ASPCA has designated January as Adopt-A-Rescue Bird Month. See full details on this program at www.aspca.org.
Excerpts from this week's ASPCA newsletter re Birds!
----- Original Message ----- From: ASPCA News Alert
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 5:29 AM
Subject: Bird Poison Prevention/Get Your 2004 ASPCA Calendar
Welcome to ASPCA News Alert, the weekly newsletter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
1. Keep Tweety Safe with Our Bird Poison Prevention Tips
2. ASPCA 2004 Calendar Free to New Members
3. Petfinder Happy Tail of the Week: Bobby's Girls
4. Illinois County Passes Microchipping Ordinance
5. Letters Needed to Lick Proposed Pro-Trapping Stamp
6. Website of the Week: The Great Backyard Bird Count
KEEP TWEETY SAFE WITH BIRD POISON PREVENTION TIPS
If you share your home with a companion avian, you know how sensitive your feathered friend is to his environment. Birds, for example, are more adversely affected by smoke and gases than are mammals such as dogs and cats, and special considerations must be taken to keep them in the "sing" of things. Our experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) offer the following tips to keep your home safe and secure for your pet:
Birds are highly sensitive to inhalant fumes, so please avoid exposing yours to fumes from self-cleaning ovens and overheated TeflonTM- or SilverstoneTM-coated pans, automobile exhaust, tobacco smoke, glues and paints, insecticidal fumigants, perfume and hair spray.
Most pesticide baits contain ingredients, such as grains and sugars, that can attract your bird. Should you need to use rat and mouse bait or ant and roach traps, take care to place them in areas that are inaccessible to your pet.
Keep all prescription and over-the-counter drugs out of beak's reach, preferably in closed cabinets. Pain killers, cold medicines, anticancer drugs, vitamins and diet pills are all examples of human medications that can be lethal to birds, even in small amounts.
Never allow your bird access to areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored. Should your pet ingest them, he could suffer from a range of symptoms, depending on the substance, from mild stomach upset to severe burns of the tongue, mouth and crop.
If you suspect your bird has gotten into a potentially poisonous substance, call your veterinarian or the APCC's emergency hotline--(888) 426-4435--for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more information on poison prevention, visit APCC online, and stay tuned for more helpful information on pet birds. Shelters, we invite you to use the downloadable radio PSAs, bird care articles and fun facts calendar found at ASPCA.org to encourage adoptions throughout January, which is Adopt-A-Rescued-Bird Month.
PETFINDER HAPPY TAIL OF THE WEEK: BOBBY'S GIRLS
Things looked bleak for Bobby, the 19-year-old *censored*atiel who had health issues that he wasn't expected to overcome. "Luckily, nobody told HIM that," says 15-year-old Katy from Illinois, who, along with her mom and younger sister, recently adopted the little bird.
When Katy and her mother, Renee, first logged on to Petfinder.com, the ASPCA's online partner and searchable database of homeless pets, they were actually looking for a dog for Katy's grandmother. "But then I saw Bobby's picture," recalls Renee. They kept returning to the bird's photo and description to get another glimpse.
The family made arrangements to adopt the *censored*atiel, who was being cared for at the St. Louis-based Perfectly Precious Rescue & Adoption. "He's absolutely adorable," says Renee, who calls him "a perfect addition" to their resident menagerie of two other *censored*atiels, a parakeet, two bearded dragon lizards and a hamster. Adds Renee, "He likes to play a game of chase around the living-room floor with the other *censored*atiels!"
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Attention, bird watchers! Seen any good grosbeaks lately? What about the 20 species you spotted on your last trip to the wildlife refuge? Share your findings online with thousands of other eagle-eyed bird lovers across the country at the Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Audubon. The site offers info on how to choose, stock and place a feeder, as well as helpful identification tips, so you can distinguish a purple finch from a house finch like a pro. Plus, there's a great section for educators on getting kids involved. This year's count takes place February 13-16, so get those binoculars ready!
http://www.freeparrots.net/article.php?story=20040108183141335