Traveling/leaving Hercules
In two weeks my husband and I will be heading about 3 hours downstate for a weekend to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday and I'm wondering what I should do with Hercules, my b&g macaw.
First off, I know I had posted wondering about his cage aggression and I'm happy to report he has gotten SO much better with his cage aggression to where...he doesn't have it at all. I think his issue was that he viewed hands near him on top of his cage as 1) possibly going to grab him and shove him into his cage or 2) throw a towel over him and stuff in into his cage. Now he'll gladly step on to my hand from both the top of the cage, and when he's inside of his cage. I'm very proud of this!
I have a feeling that for the first few years of his life he was locked away in a tiny cage (even tinier than he's in now) and never let out. If he's left in his cage too long he begins to panic, and pace for hours on end and do other sorts of "psychotic" behaviors. I've looked and looked but I can't find anyone near me that I would feel comfortable leaving him with. My husband's cousin is wonderful with our cats and my guinea pigs/cockatiel...but she's VERY uncomfortable with Hercules (his beak, and I don't blame her it looks wicked!). I think she could definitely manage to feed/water him daily (only once a day, which also worries me because I change it constantly because he soils it) but she wouldn't be able to let him out. We'd be gone Friday evening through Sunday evening.
What do you guys suggest? Do you think that he'll be fine for two days and that it won't do too much damage to him to be left? Or do you think I should pack him up with my two dogs (chihuahua and border collie) and head the 3 hours to my parent's house? I have a smaller cage for him there I could put him in at night, but for the day he'd be out on his perch that we're bringing.
Which would be less stressful for him? Stay caged for 2 days on end, or make a 3 hour drive and be in a strange place, but still be with me? I'm really torn, and I want to do what's best for him, so your opinions would be wonderful!
And I had to share a couple of pictures of his first time outside on a harness.
First off, I know I had posted wondering about his cage aggression and I'm happy to report he has gotten SO much better with his cage aggression to where...he doesn't have it at all. I think his issue was that he viewed hands near him on top of his cage as 1) possibly going to grab him and shove him into his cage or 2) throw a towel over him and stuff in into his cage. Now he'll gladly step on to my hand from both the top of the cage, and when he's inside of his cage. I'm very proud of this!
I have a feeling that for the first few years of his life he was locked away in a tiny cage (even tinier than he's in now) and never let out. If he's left in his cage too long he begins to panic, and pace for hours on end and do other sorts of "psychotic" behaviors. I've looked and looked but I can't find anyone near me that I would feel comfortable leaving him with. My husband's cousin is wonderful with our cats and my guinea pigs/cockatiel...but she's VERY uncomfortable with Hercules (his beak, and I don't blame her it looks wicked!). I think she could definitely manage to feed/water him daily (only once a day, which also worries me because I change it constantly because he soils it) but she wouldn't be able to let him out. We'd be gone Friday evening through Sunday evening.
What do you guys suggest? Do you think that he'll be fine for two days and that it won't do too much damage to him to be left? Or do you think I should pack him up with my two dogs (chihuahua and border collie) and head the 3 hours to my parent's house? I have a smaller cage for him there I could put him in at night, but for the day he'd be out on his perch that we're bringing.
Which would be less stressful for him? Stay caged for 2 days on end, or make a 3 hour drive and be in a strange place, but still be with me? I'm really torn, and I want to do what's best for him, so your opinions would be wonderful!
And I had to share a couple of pictures of his first time outside on a harness.
