Don't forget your feathered friends [Kitchen Fire and Mini-Evacuation]

[Alisana]

While I hope that personal safety is on everyone's mind, I also can't help but think of animal safety as well.

[Backstory]
Just two days ago, we nearly had a kitchen fire. A new brand of baking paper we tried had caught alight in the microwave oven, and set fire to the microwave. Smoke filled the place very quickly. (The company has been very willing to find out what went wrong and has been cooperative with sorting out everything - which is great; they suspect a bad batch)

Naturally, due to the large amount of smoke, doors closed to the bedrooms and hallway (our kitchen is in a separate area of the house, so can be closed off. On my way out, we made sure to ensure the fire was completely smothered in the microwave, to prevent it spreading before evacuating the house.

Sister grabbed the cat, and I grabbed my budgies (who I had brought in the night before as it had been getting rather cold outside), even though they were down the other end of the house. My biggest concern was if they would be OK with the smoke.

I know how bad respiratory issues can be in birds, and how sensitive they are, so I was very stressed/panicky about it, and placed the birds as far away as humanly and safely possible from the house.

In the end - nothing destroyed, except microwave (burn marks on inside rather than outside). Budgies are living outdoors in their mini-flight cage, as there is still lingering smell of burning. All is safe and well. Just need new microwave oven.

The reason I made this post is, for us, we always try to think of our pets, but it can be so easy for people to leave behind their animals when evacuating from a dangerous situation. I can understand how it happens - you're in a state of panic and need to get moving QUICKLY, so people can forget. I am very glad I grabbed my guys and the cat, but it's still cause for concern.

[Question/Issue]
Small birds, like budgies are VERY easy to grab and go - not having experience with a macaw for "Get in the carrier, we need to leave NOW" - has anyone ever had to "cage up" or grab a large bird in a hurry?

Do you think a larger bird would recognise the urgency and comply, or would they panic because you are not calm?

It's not something I've considered before, but I'm now thinking of incorporating it into the training, where I can get my macaw to enter the carrier regardless if it's a calm environment or hectic with smoke alarms going off. It'll be interesting trying to learn how to approach the training though.

Anyone with experience?

 

[terry52449]

An emergency is that. There is no time to negotiate a bird into a cage. I recommend some your vet does and grab a towel or blanket and tos it over the bird wrap and go. Much safer for you and your large bird.

 

[azdesertrhino]

An emergency is that. There is no time to negotiate a bird into a cage. I recommend some your vet does and grab a towel or blanket and toss it over the bird wrap and go. Much safer for you and your large bird.

I would tend to agree. The travel cage for our Macaw is outside on the back patio. There would be no time to get it and get Mac safely in to it to escape in an emergency.

Best course of action would be a towel in our case. Might wind up with a bite or some claw "leakage" but the FID would be safe!

It is good the OP put this up. Something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

[Spiritbird]

I have a sign on my front door of apt. that says In case of smoke or fire immediate rescue of bird and cat. Now how to you pick the first to be rescued? If you have an emergency and need to get them both out and you are alone it is a real problem. Where I lived before there were alarms that would break your ears. I put my bird in travel cage but could not get the cat who ran for her life to hide due to the alarm. It is something I think about all the time when you live in an apartment the risk are greater than in an individual home.

 

[Mayden]

We have a house evacuating plan set between me, my other half and our housemate. I grab Merlin, my other half grabs the rabbit + housemate grabs the budgie's.

I panic about evacuation situations all the time, so we're fairly prepared!

 

[friedsoup]

I stay in a lot of Hotels so I made up this to put in the window.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/Friedsoup/Emergencyweb.jpg

 

[Alisana]

I stay in a lot of Hotels so I made up this to put in the window.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e115/Friedsoup/Emergencyweb.jpg

That's a good idea!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

You should also have a safety plan for wild fires. My grandmother has a friend who had outdoor aviary's on his large property where he trains police/guard dogs in the Santa Cruz mountains. A few years ago there was a large forest fire and the smoke unfortunately killed the birds in his aviary(including his beloved blue and gold). In that situation we can't get away from the smoke.

We haven't had a large fire around the bay area for a while now, last time I was in high school(I'm 22) and we weren't allowed to go outside for PE. Our cars where covered in a fine layer of ash and it looked cloudy but the clouds where just smoke. In that situation I guess all we can do is lock our birds inside and maybe get a air filter.(unless we're in danger, in my situation it was just smoke and not the fire itself)

here's a pic of the sky that shows the smoke, no clouds in the pic at all.

