In case of an emergency, when you absolutely have to be out of your home without much notice, will you be prepared to move your bird or birds? If you have a lot of birds in an aviary, I may not be able to help you much with this, but if you just have one or a few birds, this article should help you get a travel kit ready - just in case.
The first thing you need is something to carry your bird in. A pet carrier sturdy enough to withstand your bird’s beak or a travel cage is ideal and everything else you may need can be stored right in this container. If you have more than one bird, each one would need both the travel cage and the supplies keeping in mind what will fit in your vehicle.
Your bird will need both food and bottled water. Obviously you can’t keep the fresh fruit & vegetables that your bird is used to eating in this manner, but the pellets and seeds can be kept in the travel cage. You should keep a minimum of 5 days supply of both food & water ready to go as well as dishes to put them in. You should rotate this food on a regular basis so it is always fresh. The other alternative is to have the food kept in the freezer with a note on the carrier to grab it before you have to leave. Without the note on the carrier, it may be forgotten in your haste.
It is always a good idea to have a first aid kit available for your bird. This can be kept right in the travel cage with the food and water. Be sure to replenish supplies whenever you use it normally so it is ready in case of emergency.
Because most shelters will not accept pets due to the number of people they must give shelter to, you must have an alternate place to stay during the emergency. If you have friends who live outside your immediate area, please check with them to see if you would be able to move in with your birds in case of emergency. Check the hotels & motels to find out their policy on pets and ask if pets would be allowed in case of emergency if they do not allow pets normally.
The best time to plan for an emergency is before it happens, so this is the time to make those plans. If the emergency never happens you haven’t lost anything, but if it does happen you’ll be ready.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop by the Bird Forum anytime (see the most recent topics below), or join the Bird Chat on Saturdays at 9:30 eastern time, 8:30 central time and 6:30 pacific time.
After many years of pet bird ownership, I have decided to write e-books about the care of some of these wonderful birds.
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