Happy hut

[lilmama]

Since it is getting colder I wanted to get Tuc a happy hut to snuggle in and keep warm at night. I got the small one and hung it up in the corner he likes to sleep in but he won't get into it! He plays with it every once in a while but other than that, nothing. I put 2 blankets over his cage at night but I still worry he might get too cold when the weather gets really chilly.

Also, I wanted to start taking him places with me sometimes. What is the best way for him to travel in the car? I am thinking of getting a feather teather for him, the petite really looked to be the right size.

[Mothi]

I just recently got my GCC the Happy Hut for Yazhi. I was rather suprised he wasn't scared of it, but I guess it looks like the same material as his littel fuzzy buddy in his night cage. (He has had his fuzzy buddy since he was 3 weeks old when I got him.)

You could try putting some treats in the happy hut to try to entice him to go in, but other than that I guess just time. But at least the treats will make him go in to grab something. Maybe stuffing some foot toys in there too or other fun stuff.

Mostly when I take Yazhi out, I take his night cage which is really a critter carrier. I keep a cloth with me to cover it if need be as well so he has some comfort. Keep in mind though that this is the carrier he has grown up in until he was old enough to have a real cage, so to him it is very safe. His fuzzy buddy is in there too.

I have once taken Yazhi for a short car ride with his flight suit on and the lanyard around my neck to make sure he doesn't get into places he shouldn't. I assume I can make him a perch on the passanger seat as well and place the lanyard on it to keep him from moving everywhere.

Safety wise, I think he is best off in his carrier though when traveling by car. Especially if I am the one driving and no one else is there to hold him. Even my toy poodle sits in a carrier in the car.

[Valo's Moirana]

I got Valo the medium size hut - that's the one where he can run through. I got it when I set up his cage, and from the first day on he slept in it... and still sleeps in it (he also keeps it surprisingly clean). For me, the small one seemed too small, even for a GCC. But I guess that's a matter of taste.
As for travelling - I travel quite a bit with Valo. I sometimes take him to the coffee shop (not so much now, since it's getting cold in CO) and he always comes with us to the in-laws. I have a carrier in which I place a towel, toy and food+water (I got just a regular bird carrier you can purchase at Petco). I prefer two people when we go on a longer trip, since he wants to come out eventually. The other option I sometimes use is a budgie cage, that I strap to the passenger seat. He tolerates that a little longer - don't get me wrong, Valo's fine in his travel case, just seems a little small to me (probably I have more of an issue than he does). Keep him inside the cage/case if you travel in the car unless there's another person there. I sometimes take him out when my BF is driving, and he always behaves but I wouldn't trust him out if I was by myself.
Also, make sure to minimize temperature gradients when you travel (ie pre-heat the car, use a heating pad or bottle with warm water etc) - you don't want your baby to catch a cold while travelling.

[jessica313]

i dont travel much with shadow.. i bought him a flight suit, although i have never been able to get it on him.

i got him a large happy hut a while ago. he LOVES IT!! he sleeps in it every night and he loves to play on it during the day.. he runs through it and also sits on top of it. i am sooo impressed with him because he has never ever pooped in it.
my advice would be to put the happy hut in as soon as u get it. some people say it takes their fid a while to get used to it, but shadow loved it right away!

[gbird]

I got a hut for Baby, and he's never used it.....lol Now I have one of the corner snuggle fuzzy things, and he never uses that either...he sleeps on his swing. I leave the heat on a bit at night, and cover his cage. I was told if I wasn't cold then he wasn't, although I'm never cold since I'm menopausal!!! I may try putting the hut back in, as it's been out for a while. He may think it's something new. I'll try putting the treats in it as well.

As far as taking him out with me, I take him on errands all the time. He just sits on my shoulder in the car and bobs his head to the radio...lol I also got a flight suit, but he's having none of that!

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

The breeder I got my fids from had a Happy hut in with Bonita so she gave it to me when I bought her. It was green since she was mostly that color. But the breeder told me once she molted & changed color that I would have to change the color of her happy hut & I did. When she lost most of her green & got her yellow, she stopped sleeping in her hut. I went out & got her a yellow one, & she's back to sleeping it. I think she looks cute. I made something similar for Romeo but no luck. He plays on it, plays in it but won't sleep in it. He used to sleep on the other side of the cage but now he sleeps on the perch next to his bed with his head touching it. lol He's strange. Crystal

[gbird]

Maybe thats my problem...LOL Baby's hut is blue

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

The breeder told me to have the same color or close to what color they have the most of. If their mostly green, get green. Yellow, get yellow. It worked for Bonita. Crystal

P.S. Bonita won't even go close to her flight suit. lol

[gbird]

I'll give it a go. But should I get green, yellow, or orange...LOL It's like buying kids shoes, they grow out of them in a month!

[Allison4]

After nearly 4 years, I bought a yellow Happy Hut for PeekaBoo who is blue. This is the first year he is trying to stay warmer.
It's been 4 days since buiying it, an he finally slept in it last night!!! Infact, when I uncovered him this morning, he still didn't come out of it for nearly 1 hour.
Now I'm happy that he can snuggle at night. :)