I CAUGHT IT FROM MY BIRD

I did a little research and discovered that, other than pulmonary chlamydiosis ("Parrot Fever"), there are only six diseases or afflictions which can be transferred from parrots to humans:

PEROT FEVER: Marked by up to a 40% loss of height; enlargement of the ears; a squeaky, grating voice; paranoia; a strong desire to repeatedly run and retreat; and occasionally a giant sucking sound.

SONIC SHOCK SYNDROME: Primarily marked by a piercing scream with upper harmonics which only dogs and whales can hear. Can also include any or all of the following: insane cackling immediately after performance of a prank or "bad thing"; repeated vocalizations of noises which resemble human intestinal distress or reproductive activity; mumbling conversations which can almost be deciphered; repetition of one side of a phone conversation; and the utterance of X-rated phrases in the presence of house guests and children.

MACAW FOOD-WASTING DISEASE: This affliction, while attributed to macaws, can be caught from all known members of the psittacine family. The disease primarily manifests itself in humans by the behavior of tossing food away from the table in apparent disdain, followed later by consumption of the food from the floor, wall, ceiling, clothing, windows, or whatever surface it adhered to. Other symptoms include stuffing food items into armpits or pockets for later eating; mixing pieces of food with drinking water to make a thick, vomitous mess; eating only one form of food to the exclusion of all others; eating only the food that is found on other people's plates; regurgitating food for loved ones; and eating feces just because its there.

AVIANASTICS: Usually indicated by the ability to contort the body in the same way as parrots. Sufferers are frequently found clinging to the ceiling near a corner, with their torso twisted horizontally back between their legs. Other body movements and contortions include: hanging upside down from light fixtures while swinging in a rapid figure-eight motion; clinging to adjacent walls with legs at more than a 240-degree angle; and pressing the posterior against an open window frame to poop for distance.

CHIRPEES: Primarily indicated by an itch in the credit card or checkbook which then progresses to the collection of at least one of each species of psittacine. Secondary symptoms include repetitive purchases of bird toys; purchase of bird food in boxcar-sized loads; a wallet the size of Detroit to contain pictures of the birds; insane avian naming and conventions.

Children and Birds

TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT ME

CAN CHILDREN AND PARROTS BE FRIENDS

-Much to some people’s surprise, there is no reason why
a parrot should recognize that children are … well, children.

People often assume that psittacine birds instinctively recognize kids
as immature humans, automatically making allowances for them.
While this might be the case for some parrots,
it certainly isn’t with others.
just like a patient old retriever might tolerate rough childish handling
more than a small terrier might.

Instead, some parrots appear to recognize children
as dangerous creatures that should be avoided at all costs
— or driven away.

OH, MY....

This all makes more sense if you realize several things.

1. Children can terrify birds. Their high energy levels make them extremely active. They tend to move fast and talk — or shout — in shrill voices.

2. Second, children can be dangerous. Without proper training on acceptable behavior around animals, kids often inadvertently injure critters. Approached from the perspective of a 1/2-pound prey animal, that makes children pretty darn scary, and we all know the best defense is a good offense, right?

Tips To Help Kids & Parrots Interact

This does not, however, mean that things cannot be improved between your kids and your parrot.

1. Provide adult supervision and instruction; make sure that your kids know how to act around a bird. They need to learn to watch body language to recognize a bird’s comfort level. By learning to identify and respect a bird’s boundaries, they won’t make mistakes like trying to pet an uncomfortable bird.

2. Make your children the only source of the parrot’s favorite food treats. Have them offer a tiny treat (like a piece of a sunflower seed) every time they approach his cage. The parrot will learn to happily anticipate their approach. Have the kids hold treats on a spoon so they won’t flinch and startle the bird. Encourage the bird with smiles and praise when he takes the treats politely.

