Entertaining Your Pet Bird

Keeping Your Bird’s Mind Active

Can you imagine what it is like living in a cage? If you have done jail time you might appreciate that you will feel bored after just a few minutes so you can probably understand how your pet bird feels like being locked-up the whole day. That is why to prevent them from harming themselves, you should know how to choose the right toys.

Choosing the right toy tips

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Pet Bird Discipline

Teaching Your Bird To Behave

Birds with behavioural problems usually have social problems too.  Sometimes  behaviour issues with birds can be brought about by lack of interaction with owners, conflict with other animals or just because of sickness.  It is important to identify the reasons why birds are showing negative behaviour so that you can eliminate the stress from your birds life.

Positive reinforcement is an effective method to train and tame birds. Positive reinforcement focuses on what birds want like food, a scratch, verbal praise, comfort and other similar things.  Negative reinforcement, of course, is the opposite of this and is rarely successful in the long run.

Tips to treat negative bird behaviour:

• Frown at bad behaviour.  Birds can pick up facial expressions and body movements.  The best method of showing dissatisfaction towards your pet bird is by your body movements.  Maintain eye contact when doing this.
• Turning your back on your birds or ignoring them also discourages them from bad behaviour as birds are a social creature.
• Tell your bird what they did was wrong in a low tone.  But be concise and short as possible. Too much negative attention can have negative effects on your pet.
• Never hit a bird.  Birds have fragile bones, physical force may injure them fatally. Bird abuse is also a cause of aggressive and vicious behaviour.
• Never compromise your birds health when disciplining them.  Examples would be insufficient food and water supply, neglecting the cage and even bathing them.  This can result into deep emotional and physical injuries.
• When giving birds food as rewards for their good behaviour, choose a food which they enjoy but rarely eat. Just be cautious of offering treats with too much sugar and fat. Alternative treats could include petting, and scratch them as positive reinforcements.

Severe aggression and viciousness may need to be treated with mood-modifying drugs.  When having problems with your birds you can consult your avian behaviourist or your vet.  However, any treatment will be ineffective if the issues causing the bad behaviour have not been addressed.
If you have notice any unusual or aggressive behaviour with your bird take them to your vet to make sure that medical issues are ruled out, as these can often result mood shifts in a bird too.

Do not be disappointed if your birds are not showing improvements immediately as attitudes don’t change overnight.  Just as when disciplining children, consistency is the key when training your birds.  Birds would understand what you would like to happen when you start being consistent with your method and ways.

Balance is the key to disciplining your pet birds.  Of course you wanted to correct bad behaviour, but it is equally important to reinforce of point out the good behaviour.

This method may require hard work, patience and love.  It may take a long time, but when you look at your happy pet bird, I think its going to be worth it.

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Three Things To Expect When You Buy A Bird

Are You Ready To Own A Pet Bird?

If you have been considering owning pet birds but are still not sure what to expect once the bird moves in, then you should know about the top issues affecting bird owners.

Choosing the right kind of bird to match your lifestyle is the first thing that you will want to research. Each species vary in terms of talents, time requirements and other vital factors that you must be ready to face once you accept the role or being their master.

The three biggest factors in bird ownership are:

1. Budget considerations. The price of your chosen bird will depend on the species and where you will buy it. That is only the beginning of your expenses.  Your next expense will be a cage and the necessary toys and other things to help them become more active and happy. Of course food will be an on-going expense as well.

You must be able to sustain their nutritional requirement so that they will have the energy to last long as your companion. You should also anticipate visits to vets and associated medicines that they need. When buying your bird, you must select the right store and the right breeder so that you won’t run the risk of acquiring birds that are unhealthy and sickly.

2. Time commitment. If you cannot afford to allocate time to care for your birds, you should not continue with the purchase. Although some breeds do not necessarily have to be pampered if you cannot afford large amounts of regular time investments. You can also choose the breed based on their life spans. This way, you can opt for those that live longer if you want a pet for many years to come.

3. Noise level. In choosing your birds, you must also consider your neighbours. Larger parrots like macaws and cockatoos tend to be more noisy. If you want the kinds that you can keep in setting like town houses and condominiums, you may want to opt for lovebirds and budgies. Or to be more on the safe side, you may want to settle for the likes of doves, canaries and finches.

