Moving can be very stressful for your pet bird as birds are very sensitive to change. However, with proper planning, you can minimize the troubling changes in your bird’s world. Most moving companies won’t transport animals or live plants so you will have to move the bird yourself. To help you, we would like to provide you with a few tips on how to prepare your bird for a trip by air and in a car. For the safety and comfort of your pet bird traveling by car is the best option. However, this isn’t always an option and most airlines these days will allow you to carry your bird with you in a carrier in the cabin or the cargo hold.
No matter how you choose to transport your bird, you should visit the veterinarian and have your bird checked out and obtain its health certificates. Some states require that your bird has health certificates and even if you will only be traveling through or to one of these states it’s good to have the certificates to provide proof of ownership. It is important to keep calm while you are moving as your bird will pick up on your demeanor so they will become stressed if they sense that you are stressed. If at all possible clear out a room for a bird before the movers arrive. This way the bird avoids most of the stress caused by the chaos of moving. Ideally, your pet should be that last to leave your old house and the first to arrive at your new home.
Traveling by car
Birds generally enjoy traveling by car, especially if they can see through the windows. If you chose to get, different carriers make sure your birds spend time in the new carriers so they can get used to them you can also put some toys or treats in the carriers to help them enjoy their move more. If your birds are not used to car travel, you should take them for short rides to help them get used to it. Make sure to bring your birds regular food and water, bring about a month’s supply of their usual water and food and if it isn’t available in your new home slowly switch the birds feed when you get settled. Birds are susceptible to temperature so make sure that our cars air conditioning and if necessary heating is working correctly. Your bird’s carrier should be belted securely in the back seat and make sure it’s out of direct sunlight and that your bird plenty of fresh citrus and cucumbers instead of water while in the car. Water should be offered on rest stops and when the car isn’t moving.
Traveling by airline
You may need to remove your bird so that the Transportation Security Administration can inspect its carrier, make sure you use an avian harness otherwise your bird may panic in the loud and busy airport. You will have to use an airline approved carrier and make sure you can transport your pet on the airline before you book your ticket. Another good idea is to get a direct flight to reduce the stress on the bird. Make sure your bird has enough time to get used to its travel carrier before the trip, make sure its favorite toys and treats are placed inside for the journey as anything that is familiar to the bird will make the journey less stressful.
