Moving

[CharlieTheAnon]

We're moving to our new house (5 miles away) and I have a few questions.

1. Should I wait a day after moving my Cockatiel before touching her, like when she came home?
2. Is it important for me to buy a "travel cage" or can I keep her in the critter keeper we brought her home in? (it takes two minutes from the pet store to home)
3. Finally, is there anything else I should do when moving a bird?

Thanks for the help, guys.
We thank you.

 

[SilverSage]

1) Is your bird tame? If so, then no, let her be with you if she wants, it will help her feel more secure.

2) Your critter carrier will work fine.

3) Important thing is to be sensitive to what your bird is feeling, and respond accordingly. Also, BE CAREFUL! Moving involves a lot of open doors - do not let your bird flyaway, get lost in the shuffle, or crushed by boxes, etc!

 

[Kiwibird]

1. See how SHE responds. If she seems agitated/frightened, give her some time to settle. If she seems like she wants to come out and explore or hang out with the family, let her (supervised of course)

2. For a short move like that, the critter keeper will be fine to transport her. In the long term though, it is a good idea to get a travel cage at some point. One of the $20 small budgie cages will do just fine for a cockatiel.

3. Make sure her cage is the FIRST THING you unpack and set up. If she is very fearful, you may want to put her in a quiet room while your moving stuff in (like a spare bedroom of something). A short drive in a critter keeper is fine, but she shouldn't stay in there for very long. Also, Silversage brings up an EXCELLENT point about safety- she should remain locked securely in her cage when theres a lot of activity going on with movers, unpacking ext (any situation a small bird could become injured or fly out an open door)...

Good luck with your move! We moved halfway across the country with our bird last fall and all went well