These are all essential matters in choosing the kinds of pet bird that will be ideal for your lifestyle and the quality of commitment that you can afford to give.

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Pet Exercise Present

Holiday Indulgence Health Issues Affect Pets Too

Starting a regular walking routine could be the best present you could give your dog this Christmas.

If you have another pet it might be you need to think of other forms of exercise.  Perhaps playing with a ball of string for your cat, or letting your bird out of the cage on a regular basis, or even riding your horse more!

It is likely your pet was indulged with special treats over the Christmas season and will be facing the same weight gain issues that affect us all.  For a pet that spends a large amount of time confined burning off those extra treats can be a challenge – if not impossible.

An overweight pet faces many of the same issues as overweight people including heart disease and diabetes. Don’t kill your pets with kindness this Christmas.

Other benefits of a healthy well exercised pet include better behaviour and better obedience.  They are less prone to destructive or self destructive behaviour.

Exercising your pet is also good for your health so start out this new year with a program of exercise for you and your pet to ensure many happy years together to come.

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Talking Starling – Bird Choice Of Mozart

Starlings are not a particularly pretty bird, and they may be common to the point of being a pest, but they are also a great mimic.  With a little patience you can teach these birds to talk, and talk pretty well.

If it was good enough for Mozart to have a pet starling then why not you?

Often we pay exorbitant amounts of money to buy the latest in exotic pets when some of the most common animals in your back yard can make equally entertaining pets.  In times of economic crisis you can still entertain your children with great pets that don’t cost a fortune.

Do be aware that Starlings are a highly intelligent and inquisitive bird if you are planning to let your pet roam free around the house.

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Pet Sitting – No Mistakes

Who do you call?
Who do you call when you want go out for evening, or when you want to go on holiday and can’t take your pets with you?
The Pet Sitter.

Trusting your pet with a stranger is not something you should take lightly.

Before turning to a stranger you might:

1. Ask your friends and neighbours who they use for sitting their pets. They may have a trustworthy sitter who’s name they can pass on to you (of course they may not want to if you vacation together!)
2. You might ask your vet or other animal professional that you deal with if they of know anyone.

If you cannot source a pet sitter from among your immediate contacts then there are some simple precautions that you need to take, these include:

1. Look for an agency or person who advertises through traditional sources, this way you are not likely to get a “fly by nighter” who is not concerned about their reputation.
2. Interview your potential sitters before hiring them. Have them come to your place or take your pets to met them so you can see how they interact. It is important that they are a good match and first reactions can often indicate any problems that might occur in your absence.
3. Do not be afraid to ask for references and DO follow up on the references they give you.
4. There are a number of questions that you can ask about their background and experience:
   • How long have you been pet sitting?
   • Do you have animals of your own?
   • What kind of animals have you had experience with?
   • How many animals are you currently sitting?
   • Do you have other pets you are currently sitting?
   • What services/schedule do you provide for the animals you are sitting?
   • Are you able to administer any special diet, medication, or other requirement of my pet?

After the meeting (and any time your pet has been in care) assess your pets reactions. Look for signs of fear, anger, or other out-of-the-ordinary behavior that might suggest improper treatment. Consider your own feelings; did the sitter leave you feeling comfortable and thinking this is a person you could work with?

One final suggestion is that you do not base your decisions on pet sitters solely on price. Do not try and beat your sitter down on price. A pet sitter is worth paying a professional wage, and should deliver a professional service. You should expect no less for your pets.

Consider this:

If you have a love of animals and some spare time – you might like to offer your services as a pet sitter.

This highly respected job offers great opportunities to make some extra income doing what you enjoy.

You would also be helping other pet owners take a well earned break.

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Pigeons – more than just pie filler.

In fact there are thousands of pigeon fanciers all over the world – a pigeon fancier being someone who keeps pigeons.

The people of Belgium are the world leaders when it comes to breeding pigeons, and especially racing-pigeons. There are over 60 000 registered fanciers. However, this is a worldwide phenomenon and with big prizes in some countries the price of a champion pigeon can set you back as much as a car!

The record price paid for British champion Invincible Spirit was $185 000. Prices of $10 000 are regularly achieved for top birds … now are you interested in breeding pigeons?

Pigeon fanciers are in famous company. The Queen Elizabeth II has her own royal collection. The king Elvis Presley was a pigeon fan. But their popularity ranges from the likes of Mike Tyson to Marlon Brando, and Maurizo Gucci to Pablo Picasso – who, incidentally, named his daughter “pigeon” in Spanish (Paloma).

