Travel Help?

[Yuki_Ijirashii]

Okay, so I've been on two trips since I've had my Conure. The first time I brought her with me, but the place we stayed at was extremely echoy and I didn't know how loud she was when we were gone. I was terrified we'd be found out and get kicked out (since pets aren't allowed in all the places we've stayed). I also couldn't spend time with her since we were gone all day.

The second time we left her with a friend who also owns a bird (a female Eclectus named Scarlet). But it took a lot of effort to get her cage and stuff moved since she lives far away. We already have trouble with finding people to take care of our other animals while we're away...

I was wondering if there's any alternatives? So please let me know.

 

[Scott]

That is a difficult question, as qualified bird-sitters are hard to find. Some feel comfortable leaving a bird for a day or two with plenty of food and water, but extended trips really do mandate they be in safe custody. Because birds require specialized care/handling and are easily stolen, many of us don't trust without a strong pedigree. Might inquire at local bird clubs for referrals. Traditional animal boarding facilities may not accept birds. A secure but costly alternative is to board with an avian vet clinic.

 

[EllenD]

If you do not want to take her with you and would rather board her, I would check with your avian vet, or other avian vets in your area. Most of them either board themselves or know someone who does.

I have traveled overnight with my Senegal, he isn't very good with people he doesn't know. While I'll leave my green cheek, Quaker, and cockatiel for either a friend or my mom to watch, my Senegal just won't have it. So at first I booked at a pet friendly hotel, but when I got there (after 6 hours in the car with a pissy Senegal parrot) they only allowed dogs and cats. This made absolutely no sense to me, since my bird would be in a cage in the room. So since then I always stay at hotels that have outside entrances to the rooms. I stayed in one of the nicest Motel 6s I've ever seen in Raleigh, NC (I won't stay in the rundown places that look like a serial killer is running the office). This way I can park right in front of the door to my room and "smuggle" Kane in the room in between grabbing bags and such. I usually put him in a foldable dog carrier and just cover it up with a blanket . I've found that not only do I not have to walk him through the inside of a hotel, down the halls, etc., but I think just the way those hotels are set up you hear less and possibly the bird sounds blend in with outside noise. You just have to make sure you remember to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door knob, I forgot to do it once and the maid got a big surprise (so did Kane).

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[GaleriaGila]

Good ideas!
We have a local Ursuline nunnery and many of the ladies house-sit to generate revenue. Couldn't ask for a more trustworthy bunch. Our favorite, Sister Collette (whom we met at a civic rally), tells us how she sits and reads the Bible to the Rickeybird. He is usually happy to see her, since he hasn't yet figured out that when she shows up, we mysteriously disappear for a few days. That's my little brainiac.
Anyway, you might heck around your locl nunneries. I'm told many do this house-sitting thing.
How's that for an unusual idea?

 

[EllenD]

I would have never thought of a nunnery, lol, but it makes sense I guess. My stepfather's sister is a nun in a convent in center city Philadelphia, and she often reserves a car from the convent and drives here to State College (~4 hours) to visit. She's in her late 60's/early 70's and she is constantly complaining that since she "retired" (she used to teach at the private Catholic school run by the convent) she has nothing to do at the convent all day but watch TV and read. A lot of the nuns take on part-time jobs to pass the time after they no longer teach or nurse or whatever it was that they did for the church before retirement. So pet sitting would be a great job for them, and obviously I'd think they would be trustworthy!

I actually just saw an ad on my local Craigslist pet section while I was looking for a cheap light fixture for my bearded dragon's Exo Terra (I think the pet section is Community, the Services, then Pets) that had the title "Need Someone To Watch Your Birds While You're Away? Experienced Bird Sitter Now Available In the Central PA Area! References Available!". This ad has been running for a couple of months now, I'm assuming in State College it's a Penn State student, that's usually the case, but if they check out alright and have bird experience then why not. So Craigslist would be another place to look, I am always seeing dog sitters, dog walkers, dog boarding places, cat boarding, and now places that actually watch birds! And this one also said that they can also clip your bird's toenails and wings if wanted. I don't think I'd have anyone do that for me, but I'm sure there are plenty of people that have pet birds and refuse to take them to a vet, so their toenails are so long they're curling under. So this would be a good thing for those people.

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