| Publication: The Frederick News-Post; |
Date: Jan 11, 2009; |
Section: Pets; |
Page: A-12 |
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PETS AND PEOPLE
The truth about pet birds
By DIANA CLEMENT
Special to the News-Post
JANUARY IS Adopt-a-Bird
Month. Your county animal shelter, Frederick County Animal Control Center offers
pet birds for adoption whenever they are available. Occasionally, a stray
chicken — that’s right, a chicken — is picked up by the dedicated officers who
respond to calls for an animal in trouble. Once transported to the shelter birds
get equal rights. They can be held for five business days to give their rightful
owner a chance to claim them and hopefully answer the age-old question about
crossing the road. This week in particular
Officer David Luckenbaugh reports there is a peacock at the shelter awaiting a
new home.
More
commonly, pet birds are relinquished to the shelter when their keepers are no
longer able to care for them. This week you can meet two parakeets originally
purchased from a pet store who are no longer wanted by their purchasers but sure
to be a delight to informed adopters. Why would someone give up his feathery
little friend? Well, many people purchase birds with the hope that the bird will
learn to talk. Some of those people give them up if they won’t. But there’s
another shoe — it’s an endearing quality until you want to watch a movie or
sleep late on Sunday. When you choose an obvious solution of moving the bird to
an out-of-the-way place in the house, this results in new problems. Birds can
talk, yes, but they can also yell. For the few species that can’t manage
yelling, incessant singing might also do the trick. If the yelling and singing
doesn’t work, they can also spill stuff. They like to do this even when they have a choice location at home. This
is one of the other reasons people give for dropping the pigeon off at the back
door of the animal shelter.
I know it sounds
like I don’t understand birds at all. They are beautiful, intelligent creatures
who just need companionship and constant entertainment, warmth, variety of foods
and special lighting. Just ask my parrot. She’ll tell you in plain English
(that’s the only language she knows besides smoke alarm) that she needs
“crackers” and “showers” and to “get out!” If that doesn’t work, she’ll call the
dogs and yell at them. It’s pretty hard to ignore — as are the soggy broccoli
blooms on the slate floor.
Often people assume that
birds are easy pets because they live in a cage (no late-night walk around the
block) and they don’t get rabies shots (bird vets can be hard to find). But all
pets should have an annual physical because one of the leading causes of
annoying behavior after loneliness is not feeling well. If you are interested in
the joys of bird companionship, then you should get your veterinarian’s advice
and check out some websites such as companionparrot.com for the latest in
accommodating such a pet.
If you already have a
bird or know something about caring for one, you can ask to be placed on the
waiting list at Frederick County Animal Shelter to be notified when a bird you
might like becomes available. The shelter frequently receives parakeets (which
Ruth Hannessian of the Animal Exchange in Rockville said is the best of the pet
birds) and doves. In the past few years the shelter has rescued a few
African Grays (some birds were able to be
returned to their rightful owners due to their vocabularies), several types of
Conures (big bird in a tiny body), cockatoos (anyone for a permanent
two-year-old?) and of course the occasional pond inhabitant (duck, duck, goose).
Call 301-600-1546 to ask about an application.