Kooky or coo coo?

Pigeons have played an important role over the years… It has been among the most decorated of animal war heroes. Regularly going behind enemy lines and carrying life saving and battle changing messages.

Not only armies, but also bankers have profited greatly from the swift flying pigeons…

The Rothschild’s dynasty was firmly established when it became the first financial house to learn the news that Napoleon had been defeated at Waterloo by pigeon mail.

Racing pigeons travel at an average speed of 50 km or 30 miles an hour, with bursts of up to 100km or 60 miles an hour. They can cover up to 1000 km in a day, and can be raced for distances exceeding 2700 km.

The birds can be identified by a metal ring on their leg that is used to record their arrival back in their loft. If you find one of these birds take it to a local vet or bird rescue organization and they will be able to trace the owner.

Experience the camaraderie and competition of being a pigeon fancier today!

Source: Alan Titchall Pet

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$11 Billion In Vet Bills – How Much Will You Pay?

American pet owners will spend nearly $11 billion on veterinary care in 2008, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association.

“Our pet is part of the family.” Doesn’t every member of your family deserve the same rights?

No one likes to see another member of their family in pain or suffering needlessly. But what happens if your loved family dog needs a $5000 operation?

Unfortunately, euthanasia is often the choice that families are forced to make when they can not afford costly vet bills to save their pet’s life. With the economy in a downward spiral and household budgets coming under increasing pressure there is little chance of there being large amounts of cash sitting in emergency funds when a pet medical crisis occurs.

There is a solution …

Lassie was the first dog in America, back in 1982, to have health insurance. Today pet health insurance is common place. Swedish pet owners have embraced the idea of being able to fully care for their pet no matter the cost, with around 50% of all pets receiving the benefits of health insurance.

Our pets today have the advantage of advanced technology and treatments available to them. Such proceedures that were reserved for humans are now available to pets, including Chemotherapy, heart surgery and MRIs. But cutting edge technology comes at a price.

With these costs being in the thousands of dollars, the only option for the uninsured may be to have their pet put down or have a leg that could have been repaired… amputated, because it was cheaper.

It may surprise many people to know that pet health insurance is not more expensive than human health insurance, in fact it is cheaper. So shouldn’t you ensure that ALL of your family is covered for the unexpected?

It is not only disease and damage that can be covered…

One of the common ailments that vets have to deal with in pets is foreign bodies that have been consumed. Veterinary Pet Insurance published this list of the most common items needing surgical extraction.

Most common surgically removed items
1. Socks
2. Underwear
3. Panty hose
4. Rocks
5. Balls
6. Chew toys
7. Corn cobs
8. Bones
9. Hair ties/ribbons
10. Sticks

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Dog’s Get Kiss Of Life

Not only dogs, but also cats, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even birds are getting the kiss of life.

Fire departments near you could be giving pets the kiss of life soon — well maybe not a kiss…
But they could be equipped to resuscitate your pets.

Fred Nell, Mr. Scoop dog-waste cleanup service, of Lancaster County is on a mission to raise funds for the purchase of animal-resuscitation masks for area fire departments. His first set of masks was donated to the York city fire department.

The plastic cone-shaped masks work in the same manner as regular human designated masks. They come in three sizes that are designed for a snug fit over snouts and supply oxygen to respiratory distressed animals.

There are two benefits to having your fire department equipped with the animal specific masks. Firstly, they are more effective than trying to use human masks and may be the difference between life and death for a pet suffering smoke inhilation. Secondly, they could make the difference between you and your pet having to share a mask!

Costing $60 a set, the masks are manufactured by Waukesha, Wis.-based SurgiVet and if ordered through HELP Animals Inc.in Orange City, Fla., you are helping raise funds for animal-rescue groups and shelters (which is how Mr Nell buys the masks).

Although Nell plans to donate more than 250 mask sets to fire departments in Lancaster and surrounding counties, if you want to make sure your pets have every possible chance of survival in a fire – you might like to assist your local department by sponsoring them a set.

If this sounds like a project you can sponsor, or you want to help raise awearness of the existance of these pet life savers, then take the time right now to investigate further.

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Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

Mary Elizabeth Frye (1904-2004)

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