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Noor's Personnel Tips on Parrot Care Topic 12

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TOPIC 12

How To Travel With Your Parrot

Planning a Vacation:

Should You Travel With Your Parrot?

Questions to answer before you take your parrot on a trip

When it comes to car travel, canaries, finches, and budgies are high-strung. Very small birds often become stressed during car travel and thus, no one enjoys the trip. They are best left home.

Other parrots, such as social African Grey Parrots, Macaws, Amazons, cockatoo etc love to be around the family and thus, love car travel.

some parrots experience separation anxiety and become anxious around strangers so leaving them with a bird sitter or at a boarding facility.

Suggestions:

BIRD SITTER

If you are planning to get a bird sitter you should start the sitter and parrot visit at least few weeks before, the parrot has to be comfortable with the sitter otherwise the parrot will be very stressed.

BOARDING FACILITY

Boarding facility is good it is stress free you know that your parrot is well taken care of,  it is expensive though, but good.

BIRD AVIARY

If you have a Bird Aviary please make sure you have a person who will looking after them, let that person come and visit them few weeks before and let them get use to the person, it is very important otherwise poor beautiful parrots will be so stressed.

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL WITH YOUR PARROT

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR PARROT:

Is your parrot healthy?

Have your parrot done a full physical with your vet, I prefer my parrot has its wing clipped for his own safety, get the certificate that is very important.

Can you insure your parrots safety while on the trip?

While on the road, your bird needs a well secure and ventilated small cage or bird carrier, they should never be left in your car alone, Parrots can very quickly get frightened and they can fly off.

Will you have time for your bird at your destination?

Will you have time  to play with your parrot, feed him, and deal with hygiene if not find a pet-sitter.

THINGS YOU NEED FOR YOUR PARROT

Bird carrier

Blanket

Small Cage

Bird Harness

Spray Bottle

First Aid Kit

Your Vet’s number

Perch Rope is much safer

Fresh Fruits and See/Pellets etc

WITH PROPER PLANNING TRAVELING WITH A PARROT CAN BE FUN AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE

Suggestions:

If  you are traveling by car take your bird on short trips first before traveling so your parrot get used to travelling

PLAN THE TRIP

If  by plan

You will have to find pet-friendly airlines check the yellow pages or google

Contact the airlines make sure they accept birds in the cabin, if they make reservation.

Purchase an airline approved cage that will find under the seat in front of you.

Just before the flight you should put food and water (I pefer) ice cube in the bowl, it will take time to melt and the parrot will have water there, cover the cage with the blanket till we board in, then settled under the seat uncover the blanket,

On the flight it depends on how long is the trip, you can always take the cage to the washroom for few minutes for the time out with your parrot, I am sure he will love that, less stress on him.

By Car

Make put it in the back seat, facing the front, with a seat belt or safety straps. Front seats are not as safe for parrots, in case the airbag bursts. sure your pet not too close to the window,  in order to prevent draft or sunburn, your parrot cage should be well supplied with the seeds/pellets, fruits and water I pefer ice cube, talk to your parrot make his trip a happy one, do not leave him in the car alone, lots of theft happen, I pefer to put a harness on my parrot before leaving the car so he is secure with me other wise he will get so scared and fly you will not be able to find him, that’s why people prefer wing trim.

TRAVELING TO USA

Full check-up with a Vet, I pefer to get a certificate with the clean check-up.

A closed, numbered leg band, a microchip, or a tattoo are all permanent identifiers.

An open leg band is less reliable.

If you remove a closed band from your bird have a veterinarian do the removal and immediately place a microchip – this provides you with a permanent chain of identity which you will not have if the chip is not placed by the person removing the band.

If there is a reason your bird cannot have a closed band or microchip placed have a letter from a veterinarian to support this.

Other distinguishing marks, such as scars, unusual feathering, or healed fractures could also serve as permanent identifying. You would need a veterinarian to certify to these.

This is necessary that you get a certificate from the Pet Store saying how long have you owned the bird for.

Get the Export Permit or CITES Permit.

Getting a CITES PERMITS can be complicated and should be undertaken well in advance of any animal import or export. List is available on-line, I prefer to consult with a staff at CITES to make sure all the paper work is in order.  If a CITES PERMIT is required from a foreign county you must contact that country’s CITES OFFICE directly to apply for permit.

You will have to make an appointment at the destination border(USA) with US Department of Agriculture for Inspection of your parrot with USA Vet before you enter USA with your Parrot. I was told Government of Canada Animal Import and Export dept in Guelph that you should make the appointment in few weeks advance since they are very busy.

I hope the information is helpful

We love our Parrots

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