Cockatoo Rescue

Cockatoos are sweet, loving, beautiful birds. They make great pets if they are given the proper care. However, they can be a handful. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you bring one home.

The first thing you must do before even thinking about getting a cockatoo is to consider cockatoos to be like children. You would not leave a child alone all day. Cockatoos also cannot be kept alone all day. They need plenty of interaction. If no one is going to be at your house during the day, then I would not recommend getting one of these birds. The cockatoo is the most emotional bird species and needs human interaction every day.

Another thing you must realize is that cockatoos live for a very long time. They can live to be 100 years old! You will be taking care of this bird probably for the rest of your life. This is also a very expensive bird. The bird, cage and accessories really cost a lot!

Cockatoos need a very large cage. Many people even suggest you keep them in an aviary! The minimum cage size for these birds is 36 inches long by 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall. Inside the cage they will need perches, toys, food and water.

Toys are something that your bird must have. If they do not have toys then they will not get the mental activity they need. This can lead to serious health problems. You also have to change the toys as least once a month. Birds get bored if they have the same toys all the time.

For your bird’s diet, you cannot just feed seeds. A little bit of seeds is okay but buy a food that is mostly pellets. You will also need to prepare fruits and vegetables every day. Take out any fresh foods once they have been in the cage for a while.

Cockatoos have dust in their feathers and must be given weekly baths or showers to prevent dust accumulation. If you have allergies, this bird is not recommended for you. Also, the wings, beak and claws need to be kept trimmed.

Every day you will need to clean out the food and water dishes and also wipe off feather dust from the cage bars and perches. Twice a week you need to clean the bottom tray of the cage. Once a week you will need to clean the whole cage and all accessories.

Cockatoos do not do well with small children. Some birds have even been known to attack small children for no reason. If you have small children, never leave them alone with the bird.

Cockatoos develop very strong bonds with their owners. They are extremely lovable and affectionate. However, they are very much like small children and will demand your attention. If you aren’t giving them attention then they will scream, knock things over, or even bite to get your attention. Someone needs to be home most of the time with this bird.

If you give lots of attention to your bird, you will be greatly rewarded with a very sweet, lovable bird. Just be sure you have enough time to spend with the bird. These birds can cause serious problems if they aren’t given enough attention. Many people buy these birds not knowing what they are getting themselves into and then end up having to give them away.

When hearing the word “pet”, most people instantly think of a dog or a cat, since they’re the most popular choices for house animals. Parrots are more exotic and less demanding than a cat or a dog and they will probably be less involved in their owner’s life. Nevertheless, parrots make excellent pets for a number of reasons: they give your home an exotic touch, just like having an exotic fish tank for example; they are fun to watch and play with; they don’t require the same amount of attention and training as other pets; they’re not as expensive to maintain and their ability to reproduce sounds can be extremely entertaining, given the right training.

There are approximately 360 species of parrots but not all of them are commonly adapted to being pets. Some of the most popular subspecies in this sense are macaws, amazons, conures, lovebirds, cockatiels, cockatoos, budgerigars and parakeets. These species are the most appealing to be kept as pets because of their varied coloration, high trainability and the relative ease with which they can be taken care of in a closed environment.

One of the biggest problems of having a pet is that you can get extremely attached to them, sometimes even considering them close to a family member, their short life span (around 12-15 years with cats and dogs) being an extremely painful subject.

That’s not the problem with parrots thought, since most parrots have very long life spans, similar to those of humans. Statistics show that larger parrots such as macaws, cockatoos, or Amazon parrots can live up to an age of 75-80.

One of the oldest pet parrots in the world, Charlie the Curser is a blue and gold female macaw born in 1899. Charlie was the pet of Winston Churchill during his mandate as Prime Minister through the Second World War, the parrot gaining her nickname because she reportedly learnt how to curse Nazis, cheering up Churchill and his guests.

Although there are still doubts to whether or not this story is true (since Charlie’s old age hinders her from making any sounds whatsoever), the parrot’s old age remains undisputed. At present, Charlie the Curser is being taken care of at the Heathfield Nurseries in Surrey, United Kingdom.

When it comes to their nutrition, parrots are far from demanding and expensive. The “main course” in any parrot’s diet is usually comprised of grains and seeds, but recently, more and more commercial parrot food companies tend to have products that include vegetables, fruits, cereals as well as nutritional supplements. These fortify your parrot’s health, making them more playful and lively.

Take note however that parrots, as other pets, don’t take lightly to constant diet changes. Once they get used to a specific type of food, they’ll have a harder time adapting to a new diet so if you want to change it, try taking it slowly, one step at a time, constantly mixing the two diets until he gets used to the new one.

