Tips on traveling with birds
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
We don’t typically think of birds as travel buddies, but companionable parrots may enjoy going to work with you if pets are allowed (the late, great Larry was popular at both my office and my husband’s office), venturing to the beach or an outdoor restaurant perched on their person’s shoulder, or riding shotgun on a road trip.
Gregarious Amazons, for instance, may relish the chance to display their beauty and smarts to new people, but any healthy parrot, from budgies to macaws, can take to travel, especially if you train them from an early age. Being accustomed to transportation is also helpful for veterinary visits and birdie boarding kennel stays.
Before taking your bird on a travel adventure, whether it’s around town or cross-country, be sure they’re prepared. A travel carrier with a perch for car rides and a bird harness and light leash for outdoor fun are the basics. If for no other reason, your bird should have a travel cage or carrier in the event of a disaster that requires evacuation. A transportable home makes it easy to bring him with you.
Choose a carrier with a large enough door for your bird to enter and exit comfortably. Cat carriers work well for small and medium-size birds -- and even some larger birds if they have short tails. A wire dog crate is another option, and it’s easy to add a perch inside it for your bird’s comfort. Heavy chewers may do best with an acrylic carrier that already has a perch installed.
When your bird will go in and out of the carrier happily, take them on a short visit in it to the park or a cafe. That accustoms them to going different places, seeing other people, enjoying the fresh air and being rewarded with treats during the experience.
Types of bird harnesses include flight suits and aviator-style. Why is a harness necessary? Taking birds outdoors can be fun for you and them, but it has risks. There’s a reason many cities have flocks of free-living parrots.
You may need to try different harnesses until you find the style best suited to your bird that also meets your needs. It should stay on your bird comfortably, be escape-proof (some birds are Houdinis) and be easy for you to put on and remove. Consider enlisting the help of a bird-savvy positive-reinforcement trainer who can guide you in developing a training plan that’s right for your bird. Treats, praise and other rewards can help your bird look forward to wearing the harness.
Let your bird explore the carrier at home, and practice putting on and removing the harness so he’s used to it before you ever leave the house. He should also be comfortable meeting other people. Now your bird is ready to explore with you.
Experiment to see what your bird enjoys most -- and make sure they do actually enjoy it. Signs that your bird isn’t having a good time include rounded eyes, rapidly dilating and constricting pupils, unwillingness to take treats, feathers held close to the body or fanned-out tail feathers. Birds display these behaviors when they’re uncomfortable in a situation or fearful of a predator such as a raptor in the air or a big dog jumping up toward them.
They may also be uncomfortable having strangers approach them. If people want to touch or talk to your bird, be his advocate if he seems unsure about interacting with them. Find more information on helping to keep a traveling bird’s stress level low here: fearfreehappyhomes.com/teaching-birds-to-travel-stress-free.
But if your bird is well-socialized and comfortable in public, this is a great way to spend time with him.
Q&A
Minimize pet risks,
enjoy the benefits
Q: I don't understand the appeal of pets. I don’t want one; they can make you sick!
A: To each his own, but there's a reason people have had companion animals for thousands of years: They make us happy. Even when cats were expected to hunt vermin and dogs to hunt or guard, they also served as companions.
Modern research backs up what our forebears knew instinctively: Animal companionship is good for us. But you are right on the disease front, and tips on being safe around pets is something we communicate routinely.
It's mind-boggling how many diseases and parasites can be passed from pets to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supplies a list of them (cdc.gov/healthypets) and includes advice for people at higher risk, including those who are immune-compromised or who work with animals.
At the top of the list is rabies, a deadly disease more common in wildlife than in pets, thanks to decades of aggressive vaccination laws. Other worries are bacterial, with pets capable of transmitting salmonella, leptospirosis and campylobacteriosis. Diseases caused by parasites include tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm, Lyme disease and giardia. And there's ringworm, which is actually a fungus. Toxoplasmosis can be a concern for people who live with cats. Birds and reptiles can transmit salmonella, and pet rodents can transmit diseases such as rat fever.
Simple precautions such as keeping pets healthy and parasite-free greatly minimize the risks, as does frequent hand washing, which everyone should do anyway, pets or no pets.
It's important to note that pets are not the only source for many of these diseases -- in many cases, improper food handling is a bigger risk. We say: "Reduce the risk and keep the pet," because on balance, pets are still proven to be good medicine for people. -- Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Behind the scenes
of ‘Black Beauty’
-- Horse lovers and animal welfare advocates will want to read Celia Brayfield’s “Writing Black Beauty” (Pegasus Books, October 2023), the story of how author Anna Sewell helped to set the animal protection movement in motion with her beloved story of a once-proud and beautiful carriage horse’s descent into a hard life and eventual rescue and rehabilitation. When “Black Beauty” was published in the United States in 1890, it was said to have been the bestselling book after the Bible, although Brayfield writes that the claim was impossible to authenticate. To date, an estimated 50 million or more copies have been sold.
-- Monitor your cat’s well-being with Moggie, a wearable health activity tracker that provides daily data about a cat’s movements and sends the data to a user-friendly mobile app, which can help owners notice subtle signs of inaction that may indicate arthritis pain or other illness. They can then contact their veterinarian to share the data and schedule a checkup. Owners can also use the app to build a health profile and set up care reminders such as giving medication or scooping litter. The lightweight plastic device can be attached to any breakaway collar. Find out more at moggie.me.
-- It’s devastating to lose a beloved cat, but sometimes it helps to ease the pain of grief by helping other cats. That may mean fostering a kitten or senior, sharing your cat’s remaining food and litter with your local shelter or feline rescue group, or making a donation to an organization that supports feline health research. One of our favorites is EveryCat Health Foundation, which has a virtual Remember Your Cat Memorial for donations of $100 or more. The memorial can include a cat’s photo, name and a personal message of up to 50 words. Go to everycat.org/ways-to-give/make-a-tribute/#remember-your-cat. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.