# Traveling on a Plane with my Cockatiel



## eflock (Sep 13, 2009)

Hi there!

I am going to be taking Lucy (my female cockatiel) on a 6 hour flight with me, because I am relocating.

I have already purchased the plane ticket and added her onto my boarding pass.

I have never traveled with her for longer than 3 hours, and those 3 hours she was not contained (she was let loose in the car).

She really hates being contained. She's spoiled because she's outside of her cage for the majority of the day.

What recommendations do you expert cockatiel owners have, hopefully from experience?

I have to acquire a cage that meets the plane requirements, which are: 18 x 14 x 9.

The flight is during the early afternoon. We leave in a month.

I would really appreciate any advice/suggestions.

Thank you! ied:


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## Guest (May 21, 2014)

Just make sure the little carrier she's in is covered and not open,. This way she'll be able to relax and hopefully think it's evening and will take a nap or sleep. Sure she'll be fine 

... you could also try putting her into the carrier a couple times before the flight to get her used to it.

This reminds me many yrs ago when I was a little kid. I had 4 pet baby chickens and carried them onto the plane (in a small cage) and this man next to me made me cry... so they let me sit in first class and the old lady next to me thought my chickens were parrots and kept wanting me to make them talk LOL


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## eflock (Sep 13, 2009)

Thank you! I think the hardest part at this point will be finding a travel cage that's not too large for the requirements. 

I will try to have play sessions in and around the cage once I acquire it, so that she becomes accustomed to the idea.

I wonder if it would be okay to open the cage just slightly enough for my to place my hand inside. This usually comforts her when I'm taking her to the vet. But I can foresee a flight attendant noticing and scolding me, DOH!


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## tweetsandsarah (Mar 27, 2014)

This might be an extreme idea, but it would at least help her get used to being in the carrier for longer periods. You could introduce her to the carrier and when she becomes comfortable then leave her in there for a short period. Continue and increase the time frame until it is as long as you think she needs. If it's going to be at least 6 hours then maybe that would be a good goal. That way she is at least used to the carrier and the time frame and then all she has to do is deal with the actual travel. I know it seems pretty extreme though. I wish you luck on this trip.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

tweetsandsarah said:


> This might be an extreme idea, but it would at least help her get used to being in the carrier for longer periods. You could introduce her to the carrier and when she becomes comfortable then leave her in there for a short period. Continue and increase the time frame until it is as long as you think she needs. If it's going to be at least 6 hours then maybe that would be a good goal. That way she is at least used to the carrier and the time frame and then all she has to do is deal with the actual travel. I know it seems pretty extreme though. I wish you luck on this trip.


Not extreme at all. I agree with this


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## Newtonian (Feb 19, 2014)

Somebody might jump in and say this is a horrible idea, but I have a soft-sided cat carrier that I use when transporting my cockatiel. I used it to bring my rescue kitten home from Costa Rica, so I'm certain that it meets plane requirements. 

The sides are mesh, so my bird can climb if it wants to, and I have a pair of plastic seed cups that I hook into the mesh for longer journeys with food and water.

The up side is that, since it's soft sided, I don't have to worry as much about the bird getting hurt if it freaks out and starts flapping like mad. There are two real drawbacks as I see them. One is there's really no place to hang toys, so I put one or two in on the ground. Two is that, since there's no perch, unless my guy is in the mood to cling to the side, he'll be on the floor and in close proximity with his poop, although I suspect you could slip into the plane's bathroom and swap out the towel/paper/or whatever you use to line the bottom.

Just an option I thought would be worth mentioning if you can't find a small enough cage.


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## Runnergirl (Mar 20, 2014)

First, will she be traveling underneath your seat or in cargo? I recently moved about 4,500 miles with 2 birds. One was already used to flying as where I lived was only accessible by plane and I bought him from a breeder who shipped. I think more important than the size is your bird's comfort with the travel cage. Also, I think in this case, size doesn't matter as your bird will either be stressed or not based on his comfort within the cage. I would get your baby used to his travel accommodations and I think the stress will be minimal. My bird who wasn't used to the cage had a much harder time than the bird who was shipped to me originally.


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## rpo (Mar 8, 2011)

Newtonian said:


> Somebody might jump in and say this is a horrible idea, but I have a soft-sided cat carrier that I use when transporting my cockatiel. I used it to bring my rescue kitten home from Costa Rica, so I'm certain that it meets plane requirements.


I use the same thing in the car and it is perfect!


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

Just a thought... if the flight is 6 hours long, you will have to include the amount of time your cockatiel will be in the carrier from the time you put her in till the time she can finally come out. SO in reality the least amount of time she will be in that carrier is 8 hours but I'm anticipating more. I would get her use to spending the night in it. Eating in it... make it a game with toys and treats. 

Not that my cat is a bird but at first when I got his carrier, he wouldn't go near it. Now if I take it out, after the time we played around it with toys and treats were found in there... if I set it on the floor before a long trip or trip to the vet, he climbs right in and sleeps without thinking twice. 

I would get her use to being in it for a much longer time than 6 hours. Just my opinion.

Safe travels!


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## eflock (Sep 13, 2009)

Update:

I bought a hard kennel. Originally, I was leaning towards buying a soft cage, but then the idea of her possibly being smooshed frightened me in the other direction. 

The travel cage meets the dimensions required and will go under the seat in front of me. 

As soon as I brought it home, I started organizing the interior in a fashion that my bird may find comfortable.

I added a soft second story and will be drilling a hole for a wooden perch. Both bowls are in the back of the kennel. And I will include a shreddable toy and her sleeping cozy.

Out of curiosity, I took her over to the new kennel and....

LOW AND BEHOLD, she actually liked it! I am beyond confused, but she actually climbed in on her own, made crazy cockatiel noises, and more. I think she thinks it's a play-thing, but hey I don't mind! 

Next phase will be leaving her in with the door closed.


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## Guest (May 22, 2014)

She probably thinks it's a nest lol.

My tiel likes being in a cave like environment, except he's a male. He starts shuffling around and looks like he's trying to build a nest when I'm playing with him and make a tent with my shirt.

I fly often and you'd be surprised how big of a bag fits underneath the seats. If I flew with my tiel I would demand it be under the seat or find another flight/airline, I would not want my tiel in the cargo!... or whatveer that area it is they sometimes place pets (larger dogs).


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