(c) Chris Bloor

Chris Bloor loves parrots as pets and provides more parrot-related resources at http://AcmeBirdCages.com

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Many of people desire to adopt parrot because of its uniqueness. They are very brilliant and entertaining. What surprises people most are how these birds can talk? Because of these unique qualities they have, it attracts a lot of attention from people. Parrot adoption today is enormous. One can adopt parrot whether he/she is rich or poor.

Many people choose parrot adoption simply because they need companion while other wants to take care of it and be entertained while doing so. there are many organizations that will give you information’s on Parrot adoption .These organizations will tell you the advantages and disadvantages in adopting parrots just as it is in the case of child adoption.

One of the disadvantages will be the cost of taking care of a parrot. This is why the organization do not play with their job to make sure that the processes of parrot adoption is completed before the adopter will take it home. However, after checking on the person that is seeking to adopt and the home in which the parrot will live the organization will know how ready they are in taking care of the parrot, before the parrot will be handed over to them. Before one can decide on adopting a parrot, he has to research well to know how easy or difficult the process can be.

Anybody that has made up his mind to adopt parrot must prove beyond reasonable doubt to be qualify for it. At times the prospective parrot adopters are required to under go some serious training before they could adopt. Most of these training are very important to help the adopters know how to take care of them and the best food that suits parrot most.

It important to note that the parrot adoption organization can only approve the parrot adoption if they know that the people asking after the parrot can truly take care of it. If they find out that you are not suitable for adopting their parrot, they will more likely make it a formal contract that will have to be signed in other to ensure the protection of their parrot.

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Grooming

Parrots are a lot different from dogs and cats as pets. Unlike dogs and cats, parrots do not need blowdrys or spa treatments. Grooming a parrot should maintain clipped nails and wings and a beak in perfect shape. But this is not something easy to do. A pet parrot owner should be trained by a professional avian veterinarian to make sure that they know what they are doing. If not, never attempt on grooming your parrot because it might cause serious injuries.

BEAK

Be cautious certain types of conditions like an upper or lower beak growing off to the side is one. This can be defect acquired during birth or an injury from an accident. Cleaning and caring the beak might prove to be difficult in such a condition. Some illnesses might also cause problems in growing your parrot’s beak such as mite or fungal infections.

NAILS

The first thing to know in cutting your parrot’s toenails is to identify the desired length that the nails should be cut. For this procedure, you will need an effective bird holder or a method of safe restraint, a cutting device and a styptic powder. Never attempt to cut the nails if you are unsure and not properly trained to do it. In case you are, you will only get used to the right length as time progresses. The cutting device should be appropriate to the size of your parrot. For smaller ones, human nail trimmers will do but for larger ones, a pet nail trimmers or the guillotine-style nail trimmer is most appropriate. If in any case you cause your parrot’s toenail to bleed, be ready with the styptic powder but be cautious because this is very painful when applied to an open wound so you have to restrict your parrot from moving wildly effectively.

Nails are important to be cut because this can cause injury to your parrot. Long toenails might get caught in rugs, carpets, toys and cages and can be the cause of a broken toe.

WINGS

A properly clipped parrot’s wings can prevent a serious injury to your pet parrot. In an attempt to fly during play sessions, parrots can avoid falling to the ground hard with correct clipped wings. Not only that they will also not be prone to serious wing, leg and head injury because of crashing into doors, mirrors, windows and ceiling fans.

True, full-winged parrots are very nice to look at and add to the beauty of the parrot but keep in mind that your parrot is a pet and not left out in the wild where they can boast off their wings while looking for food, flying to safety, protecting their young and shelter or finding companionship. You would not want your parrot to wander and fly off just like that would you! So be sure to trim the wings of your parrot and trim it correctly. Never attempt to trim the wings for the purpose of style and wild appearance because this might cause your parrot to fall hard on the ground and go circles in the air. Aim for wings that will help your bird flutter harmlessly to the ground.

Feeding your parrot

Like in grooming, perhaps the one important thing you have to keep in mind is that your parrot is a pet and you do not compare or imitate the lifestyle of the parrot in the wild because the environment is totally different.

In feeding the parrot, you have to make a total conversion of the parrot’s diet. Do not be carried away by books or petshop owners who are saying that seeds are the best diet your parrot could ever have.

Parrots like humans need to have a well-balanced diet. Seeds are great for wild parrots because they are high in fat and protein. But wild parrots’ activities are not similar to pet parrots. Wild parrots get much exercise out there, flying here and there to look for food and find a shelter. They need all the weight, energy and fats they can get to do these activities. Pet parrots just stay home and only get exercise during very limited time of play sessions.

