How to Safely Relocate with Your Pet Birds

Relocating to a new home with pet birds has to be done carefully because birds are very sensitive pets and can easily become overwhelmed by stress. I have moved many times with my pet birds and I have learned you have to handle the situation delicately to ensure they have an easy transition to a new home. Birds can become extremely stressed, to the point they can become ill and even die. Because birds become accustom to their environments and they do not handle stress well, you must make the transition to a new home as easy as possible for them.

Prepare Your Birds for the Move

Prior to moving, prepare your birds for the move. A couple of days before you relocate to a new home, move your birds into a smaller enclosure. This will prepare them for coping with a smaller space, which will be needed during the move. You do not want to cause your bird a large amount of stress at one time by taking from their usual enclosure and then shoving them into a small box all at once; therefore, it is important to take this step to prepare them with a smaller amount of space to move around in.

Making the Move

When you move you will need to find a small cardboard box to put your pet birds into during the move. Make sure you have put a few air holes in the box so your bird is able to breath. Do not put food or water in with your bird while you are traveling because they are likely to become startled during the car ride and they will just end up spilling it, possibly causing injuries to themselves from the food and water dishes. If you are moving a great distance you will need to provide them with food or water. Do not put toys or perches in the box because they can hurt themselves on them when they become startled in the car. Try to keep the car ride as calm for the bird as possible. Do not place them by an open window or in front of the air conditioner vents because the draft can make them sick.

Welcoming them Home

When you arrive at your new home, set up your bird's enclosure the same way it was at your previous home. This will give them a sense of familiarity and security once they are put back into the cage. After you have placed the birds into their normal enclosure, leave them alone to give them time to adjust. Keep the environment as calm as possible to give them time to adjust to their new surroundings. Leave the birds alone until they begin to act normally, like they use to at your previous location.