Sea legs?

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:51 pm

Okay - I am going on a holiday at christmas - and it happens to be on a houseboat. Well I realised after I booked it that I had nobody to look after the bird! I rang the hire people and they said I could bring her with me, (no pirate jokes please), but I am a bit worried about how she will cope on the water for 7 days. I know she'll be a little freaked out at first but do birds get their sea legs pretty quickly? I'm actually really excited about taking her on holiday anyway - how cool is that going to be? Do you think it will be okay to take her onto the beach with us? I'm going to ask the vet what he thinks but I wonder if anyone else has taken their little ones on holidays before........

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 6:16 am

Parrots are known to be sea-worthy but I have no clue if it is fact or fiction.

This is a great guestion but I dont know how much luck you'll have getting it answered. I take my bird everywhere... except when we go boating. So I dont know.

Carly · Post by **Carly** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:38 am

Im not sure about getting seasick, I think she would be fine, just be aware of her falling in the water!

I was house-sitting in a waterfront house and almost died one day when i couldnt find raj and I thought he might have gone for a swim in the canal :shock:

But if you keep her in her cage you should be fine.

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:40 am

If you think about it, the wave motion isn't so different from what they would experience up in a tree. The wind sways the branches.

So no seas-sickness.

At all times when she is not actually inside the boat, have her either leashed or in a carrier/cage. Last thing you want is a bird overboard. They flap for just a little while before sinking.

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:55 pm

Well I hate the thought but she will be in her cage almost all of the time. I was however thinking of getting a feather teather - has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with these? Is it worth investing in one? That is the only way she would be out on the deck with us but the thought of actually getting it on her is a tad daunting!

Post by **Datsun and Family** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:09 am

I honestly wouldnt bother, she probabbly wont like it especially being over a year and the stress of it wont be worth it. Keep her in your room and just cuddle her in there when you can. If you want her out on the deck keep her in a cat carrier with food water and a perch, even with a lanyard on she could get caught in a gust of wind... I would not risk it

As for the beach I always take Datsun with me, she LOVES it! Just be really sure you hold her close the whole time, Dats spends her beach time against my chest or in my top with her head sticking out... unless we are taking photos :wink:

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 6:45 am

Exactly what Chamon said... It will only add stress to the situation in regards to the leash.

Dont risk taking her out unless the boat has a cabin down bottom? If so, shut the door and hold her a bit. If that isnt possible, interact with her while she is in her cage. She will be fine sweetheart. She will be happier in the cage WITH you than at home in her cage WITHOUT you. Right?

My main concern, if she is going to be in the heat and sun is dehydration. Make sure she always has plenty of water. :wink:

I cant wait to hear how this goes!

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:55 pm

Good idea Chamon - I use my cat carrier to take her to the vet, so she should be okay in there (unless she thinks she's going to the vet!). And you are quite right Mikaela - I would rather have her with me than be worrying about her at home. I'll endeavour to spend as much time with her as I can inside the cabin - I mean it's only two steps away from the outside anyway. As for the sun, I won't be out in the heat of the day (fair skin!) and I'll take her bath with me so she can cool off if she wants. I'm getting quite excited about it actually! Thank you all for your input. I'll be sure to take some holiday snaps for you all!

Jade · Post by **Jade** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:36 pm

I've taken Chook on camping holidays to Fraser Island on many an occasion. We are usually away for between 1 - 2 weeks. Chook loves it. We hang a small cage from a branch of a tree near our tents and he has an absolute ball. He is only caged when its night time or when we go somewhere we can't take a bird. I take him for walks along the beach and he loves the attention he gets and chrips and preens the whole way. He also loves running over the sand. Only probem is his tail becomes sandy and he then spends ages grooming himself back to perfection.

He gets more excited than the dogs do when we pull out the camping gear and start loading the ute.

Jade · Post by **Jade** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:40 pm

I've taken Chook on camping holidays to Fraser Island on many an occasion. We are usually away for between 1 - 2 weeks. Chook loves it. We hang a small cage from a branch of a tree near our tents and he has an absolute ball. He is only caged when its night time or when we go somewhere we can't take a bird. I take him for walks along the beach and he loves the attention he gets and chrips and preens the whole way. He also loves running over the sand. Only probem is his tail becomes sandy and he then spends ages grooming himself back to perfection.

He gets more excited than the dogs do when we pull out the camping gear and start loading the ute.

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:46 pm

That sounds so cool Jade. We are going houseboating on the Gold Coast Broadwater so hopefully we can find some nice secluded beaches where she can have a play. I'll just have to keep an eye out for any sea eagles or hawks. She is only in her cage at night also so I'm hoping she won't get too cranky at me for leaving her in there. Her cage is quite large (700mm x 400mm) and I was actually thinking of getting a smaller cage so it won't be such a hassle - it's only a small houseboat - is it a different cage you use to take yours on holiday?