3. Your family’s reactions might accidentally be rewarding a parrot for his aggressive behaviors. Dynamic responses to the parrot’s actions will likely reinforce his hostility. Instead of excitement and theatrics, offer low energy levels, slow movements and quiet voices. The parrot will learn to take his cues from you.

4. You and your husband have great power to change the parrot’s behavior toward your children. Show your parrot that you love and value your kids and they are valuable members of your flock. Make it clear that you are horrified that the parrot has misunderstood their importance in your lives. It is not his place, after all, to decide who should live in your home.

5. Help your kids to have fun interaction with the parrot. Trick training can be done from outside the cage, so everyone feels safer. Trick training is a win-win situation, with people and birds earning lots of reinforcement. Humans learn to communicate more clearly, birds earn lavish rewards, and everyone earns extravagant praise. What can be better than that?

6. Teach your parrot that aggression is no longer necessary. According to Dutch avian veterinarian Jan Hooimeijer, DVM, observation of wild parrots indicates that natural flock communication does not include violence. Companion parrots learn to bite humans because more natural communication channels are not open to them.

Careful observation of parrot body language teaches humans to recognize the precursors to aggression, and avoiding hostility by stepping around the problem is a much more effective approach to communication. 7. Although I am a tremendous fan of fully flighted parrots, I am not in favor of flying attacks. If your parrot is fly and attacking your children, perhaps a slight wing-feather trim will keep your children safer while you retrain our parrot. When he understands what types of behavior are acceptable, allow his wing feathers to re-grow.

With proper training and socialization, parrots need not behave like tyrants in their homes. When they are not given proper directions and taught limits on their behaviors, they do what is easiest to accomplish their goals, often resorting to aggression to fulfill their needs. Biting is, after all, so effective! Clear communication and consistency in handling can offer more peaceful alternatives, and improve relationships with all the people in the environment.

Do’s and Don’ts To Petting Your Bird

Follow these tips the next time you pet a bird

COME HERE KIDS, "WANNA PLAY WITH US"

-First introduce your bird to strangers before you allow them to pet it.

-DO assess your bird’s body language before trying to pet it.
DON’T try to pet your bird if it pulls back, runs away or tries to bite you.

-DO speak to your bird first before just reaching out to pet it.
DON’T let strangers pet your bird without first introducing them to the bird and making sure the bird is comfortable with them.

-DO set aside some quiet time for petting sessions.
DON’T pet your bird down its back or tail.

-DO stick to petting your birds head.
DON’T take it personally if your bird doesn’t want to be petted.

-DO try and earn your bird’s trust through patience and understanding.

10 DOS & DON’TS FOR KIDS WITH BIRDS

1. Do realize that although some birds, such as budgies (parakeets), may be relatively inexpensive when compared to a dog or cat, they still deserve routine veterinary care, proper food, housing and enrichment, as well as consistent socialization.

2. Don’t think of a bird as a “practice pet” for a child. Most companion birds have long lifespans, and they can also be more challenging to care for in terms of cage cleaning, basic training and interaction.

3. Do think of a pet bird as the family’s pet instead of the child’s pet. Parents must be willing and able to help out to ensure that the bird receives proper care, including veterinary visits as needed.

4. Don’t allow your child to forcibly interact with a bird that would prefer to be left alone.

5. Don’t allow your child to torment the bird by sticking his or her fingers in the cage or grabbing at the bird. This type of forced interaction is likely to make the bird phobic of hands and fingers, and your child might be bitten in the process.

6. Do supervise your child when he or she interacts with the bird. Demonstrate the proper way to get a bird to step up onto a hand or perch, and how to read a bird’s body language.

7. Don’t allow the bird to be taken outside on the child’s shoulder or hand unless the bird is accustomed to wearing a bird-safe harness. Even birds that have had recent wing-feather trims can still fly, especially cockatiels. Place the bird in a bird-safe carrier instead.

8. Do encourage your child to feed the bird fresh vegetables and healthy treats.

9. Don’t expect a young child to remember to clean the bird’s food bowls, change the cage liner and replenish food daily.

