Traveling With a Parrot

Not everyone is comfortable leaving their parrots home alone for extended periods, and when life requires you to travel it raises the question about whether or not to bring your parrot along for the ride. Traveling with your feathery friend is possible, yet it requires you to consider many factors in order to keep the parrot comfortable and safe during your journeys.

  1. Health Clearance

    • Before you venture out with your parrot seek the health approval from your parrot's veterinarian first. The vet will examine the parrot to make sure it is in the appropriate condition to travel, and that there aren't any health concerns or conditions that could jeopardize the parrot's welfare while traveling. You will also need to tell the vet where you are going with the parrot. For instance, if you are traveling to another state, you will need a certificate of health signed by the vet in order to take the parrot across state borders or on an airplane.

    Carrier Rehearsal

    • If you've never travelled with your parrot before, this may mean that it's your parrot's first time in the portable carrier cage. Before you go on an extended journey, such as a road trip in the car, get the parrot acclimated to the carrier so that it doesn't feel as anxious about being trapped inside of it. You can do a carrier rehearsal where you put the parrot into the portable cage and drive around with it in the car for an hour. Even if you are planning to travel by plane, bus or train, the same exercise will help your parrot get used to the smaller caged environment that it will need to be kept in mid-travel. In addition, if you are traveling by air with your parrot, you'll need to make sure the carrier cage is within the dimension limitations set by the airline.

    Being Prepared

    • You can make traveling with your parrot more successful by preparing for a variety of events. For instance, if you are taking a road trip, you might want to stop and let the parrot -- and you -- walk around a little bit along the way. As such, prepare ahead by bringing a special bird leash for the parrot. Also, make sure you are prepared with your parrot's food and a small dish that you can add water to. Bring along a pet emergency kit, and if you are worried about your parrot getting motion sick from the traveling, prepare ahead by bringing an all natural, vet-approved anti-nausea supplement to give the parrot.

    Considerations

    • Some parrot owners are against wing clipping for they believe it is cruel for the animal. However, if you are not against this concept, you might consider getting the parrot's wings clipped before you travel -- as part of the preparation. When you clip the parrot's wings there's no way for the parrot to fly off if it accidentally gets loose from the carrier cage. This may make you feel more comfortable about taking the parrot outside of the house.