Scooter, Scotty and Blanco stay in a hotel

Now that I'm calming down about the car wreck (we spoke to our adjuster and she doesn't think it's going to be a big deal, the other driver had some bruises, and it WAS a parking lot accident for Pete's sake) I want to chat a bit about our experience moving with the birds.

They did GREAT!!!!!!!!!! In the larger cage, Blanco was fine. The cockatiel had the most spacious acommodations which is a bit backwards, but it worked for him!

I tend to think I don't socialize them enough and I still think I should do more and more of that, but they really handled the whole thing pretty well. I feel as if we must be doing something right. They spent the better part of moving out day in cages on the floor of one of the spare bedrooms, and we'd come visit now and then. In the afternoon, I drove them to the new house, about an hour's drive, while we took care of a few things there, and then back into the car and on to the Holiday Inn Express in Lancaster. They did do a fair amount of calling when we were first settling into the room, and I was coming and going. We decided to go out for takeout rather than leave the birds alone, so I made a run to Chili's and then we got all the birds out and ate dinner and watched "Grey's Anatomy". All three birds were quiet and affectionate and happy to share nibbles and bites of the healthier foods. After hanging out for a while, we put them back into their cages and covered them with towels. Scooter was a bit reluctant to settle down, he just wanted to be out with me all the time, but he eventually went to sleep when we turned the lights all the way out.

Since we've moved in, our routine has been a bit out of kilter, and I do sense that Scotty in particular is a bit subdued. But not in a really bad way, just a little less rambunctious than usual. Scooter has gotten very sweet as a result of being "shaken up". This is an interesting thing to realize about him and sheds some light on the dynamic where he'd be sweet to the sitter and then mean to me when I got back after a trip. When he feels confident, he's much more aggressive and pushy. When he's a little insecure, he becomes a cuddly marshmallow. Someday maybe I'll understand that little guy. Right now he's still in sweet mode, but I bet he goes back to being Mr. "I want it my way" in another couple of weeks.

I was just so proud of them for how they handled the whole thing. MUCH better than the cats, who had serious issues with the 1-hour drive. Poor Mattie required submerging in the sink upon arrival in the new house. Good thing she is a forgiving soul!

Oh, I should add that HI Express was very willing to accept the three birds above board with a refundable deposit and a $10 pet charge. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff really pleasant.

Oh, and we had a cleanup crew come in to clean the new house before we moved in. Due to a SNAFU with the water service being disconnected, they had to come back Monday to finish the job. They were evidently absolutely captivated by Scotty, who was chatting away and wolf-whistling at the crew.

Happy to hear everyone did well on the move. Are the birds still in the office ? or do we have a dedicated bird room?

I love that Blanco got the bigger cage

henpecked wrote:

Happy to hear everyone did well on the move. Are the birds still in the office ? or do we have a dedicated bird room?

Bill's office stuff is in another room, but I still have my desk in the bird room. The extra bedrooms are pretty small, so this room is basically one wall with windows and playstands, one wall with birdcages and one wall with my desk and a bookshelf. The closet wall is all mirrored doors, which kinda worries me as Blanco is right next to it. But he seems more interested in Scooter than in the 'tiel in the mirror. I'll get pics when the room is a bit less of a disaster.

zazanomore wrote:

I love that Blanco got the bigger cage

Figures! seem to have a way of getting their way!

Sounds like quite the adventure!



Moving is always chaotic