Moving to a new house

[jwatson93]

I am the proud owner of a 3yo CAG. I am going to be moving to a new house within the next 4-6wks and need any advice that I can get on how to make this big of change as low stress as possible on my baby. My bird is extremely timid and fearful of new objects/people and has not travelled since I brought him home (2-1/2 yrs ago). I have to exercise extreme patience even when I clean his cage. He is otherwise very sociable and loves to hang out with me but the smallest things, like having wet hair, will freak him out. How can I make him more comfortable with change and move him to a new home without any serious physical or mental damage to him?

[dhorje]

I take my Grey out a lot. This is one way to make my grey more adaptable to new surroundings. I spent a night at my mom in law's house on X'mas day. My grey adapted very well there.

 

Why don't you take your grey to your new house regularly? He will get used to the new place after a few visits.

[SFsailor]

I just moved back to our old house after living with her on a sailboat for 2 years.... Birdie is mad at me... Its only been 2 days..., but she doesn't want to come to me... I can tell she is a little confused...

 

I too could use some suggestions on how to make this easier for both of us...

[danmcq]

Dhorje gave some good advice on pre-moving slow paced things you can do to try and get your grey prepared for the move.

 

I might add, be excited and happy as you include your grey in the packing and boxing. Perhaps get a small travel cage, put some toys he loves in it and just take him outside for 10 minutes and let him learn "It's ok". Also take him to your car in the travel cage and just drive around a little. Maybe visit someone your grey knows.

 

The most important thing is to be calm and speak to him in your reassuring voice and loving facial expressions that you know calms and soothes him.

 

SFSailor - All you can do at this point is be reassuring to your grey. Get some favorite toys outside the cage and sit and plat with him. A land bound house is a completely different environment with no salt air, slapping wave sounds and boating rocking. It will take a while for your grey to get used to the new environment.

 

Looking forward to hearing updates and ideas on this thread. :-)

[jwatson93]

Is it less stressful to introduce traveling to my bird by keeping him covered where he might feel safer or keep his travel cage uncovered where he can see everything going on?

[judygram]

I have taken my grey on many trips in the car and I do not cover her, she likes to see where she is going. Since your grey is very timid and fearful you could try it and see how it goes, if it upsets him too much then covering may be the answer.

 

You really should take your grey on outings in the car to get him used to riding and going places and one place he probably should be going is to the vet, most of us take ours for a yearly checkup just to make sure everything is fine.

[Luvparrots]

My Ana Grey loves to see where she is going!!!! She actually jabbers away more when riding in the car. She loves it!!!

[Jane08]

When we moved a couple of months ago we packed everything up in boxs slowely through the month so they got used to it. On the move day we took the birds first and had set up their cage in the new house exactly the same way it had been in the old house. They then stayed in the cage while we moved everthing else into the new house. I didn't cover them and let them watch everything that was going on. They had a couple of freak out sessions but in general they were fine.

 

Once evrything was in the new house I took them out when it was dark outside (in case they freaked and flew into the windows). I then walked them all around the house telling them what everything was and talking clamly to them.

 

Took them a couple of days to get used to the new surroundings.