately an hour away and is a quiet, wooded setting mostly frequented by retirees (probably why we like it so much, as we have become old farts)..

I'm still putting together a bird-aid kit. What do you suggest stocking? I have basic wound care items, hemostats, styptic pencil, and oral syringes. I plan to pick up a small bag of hand feeding formula as I've found it helpful for birds who've gone off feed in the past. We'll travel with her normal foods and water from home, of course. What am I forgetting?

 

[SailBoat]

Check-out: Sticky: First Aid Kit

First look may seem as overkill, but as you think about it, most all of it can be used for both Human and Amazons alike!

The first trip out will give you a real sense of what is working and what is not.

I believe that Wrench13 (Al) has a 'Pack o Bird' back pack.

The most important part is Have Fun!

 

[rescuebird]

Sailboat, I can't thank you enough for all your insight and advice!

 

[Kentuckienne]

Take her with you. We did lots of road trips with our BFA. He had a small travel cage, but was rarely in it. He liked to sit on his human, so he only went in the cage for rest stops. We were in a van. Restaurants don't allow animals, so if the weather was appropriate we could leave him in the car to eat, otherwise it was drive-through, and doing roadside sightseeing was right out. Having a trailer would have solved those problems. We had to stay in motels etc. and had a perch for the top of his travel cage, which he didn't use much because he preferred the human perch. So the smallish cage was never a problem.

What about getting a strip curtain for the trailer door? Either bead chains or screening? You could walk through easily but it an accidental fly-through would be difficult. That's the only problem I really see with taking her along. Go for it, you won't be sorry. One day I'm getting a trailer and taking Gus on the road.

 

[rescuebird]

The door curtain is a great idea - thank you!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Amy loves to travel. When she first came home with me,she was going to be my riding partner when I was a tractor-trailer owner/operator.
She was just four months old then ( now heading for the big three-oh )
I did day trips with her a few times,then realized a "big truck" is pretty bumpy,and her food/water/toys would end up every where!

BUT...she still goes on car rides,and has the time of her life,talking and yelling at cars on the highway,sitting on her bungied perch and looking out the passenger window.
The longest ride in the car was a 2.5 hour trip last summer,to visit Al ( Wrench13) and his boy Salty.

Like Martin Luther King Jr. said..." I have a dream"..of buying a medium sized motor home and taking Amy and BB along,to meet as many forum members and their fids as possible. I doubt that will ever happen..but...I can dream!

Take JoJo along with you. Maybe get her clipped to help prevent any chance/risk of her escaping??? I know clipping is a touchy subject here.
I bet the three of you will have an unforgettable experience!


Jim

 

[Kentuckienne]

Oh, and take documentation! Sailboat can tell you about this....some states have weird laws about parrots being transported across state lines. Take vet records showing a healthy checkup, take any documentation you have about where you go the bird and when, take anything you think will support the claim that this is your family "pet". Maybe make a copy and keep attached to the travel carrier or in the glove box. And microchip Ping is a good idea too, in case she ever does escape you would have a chance of getting her back.

 

[rescuebird]

She's already clipped. I'm letting her grow her wings out, but she's a long way from being able to fly.

That being said, if she were to get outside and catch the right wind/updraft, who knows? This is my biggest concern about taking her with us.

I'd like to train her to a harness but I'm not sure she will ever be ready for that. Right now I'm pretty sure I'd be trying to fasten it using nubs instead of fingers!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

She's already clipped. I'm letting her grow her wings out, but she's a long way from being able to fly.

That being said, if she were to get outside and catch the right wind/updraft, who knows? This is my biggest concern about taking her with us.

I'd like to train her to a harness but I'm not sure she will ever be ready for that. Right now I'm pretty sure I'd be trying to fasten it using nubs instead of fingers!

LOL on the nubs!

If you decide to take her,you MUST be extremely diligent,and aware,of what is going on around you!

Even though Amy gets her sleeves shortened in spring/summer ( Both she and BB are going Thursday for a wellness/grooming) and she never fledged and is clueless on how to fly,she just goes THUMP and hits the floor if she attempts ( EXCEPT last week,when I was cleanibg up fer mess under her house,and the vacuum spooked her,and she ended up on BB's roof top,about 10 feet away..but her arm sleeves have all come in,since she doesn't get clipped in winter) I still get nervous when we go places.

Jim

 

[itzjbean]

I may be the unpopular opinion here, but I vote option #43 -- Board her at the grooming salon associated with the rescue group.