 

[KBEquine]

Never underestimate the value of pillow cases in evacuations - works like a towel, but easier to carry the bird - or cat - enclosed - especially if you need to carry more than one. I read that in a bird emergency safety article about evacuating during a wildfire & have always remembered it. As I recall, they were rescuing pretty big birds - macaws and/or cockatoos.

 

[horsesculpter]

A few weeks ago, my husband put some oil in a frying pan to heat and was distracted by something on the TV. A few minutes later Sunny our macaw who was sitting on her playstand in the dining room, started yelling Fire, Fire. The pan had overheated and flamed up. We use only stainless steel pans, no teflon, and it was quickly put out and Sunny moved but we are still wondering where she learned the word and how she knew what a fire was. She is always an amazing bird> LOL. I do agree. A towel would be the way to grab her in a emergency although her instinct is to run to us in an emergency.

 

[KBEquine]

. . . Sunny our macaw who was sitting on her playstand in the dining room, started yelling Fire, Fire. The pan had overheated and flamed up . . . we are still wondering where she learned the word and how she knew what a fire was.

First, thankfully, everything & everyone is OK.

Second, that just cracks me up. Every time I start to wonder whether our talkers are mimicking or speaking in context, either I hear something like this or I experience it in my own living room.

And I hope that my inability to sometimes understand what my macaw is saying will not extinguish his desire to try to communicate, because I'm pretty sure he's got a good story to tell & I know he's got a good sense of humor.

 

[horsesculpter]

I hadn't thought about it, but when Sunny yelled fire we took her word for it and ran to the kitchen. Macaws have a wicked sense of humor and when we first got her she would throw herself backwards off her perch, hang upside down by one toe and scream help, help! When somebody ran to help she would scramble back up and laugh hysterically. She wore that joke out pretty fast. Fool me once.

 

[ConureCrazy]

I hadn't thought about it, but when Sunny yelled fire we took her word for it and ran to the kitchen. Macaws have a wicked sense of humor and when we first got her she would throw herself backwards off her perch, hang upside down by one toe and scream help, help! When somebody ran to help she would scramble back up and laugh hysterically. She wore that joke out pretty fast. Fool me once.

LOL Bella does that too, except she just screams instead if saying anything. They're goofballs. Back to the topic, I think my conures would be easy to move, but I'll have a pillow case JIC.

 

[TortoiseLady17]

I have thought about this but honestly never put serious thought into it. I am going to this week. We not only have our 4 birds, we have dogs, cats, and many reptiles to get in an emergency. I think pillow cases are the way to go! I can have some near each enclosure, put them in and go, taking multiples at a time.

 

[horsesculpter]

Pillow cases are a great idea and I have used them for cats but stuffing an overly excited 33" long macaw in one might be a challenge. We will stick with the towel. We always have them by her cage.

 

[lizardsmells]

An emergency is that. There is no time to negotiate a bird into a cage. I recommend some your vet does and grab a towel or blanket and tos it over the bird wrap and go. Much safer for you and your large bird.

I keep a couple of pillow cases next to Kazi's cage. They were .60 at the thrift store and should we have to get out fast he's getting stuffed into one like it or not.

 

[Aims]

I hadn't thought about it, but when Sunny yelled fire we took her word for it and ran to the kitchen. Macaws have a wicked sense of humor and when we first got her she would throw herself backwards off her perch, hang upside down by one toe and scream help, help! When somebody ran to help she would scramble back up and laugh hysterically. She wore that joke out pretty fast. Fool me once.

Sunny is so funny.


It was only last week a guy got rescued by a neighbour, only to run back into the burning building to save his birds. Unfortunately he didn't make it back out.

We all definitely need to be prepared incase of emergency. I now have a pillow case next to Jax's cage.

 

[KBEquine]

Pillow cases are a great idea and I have used them for cats but stuffing an overly excited 33" long macaw in one might be a challenge. We will stick with the towel. We always have them by her cage.

I completely agree with how difficult it would be to stuff the macaw into a pillow case. You are lucky you & your macaw are experienced with the towel.

Me, I'm not that good. I've got the pillowcases, just in case . . . and the greenwing is going there, if necessary!

 

[Alisana]

It was only last week a guy got rescued by a neighbour, only to run back into the burning building to save his birds. Unfortunately he didn't make it back out.

We all definitely need to be prepared incase of emergency. I now have a pillow case next to Jax's cage.

That is so sad.