OrrinocosMom
Active member
Hello Everyone & Your Birds,
I have had smaller birds (budgies, greys), and used to work caring for hawks and owls, but I am about to become a first time mom to a Green and Gold Macaw by the name of Orinoco The Pirate. I am adopting him from the wife of one of my hospice patients. He is about 20 years old, raised by her from a baby. However, she has 30 cats in her very cat-y home and feels (correctly) that she does not have time for O. She actually asked if Id like to have him about four years ago when I was working with them, and I had to refuse (cant take anything from a patient), and suggested I could help her find him a home. She was adamant that she'd give him to no one but me. I left and moved to a new town, and four years later, she calls me out of the blue to ask if I still want O! I said yes, but I live very far away now. . . she said if you want him he is yours.
Well, I know the shape he is in - skinny, frayed tail feathers, never had a bath, only rarely (and maybe not at all in the past 10 years) been out of his cage. . . he is very grumpy and a bit aggressive (understandably so), but I had made a connection with him way back when I worked at the house, and in general the majority of the animals I have cared for in my life have been abuse survivors, so I am prepared for a long - if ever - time before trust is built.
I pick Orinoco up in about a week and will be transporting him in a travel cage (small, with two perches, access to water, food and soft toys). . . on a four day drive. I imagine his stress level will be enormous - first time out of his house, even tho old home was not healthy for him it is all he has known, to add to this, I will have my three dogs on the journey. O is used to cats but has never met a dog, let alone three. And he may or may not remember me... I will have a spritzer, a cage cover and have air con in the large van I have rented for all of us to travel in. We stop at rest stops and all of us will sleep in the van, so I can be sure everyone is ok.
The drive is long - 10 hour driving days. Joshua Tree to New Mexico, one overnight there, then three more days, return van in Massachusetts and move O and dogs to my Jeep, spend a night there, then 6 hour drive to our new home in Maine.
I will have a bird vet available to see O when we arrive, and will take him there asap if needed. Otherwise, best thing I can think of for him is to move him into his familiar larger cage in our new home.
If anyone has travel tips or any other tidbits you'd like to share, I would be grateful. Very worried about my boy on this journey.
Thanks and Bird-Love to All.
I have had smaller birds (budgies, greys), and used to work caring for hawks and owls, but I am about to become a first time mom to a Green and Gold Macaw by the name of Orinoco The Pirate. I am adopting him from the wife of one of my hospice patients. He is about 20 years old, raised by her from a baby. However, she has 30 cats in her very cat-y home and feels (correctly) that she does not have time for O. She actually asked if Id like to have him about four years ago when I was working with them, and I had to refuse (cant take anything from a patient), and suggested I could help her find him a home. She was adamant that she'd give him to no one but me. I left and moved to a new town, and four years later, she calls me out of the blue to ask if I still want O! I said yes, but I live very far away now. . . she said if you want him he is yours.
Well, I know the shape he is in - skinny, frayed tail feathers, never had a bath, only rarely (and maybe not at all in the past 10 years) been out of his cage. . . he is very grumpy and a bit aggressive (understandably so), but I had made a connection with him way back when I worked at the house, and in general the majority of the animals I have cared for in my life have been abuse survivors, so I am prepared for a long - if ever - time before trust is built.
I pick Orinoco up in about a week and will be transporting him in a travel cage (small, with two perches, access to water, food and soft toys). . . on a four day drive. I imagine his stress level will be enormous - first time out of his house, even tho old home was not healthy for him it is all he has known, to add to this, I will have my three dogs on the journey. O is used to cats but has never met a dog, let alone three. And he may or may not remember me... I will have a spritzer, a cage cover and have air con in the large van I have rented for all of us to travel in. We stop at rest stops and all of us will sleep in the van, so I can be sure everyone is ok.
The drive is long - 10 hour driving days. Joshua Tree to New Mexico, one overnight there, then three more days, return van in Massachusetts and move O and dogs to my Jeep, spend a night there, then 6 hour drive to our new home in Maine.
I will have a bird vet available to see O when we arrive, and will take him there asap if needed. Otherwise, best thing I can think of for him is to move him into his familiar larger cage in our new home.
If anyone has travel tips or any other tidbits you'd like to share, I would be grateful. Very worried about my boy on this journey.
Thanks and Bird-Love to All.
If you don't mind my asking, what part of the state are you coming to?