Think about it, Jojo already knows this place, albeit becomes a perch potato, but you said she has fun interacting with the people and animals there. That sounds great to me! Why not pick this one and save yourself (and Jojo and your SO) the stress and worry? That way you and your SO get your vacation, you will be actually able to enjoy the vacation itself. Another great idea, you could always take Jojo to the grooming salon one weekend, and then take her with you to the next!

We don't take our cockatiels on vacation. We have a friend come by once a day to feed all the animals and we board our dog at the daycare. We've done this for five years now and nothing has come up. I love my birds, my cats, my dog, but when I'm on vacation, I don't want to worry about anything but enjoying myself. My husband and I also do what you two do, when its warm we like to take a weekend long vacation to my parent's lake house. We go most weekends throughout the summer, and we do not take any of our animals with us.

To me I know taking my birds with me would simply stress them out, I would be worrying about them too much and wouldn't be able to actually enjoy where I am. We don't have children yet, and obviously will take them with us when we travel, but right now we simply can't bring a bird, or our dog, or our cat, to the lake house, on a boat.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

Myself, I would take Jojo with you. When we go places overnight or longer, the dogs and Chicken come with us. Chicken loves the car, it is about the only time she really talks when I'm holding her. (She usually rides on my shoulder while my wife drives.) I think she likes car rides more than the dogs do. We bring her travel cage so if we stop at the gas station, she can go in while we take a bathroom break and such. Someone usually still sits in the car with her, but I prefer her in her cage while doors are opening and closing, even if she has her harness on. Her harness may keep her from flying off, but isn't much protection from getting caught in a door.

I have a friend take come take care of the parrotlets. For one, they are breeders, so I prefer not to take them out of their comfort zone, and they are tiny and not hand tame, so I don't think they would enjoy the constant human companionship like Chicken does. Tiki goes to a friend's house who has birds because I think travel would be too stressful for him being blind. He knows the people that he "camps" with, so they are familiar to him, unlike if he went to visit out of town relatives with us.

Even yesterday, my brother came into town from out of state to visit and when we went to my mom's house, Chicken came with us so she wouldn't be at home alone all day. She loved the car ride and we brought her travel cage (my mom has issues with me letting her sit at the table with us during dinner, so she said that I had to bring it to put her in during dinner. Non-bird people just don't understand.) The small travel cage isn't ideal, but it doesn't hurt her any to be in it for a couple hours here and there. Like she sat outside with us for a while yesterday, but when she started to fluff up a little when it started to cool off, I brought her inside and put her in the travel cage. Even though she hates the travel cage (mostly because it means she is not with all the people), it seems to be worth if for her to go with.

Yes, it can be a pain to have to work around them going on vacation and stuff, but it is with children too, so what's the difference? Honestly, even with her travel cage, toys, food, water, etc, I still think my 10 year old human daughter brings more crap in the car for an hour long car trip.

 

[Sand1]

Does anyone worry about car fumes? is that dangerous? I mean I'm sure a bit of fumes come up from the bottom of the car especially when you are idling

 

[BeatriceC]

My birds come with us pretty much everywhere if it's at all possible. MrC takes Goofy and Charlotte when he goes to his mother's (3-4 days, once or twice a month), and we pack them all up if we both go. It took each individual a few trips to get used to it, but after that, they start getting excited when the travel cages come out.

 

[Chilismom]

Our YN is 24 years old and has traveled with us in an RV since he was a baby. We go for day, and sometimes weeks. We did the same with our CAG before she passed and now we take our baby Cockatiel. They have cages set up on the dinette and we put them in small carriers while we are on the road. When we are away from the RV we leave the radio or TV on for them. They do fine as long as they have you with them. Good luck taking JoJo with you. Carol

 

[SailBoat]

Car Fumes are a problem, if you are sitting for extended periods of time. Whether traveling with our Amazons or not. If I'm sitting still, I turn-off the vehicle. As a FYI: See New BMW auto-start technologies - they shutdown for a traffic light. Ever wonder why you hear of so few individuals trying to take their life by piping in exhaust fumes any more? Thats due to the combination of far more efficient fuel burning and the catalytic converter. There still is toxic fumes, but no where near the level once known. Not saying or recommending piping in the fumes, only that if you are going to be sitting long enough for it being a concern, shut-off the engine.

Does anyone worry about car fumes? is that dangerous? I mean I'm sure a bit of fumes come up from the bottom of the car especially when you are idling