The acceptable diet to home-bound parrot pets is 70-80 percent “pelleted” diet and with the remaining 20-30 percent composition of fruits and veggies diet. It will also help if you go and ask your avian vet to make you a list of foods to avoid by your parrot. Some examples are raw onions, guacamole, chocolate or any milk products, avocado and rhubarb.

Cages and accessories

Parrots need a big cage so that they can have enough space to swing their wings fully and cling and hang as much as they want to. The best cages are those that are made of stainless steel, no paint chip off or rust that your bird might feed on. Plus they are great for cleaning considerations. They can be easily cleaned by a bleach solution and rinsed.

Feeding bowls that are stainless steel are ideal too. The perch should be thicker in size so that your bird can avoid toenail injuries and do not feed on it.

Parrot safety

Having a parrot at home means you have to make your home much safer for your bird companion. Toxic fumes released by appliances with non-stick surfaces are deadly for your pet parrot. So use them with caution or do not use them at all. Other dangerous household items that can cause serious damage to your parrots are scented candles, incense, cigarette smoke, cooking smoke, sprays, aerosol fumes and carpet powders, metals made of lead and zinc, toxic plants, electrical cords, hot and boiling foods and other pets.

Make sure that you have all the necessary information from your avian veterinarian before having a pet parrot. Ask him for a list of things you need to remember and avoid while having a bird companion. It may not be easy but you will get the hang of it later on.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://pet-birds.pet-breeds.com where you can learn about parrots and other pet birds

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Animal rescue programs are often wonderful and beneficial organizations that help find loving homes for misplaced, mistreated, stray and unwanted pets. Without local animal rescues, America would be facing many more issues relating to stray cats and dogs than they do today.

The general purpose in animal rescue organizations is primarily to work hard in order to save the lives of pets in need. Sometimes, pets that have been in the shelter for too long are eligible for euthanization, and these organizations desire to see no animal euthanized. Rescue shelters strive to keep these loving pets alive, as they look for new caring families to take a new pet into their home.

There are many different kinds of rescue groups out there for different kinds of pets. For example, there is rabbit, bird, and there is even a squirrel rescue group! The primary kinds are cat and dog organizations. Some have branches for specific breeds, such as Golden Retrievers, large dog, or working dog rescue.

These organizations normally work closely with animal shelters. Animal rescue organizations will normally accept pets from shelters or pet adoption agencies that have been there too long and have worn out their welcome. Sometimes when a shelter is unable to find a home, an organization can. If for some reason it takes a good amount of time for a dog or cat to be adopted, animal rescues usually have a list of many foster families who are willing to take the pet into their own loving home until an adoption family can be found.

Animal rescue organizations primarily depend on donations and fund-raisers as their money source. They also depend heavily on caring volunteers who keep things running smoothly and in an orderly fashion. They also have foster family volunteers, who make a large difference in the lives of pets everyday by accepting these unfortunate animals into their homes.

While animals are staying at the local rescues, they often benefit greatly. Many rescues give the pets health attention, such as spaying or neutering, vaccinations, disease prevention medication, and other medical attention that might be necessary. These pets also often play with volunteers, doing things such as catch, tug-o-war, or simply running around and getting along with other dogs. Many times these pets undergo training sessions as well, so that when a caring family receives their new pet, they have little to worry about; they are getting a healthy, happy, and house-trained pet as a new addition into the family. They are also saving a valuable life in the process of animal adoption through a rescue group.

Because of these non-profit volunteer organizations, hundreds of animal lives have been saved annually by being rescued and then transferred into a loving new home. Without the faithful work of these volunteers, these organizations would not be possible. If you are interested in getting involved in your community, animal rescue is a wonderful way to help by donating your time or finances. Help your community, and help save precious animal lives by supporting your local animal rescue organization.

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Assuming that you have decided on getting a parrot as a pet, which type of parrots make the best pets?

I am often asked this question.

I like to turn it around and ask what sort of pet owner are you? Parrots can live as long as 70 years, some even longer. Are you willing to make what is literally a lifetime commitment?

Parrots are social birds and need company and attention. Are you willing to give up that time to keep your pet happy? Although they can need less attention than, say, a dog, you can’t lock up the house and leave a parrot on its own for more than a day or two.

There’s really no pat answer for choosing which type of parrot. It’s a bit like asking what sort of car you should drive or what sort of movie you should watch. It comes down to personal circumstances and preferences.

The easiest type to care for is of course the humble budgerigar. These can be tamed and trained much like a larger parrot and make great low-maintenance companions, especially for children, but they rarely talk.

At the other extreme is the African Grey, these are intelligent and will quickly pick up a large vocabulary. They also need a lot more care and will live much longer. These are popular parrots mostly because of their remarkable mimicry and intelligence. Although each individual can vary, it is common for them to have vocabularies of several hundred words.

