Are you someone who loves to have pets around but don’t want the commitments that come with it? You have a perfect solution for this. Birds! They make great pets as they thrive in small places and require minimal grooming. Not only that, but they are very social and easy to train what’s not to love about these feathery friends.
However, if you are someone who owns birds and is moving houses, the process can be a little bit scary. Unlike dogs or cats, you can’t simply put a bird on a leash or just hold them in the car. It’s a bit more complicated than that because, shockingly, birds are quite territorial, so new surroundings might not always sit well with them. It can even be stress-inducing and also causes anxiety for most of them. So it’s essential to make this whole journey of moving more comfortable for them to avoid any behavioral and/or health problems.
Here we will help you to make this whole process easy and stress-free for both you and your companion:
- Get a Checkup Done
It’s important to take your bird to a vet beforehand to ensure that it’s okay for them to travel and maybe some way to make it easier on them. Such as changing its diet or any digestive supplements to help with the stress.
Keep in mind to take your bird around a month before moving so it can get used to the diet or for the supplements to start working properly.
- Prepare the Carrier
You can either use a different carrier or a regular cage for the bird to travel in the car. Either way, both of them will only need to have essentials in them during the ride. So if you stick with the cage, start removing all the non-essentials such as toys and swings to get them used to it beforehand. But so the bird doesn’t get bored, alternate between removing them and putting them back in throughout the day.
If you choose an alternate carrier, introduce the bird to it at least a month before to give them time for adjustment. Also, try to get them to associate the carrier with good things, such as by giving them treats when they are in it.
Make sure whatever you choose is small in size to make transportation easier. That being said, it should be large enough for them to stress. Also during the move take extra safety measures by tying the openings, to prevent any accidents.
- Do Practice Runs With Your Bird
To get your bird used to traveling, slowly introduce them to the idea by taking them on short drives with you. This way, you will also get an idea if your bird suffers from motion sickness as well.
Start with short trips and move your way up to longer drives. This can be a crucial step, especially if you are a long distance mover.
- Stay Safe During the Journey
It’s imperative that the temperature of your car is just right as extreme temperatures can cause harm to your birds. Bring a breathable blanket to cover the cage, so you protect it from direct sunlight. Keep taking small breaks to give it fresh air, especially if you see that it’s getting aggressive or acting out of character, and keep talking to it to reduce its anxiety. Also, if you are a long-distance mover, the trip might belong, and you might opt to stay at a hotel. TAKE YOUR BIRD WITH YOU! It’s not safe for them to stay alone for an extended period of time.
At The End
Following all these steps, we can assure you that this trip will be fun and stress-free for you as well as your companion.
