AT THE PET STORE
Parakeets are inexpensive at pet stores, usually no more than $20. When selecting a bird at the store, you want to look for bright eyes and lots of movement. Check to make sure the bird’s nostrils are not running and if the bird is showing any nervous behavior, pulling out his feathers, for example, then pick a different bird.
MAKING A HOME
Many pet stores offer starter kits for the beginning parakeet owner. They provide a cage, dishes, food and a small toy. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper. You will have to change this everyday. The way they eat their food is by pulling off the husk and eating the inside, so the food cup will never actually be empty. Top off the cup daily, dumping out the old husks. Change the water everyday. The proper way to handle a parakeet is from the back with its head between your first and middle finger. Parakeets do bite and it hurts.
Place the cage somewhere high off the ground, not near a fireplace, kitchen or heating appliance. Certain materials, like Teflon, give off invisible fumes when heated and they are harmful to birds. Keep your parakeet away from open windows and vents where it may catch a draft.
You need to cover your parakeet’s cage at night. Try to stick with the same time every night, because they are creatures of habit. Since they are prey animals, they get nervous easily. In the wild, when things are too quiet, this means a predator is nearby. So, when you are going to be gone for a while, you might want to leave some soft music playing.
When naming a parakeet choose something with ‘k’ and ‘t’ sounds in it, that will be easy for the bird to pronounce. Since its name is what it will hear the most, this will probably be the word it says if your bird learns to speak.
VETERINARY CARE
A parakeet is considered an exotic pet. Check your local phone book and the web to find a local avian veterinarian. Some dog and cat vets also work with birds, so if you have other pets, look for this kind of vet for ‘one stop shopping’.
LIVING WITH A PARAKEET
Your parakeet will be terrified when you bring it home and most likely will want nothing to do with you. It will bite and shriek when you put your hand in the cage. After the first day or two, you can begin to train it.
Place your hand in the cage and hold it there for a few minutes. The parakeet will freak out and flap around wildly, but if you do this every day or more often, it will get used to your hand and you can gradually move closer.
The next step is to train your parakeet to sit on your hand by pressing your forefinger against the front of its legs, pushing the bird off balance and forcing it on to your hand. It will probably hop right off, but keep at it. After a while, the bird will learn to perch on your finger. Then, you can take it out of its cage, confident that you can get it back in when necessary.
Parakeets need about thirty minutes of exercise per day at least, although you will probably enjoy letting your bird stay out longer. If you don’t want your room covered in bird droppings, however, wait until after you have seen your bird do the deed in its cage before letting it fly around.
There’s something about having a bird in the house. They burble contentedly when they are happy and their funny antics can bring a smile to your face. Aside from laying out some old newspaper, changing food and water regularly and sweeping up a few feathers, a bird is little trouble and a lot of fun. After some time, a bird learns to think of the family as its flock. It will talk to you, sit on your shoulder and shriek hysterically when it misses you. Companionship, affection and love.
Parakeets make great pets.
Host Dixie Richards (Morgan’s Human Mom) talk about Cat Play and Dialog – healthy activities for your feline!
Find it at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whole-earth-pets/2010/02/06/adventures-with-morgan
And don’t forget to mark your calendar for next week’s Pet Talk program in the same time slot on 2/13 – we’re talking with Anne O’Neal and Annette Bingham on becoming a dog trainer! Don’t miss these great programs!
| SPCA of Texas Hosts Pet Grief Counseling Group
WHAT: The SPCA of Texas’ Pet Grief recovery program is designed to help those who are grieving the loss of a beloved companion animal. Diane Pomerance, Ph.D., a SPCA of Texas volunteer and certified Grief Recovery Specialist, along with trained volunteers, administer a program incorporating telephone counseling and one-on-one and group guidance in a safe and supportive environment. Free and open to the public, the SPCA of Texas’ Pet Grief Counseling Program meets at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month at the SPCA of Texas Headquarters located at 2400 Lone Star Drive in Dallas. WHERE: SPCA of Texas WHEN: Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 1 p.m. WHY: It can be difficult for most of us to openly discuss loss of any kind, and even more uncomfortable to discuss the the loss of a pet. Until now, there has been little opportunity for grieving pet owners to express and recover from their grief. MORE INFO: Pet Grief Hotline: 214-461-5131 The SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. A comprehensive animal welfare agency, the SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government, the ASPCA or any other humane organization. Help stop pet overpopulation by donating to the SPCA of Texas and by spaying and/or neutering your pet. Visit us online at http://www.spca.org/ |
If your children are begging for a dog, your husband wants a cat and you think you’d be lucky to have the energy to care for a goldfish, it’s time to stop and ask yourself some serious questions. Don’t run out and buy the first puppy, kitten, bird, hamster or fish that you see. Puppies and kittens especially are so cute and so adorable, it’s easy to make a snap decision based solely on emotion.
So, how do you decide? Here are five criteria for finding the perfect pet for you:
1. Take into consideration the size of your home. If a tiny apartment is what you call home, then a Saint Bernard is out of the question. If you do live in apartments, you must talk to your landlord about whether or not they allow pets. If they do, there may be a size or weight limit. Consider the needs of the animal you have in mind and how well they’ll do the space available.