Amazon parrots and Ringneck parrots also make good pets, living about 20 years or so. Their diet needs to be varied and include plenty of vegetables. Not quite as talkative as the African Grey, these parrots can still develop a wide vocabulary.

Blue and Gold Macaws, or most other Macaws are also worth considering. They have beautiful plumage and, usually, a laid-back personality.

Cockatiels are another good choice if your funds are limited. Although some will talk they are more reluctant to do so than some other species.

Take time to make the decision and talk to other parrot owners about their experiences. You may also want to find out if there is a local parrot rescue society close to you. they will give you good advice and you may also be able to adopt a parrot at much lower cost than buying a young bird.

For advice on choosing, taming and training parrots visit http://training-parrots.blogspot.com

Pet parrot rescue in Michigan is an example of what it should be in every state and in every country. KARE, a pet parrot rescue group in Michigan, is in business not only to rescue unwanted pet parrots. They also adopt out pet parrots that have been rescued, and educate people about parrots. Reading their mission statement is encouraging. In it they state that they believe all pet birds deserve quality care, love, and respect. They also believe there should be a place where bird owners can find the most current bird care information possible.

The pet parrot rescue in Michigan puts its mission statement to work in many ways. Usually this means parrot rescue on a small scale. Perhaps the biggest parrot rescue project in recent years was the one that followed Hurricane Katrina. KARE deployed rescuers to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in support of Hurricane Katrina’s bird victims, parrots or not. The parrot rescuers joined the huge animal rescue effort that was just getting underway. Pet parrot rescue in Michigan became pet parrot rescue in Louisiana.

How It Works

Pet parrot rescue in Michigan, KARE takes its name from the words Knapptime, Adoption, Rescue, and Education. Those three branches form the basis for any successful parrot rescue program.

1. Rescue: Parrot rescue always begins with rescuing pet parrots. This does not always mean rescue such as was needed after Hurricane Katrina. It may be as simple as accepting, from owners, pet parrots that are no longer wanted. Parrots can live for 50 years or more. Many owners do not think about that when purchasing a parrot. Some time later, as the owner’s life changes, he or she can no longer care for the parrot. In some cases, the owner dies, and the parrot is left behind. In other cases, the parrot becomes aggressive, and the owner no longer wants the pet. Parrot rescue accepts these parrots and cares for them.

2. Adoption: Parrot rescue involves finding new homes for parrots that have been rescued. This is easy with some parrots. They are well behaved, beautiful, and talkative. The adopting family can get a good pet for less than they would pay elsewhere. Finding homes for some rescued parrots is more difficult. The bird may need training to correct behavioral problems. It may have been neglected or abused. The parrot rescue group must evaluate the rescued parrots, and find appropriate homes. In some case, the best home must be a shelter or sanctuary, since it will never again do well in a pet situation.

3. Education: The third prong involved in parrot rescue is education. The pet parrot rescue in Michigan works to educate people who are interested in bird ownership. They want to help them learn the proper care of pet birds. This includes instruction before purchase about the bird’s expected life span. It includes information about proper feeding of parrots and how large a cage a parrot needs. Parrot rescue also should educate people about the options they have if they find they cannot keep a parrot.

If You Need Parrot Rescue

People who reach a point where they cannot keep a pet parrot should contact a place such as this pet parrot rescue in Michigan. Similar parrot rescue groups exist in a number of states.

The reasons for being unable to keep your parrot may be as simple as being unable to afford proper care for the bird. You may have insufficient finances to take the parrot to a veterinarian.

Some people cannot keep a parrot when they relocate overseas. Even relocation that involves a smaller home, or an apartment, may make it logistically impossible to keep the bird.

You could try to sell your parrot, and some people do. Prospective owners may be leery, though, of buying a parrot from a newspaper classified as. They may have heard of parrots that are sold because of aggression. Donating your pet parrot to a parrot rescue group will not give you money in return, but you will know that the parrot will be placed in the right permanent home.

Parrot rescue groups often have waiting lists of adoptive homes. They do everything they can to be sure the bird gets the best possible home.

Kudos for You

Parrot rescue groups often operate in the red. It is costly to care for a number of parrots and other birds. They require numerous cages, hundreds of pounds of food on a regular basis, and modest salaries for their workers.

You will be greatly appreciated when you donate, with your parrot, its cage, perches, playground, toys, and food.

©2007, Anna Hart. An avid reader and researcher, Anna explores many parrot breeds and offers more parrot rescue information at http://www.parrots-of-the-world.com. She also offers advice on the care and training of parrots. If you need parrot rescue for a pet you can no longer keep, you won’t want to miss Anna’s advice.

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