10. Do foster your child’s interest in birds by reading bird-care books and magazines with them, taking them to aviaries and joining a bird club.

IS MY CHILD OLD ENOUGH FOR A BIRD

-One of the most common questions parents ask is, "When is my child old enough to take on the responsibility of having a bird as a pet?" There are a number of things you should consider before purchasing a bird when you have young children in the home.

The Age of Your Child

-While it is not a hard-and-fast rule, most people agree that a child should be at least 6 or 7 years old before you bring a pet bird into the home. Children younger than this tend to be more impulsive, and they can injure a bird in an accident, such as falling, stepping on the bird, or handling it too roughly without understanding how delicate it is. Young children move quickly, which can make many parrots nervous.

-Age is a subjective consideration. Some 5-year-olds are extremely calm and responsible; some 8-year-olds are careless and irresponsible. It is up to the parents to honestly consider the capacity of their child to handle a delicate pet such as a bird.

-They are not as "durable" as cats and dogs, being quite vulnerable to injury. Also take into consideration how traumatic it would be for your child if he or she is not mature enough and ends up injuring or killing the bird in an accident, not to mention how sad this will be for the poor bird.

The Size of the Bird

-The smaller the bird, the more vulnerable it is to being stepped on or sat on. The bigger the bird, the more likely your child may end up getting a bite should he or she frighten the bird. Also, keep in mind that small children can be forgetful- doors can be left open, toilet lids left up, ceiling fans left on, etc. Birds are often injured by small children flailing about when they get bitten (which is understandable, but could kill the bird.)- little hands and soft skin can't take a bite like most adults can.

-Certain species are known for being good around children. Budgies and cockatiels are certainly the most popular birds in households with children. Interestingly enough is the fact that many people say amazon parrots, as large and unpredictable as they can be at times, are extremely good with children. I personally shudder when I see a young child kiss such a big beak, but my amazon has never done anything to injure a child and seems to know she needs to be gentle. However, amazons and many other parrots can go through hormonal stages and I would not recommend allowing children to keep these parrots on their shoulders or near their faces.

-Most of the larger parrots are best trained to sit on the hand rather than the shoulder, even when it comes to adults.

Vocalization

- Birds in homes with children are frankly more likely to vocalize than birds in those without children. Why? Because birds are flock creatures and they like to join in with the flock. Children can get very vocal while playing and birds will begin to join in as part of the flock. Take this into consideration when choosing a species, because some can be extremely loud when they get going, such as many conures and cockatoos.

Who Is Ultimately Responsible

-The parents are ultimately responsible for the care and well being of a pet bird. Even if your child begs you for this type of pet and promises to clean the cage, change the water every day, and give it fresh vegetables and other foods each day, chances are you as the parents will end up being the primary caretakers of the bird.

- You can't teach your child a lesson about responsibility by refusing to change the water a few days because your bird will get sick and you will either incur expensive vet bills or lose your pet to illness. If you buy a bird for young children, fully expecting them to follow through with their promises, you may end up resenting the pet.

The Problem with "Test Runs"

-You can't really have a test run of a bird as a pet. This isn't fair to the bird, and because they live so long, you are talking about a very serious commitment. It is a major mistake, unfair to both your family and to the bird, to say, "Okay, we'll try having a bird and if it doesn't work out we'll just sell it." A good thing to do before committing to a bird as a pet is to make a list of pros and cons.

Also, visit a bird rescue before buying- this gives you and your family the chance to see the mess, hear the noise and possibly meet your new friend. Birds tend to change as they mature, and visiting a rescue and meeting an adult bird will leave you with far less suprises as the years pass.

-If the cons, such as cleaning time, training, and a complicated diet seem overwhelming, trust your instincts and either pick an easier pet to care for or forego the idea until you are sure you are ready for the challenges of pet bird ownership.

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