2. Your budget may be the deciding factor when choosing a pet. Pets cost money, not only to purchase, but to care for. There are vet bills, food, treats, collars, leashes, litter and litter boxes, carriers, etc. depending of course on what kind of animal you decide on. If you’re considering a rescued animal from a shelter, ask about whether it has special needs. The cost of keeping a special needs animal healthy can be high. Still, it must be taken into consideration.
3. Who will care for the pet? If you have children clamoring for a pet, they will no doubt promise anything to get you to say yes. Keep in mind that despite good intentions, more often than not, your kids are not always going to follow through with those promises. Eventually, it will be you who ends up as primary caregiver to the new pet. Are you prepared to clean litter boxes, or hamster cages or walk the dog in all kinds of weather?
4. Your lifestyle will be one of the deciding factors. If you travel quite a bit, you’ll need a pet that can be left on its own for long periods of time. You’ll need a friend who’s willing to come in and help care for the animal on occasion. Or, you’ll need to find a regular pet sitter to take over while you’re away.
5. Your family’s health must also be a factor in picking the perfect pet. If anyone in your household is allergic to pet dander it will seriously impact your choice of pets.
If you decide that a dog is the ideal pet for you, then you’ll need to do a bit more research to decide which breed is ideal for your particular situation. The family with small children will want to pick a breed that is friendly and patient with kids. Each breed has its advantages and disadvantages. When you’ve made your decision, ask your veterinarian for the names of local breeders. Always buy puppies from breeders, where you’ll get a healthy puppy with a good temperament.
For those who spend long hours at work, but desire a warm furry companion to greet them when they return home, a cat might be the better choice. They are independent, don’t need to be walked, and make great easy-going companions for single people.
Whatever your situation, living arrangements and family size, there is a perfect pet for you.Cost of buying a pet—possibly many dollars
Cost of upkeep for a pet—yet more dollars
Having a furry animal companion to spend time with, walk with, play with? Priceless!
Veterinary care has progressed amazingly in the last few decades. Just about any kind of care available to you is now also available for the animals in your life, right down to major surgeries and cancer treatments. How will you handle the vet’s bills if Fido develops diabetes or cancer?
Maybe up to this point, you’ve used a credit card to pay for your four-legged family member’s health care bills; however, one serious health problem can use up your card and put you over your limit very quickly. Then you still have to pay for all those charges plus interest and that could keep you in debt for many years to come.
You might have a sizable savings account that you’re willing to use should Fido require serious care. Once again, that can disappear very quickly on the vet’s bills. If you pet requires long-term care, you could be looking at an empty savings account, over the limit credit cards and an overdrawn checking account. Then what do you do?
Until the latter part of the last century, there wasn’t much else you could do to save your beloved pet. The first policy sold in the United States was to cover one of television’s most famous dogs-Lassie. Still pet insurance for the average person’s furry companion didn’t gain in popularity until the late nineties. As veterinary costs rise with every year, the idea of pet insurance makes more and more sense. A simple Google search reveals a vast array of companies and policies, the most well known of which is through the ASPCA.
With more and more people spending enormous amounts of money to keep their animal companions in the lap of luxury-designer clothes, collars and leashes, doggie day care, hotels and spas-why not have pet insurance? When a simple fracture could cost you anywhere from $2,000-$3,000, and long-term care even more, health insurance for Fido makes a lot more sense.
When an animal suddenly becomes sick or injured, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not you can afford to get them the health care you know they deserve.
In my own case, I discovered after adopting a cute three-year-old Siamese cat, that he was a special needs kitty. The poor little thing had asthma and needed to be on medication every week, with more checkups during the year, and blood tests to boot. Then he developed a problem with his liver, and had to be hospitalized and spent a week in an oxygen cage. The vet finally told us there was nothing more he could do for our little “Buddy” and we had to put him to sleep.
My daughter and I went to say our final goodbyes to poor, little Buddy, before they put him to sleep, both of us in tears. As we headed out to our car, the woman in the front office wanted us to decide on a payment plan right then and there. They had given us a discount, according to the vet, but we still owed several hundred dollars. If we’d had pet insurance, we might have avoided all that emotional furor and stress.
Surprisingly coverage is not expensive. Check out the many, many companies available online and get a quote. Some are as little as $7.50 per month, depending on the coverage and deductibles, as well as the age of your animal.
Your decision will be based on many factors, but it does bear thinking about, especially if you have just adopted a new animal companion. You want to give that furry little guy, or girl the best possible care and pet insurance makes it affordable.
The East Lake Pet Orphanage works hard to find permanent homes for rescued dogs and cats, but that work requires money to care for the pets.
So, ELPO conducts a three-day estate sale in Old Lake Highlands next weekend.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Dallas&state=TX&address=623+Aqua+Dr&zipcode=75218-2107&country=US&latitude=32.850208&longitude=-96.711496&geocode=ADDRESS
The sale takes place from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Jan. 29, 30, and 31.
Items remaining after the first day will be marked down by 25 percent for Jan. 30. The goods still available Jan. 31 will be half price.
All proceeds from the sale go to help the homeless pets at the orphanage.End of story
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
East Lake Pet Orphanage
http://www.elpo.org
at
East Lake Veterinary Hospital
http://www.welovepets.net
10101 E. Northwest Highway
between Buckner & Ferndale Road
Dallas, Texas 75238
214-342-3100 – eastlakeorphans@aol.com
