Carpe and Kahlua first joined CPR in October, 2008. They were adopted in 2012 but returned a short time later when the

Carpe, Blue-crowned Conure

 family had to move unexpectedly and could not take them along. They are an extremely bonded pair, even though it is a May/September romance. Kahlua is a star performer and never gets enough of learning new behaviors. Currently she and Carpe are learning to race Matchbook cars! Carpe is very protective of Kahlua and their home, but is a real sweetheart when away from the 'nest'. Supplemental heat is provided by a heat panel to assist Kahlua.

Dolly is a more recent addition to CPR. Her breeder sold her to an elderly couple (!) as a chick. Her dad passed away about three years later. Her mom was unable to handle her so for several years she just hung out in her cage. Then Mom suffered a stroke, so Dolly joined us. She has made tremendous  progress with training. She's comfortable stepping up for almost anyone, once she knows you. Dolly is much more interactive and happy now. Unfortunately we do feel she may always over-preen her feathers, but who knows? Once she finds a great home that isn't as hectic as it can be at Parrot U, she would improve. While her mom was her favorite person, she seems to do well with both men and women.

Duck practicing positive reinforcement

The year's end often makes many people take stock of what goals have been accomplished and which ones should be set for the new year. So here is an important question: how have you improved your relationship with your bird in 2013?

I'm throwing down the gauntlet for 2014 by challenging you to commit to using positive reinforcement in all interactions with your bird. Signing up for a class so that you can understand that the bird didn't bite, scream, or refuse to go in or come out of the cage for no reason is a great way to start. I guarantee that you will see an improvement in your relationship with your parrot!

I work with each bird that comes into the program and have seen amazing changes take place. Even birds that might have been labeled aggressive, hormonal, or slow, will blossom when exposed to positive reinforcement.

Here's a homework assignment for you. Before next month's newsletter comes out, begin to target train your bird. I recommend using a chopstick made of untreated wood and this can be done with the bird in or out of the cage, so there are no excuses. You can refer to our YouTube video library to see just how easy it is!

Click to watch a target training video.

Train away!

Give your holiday shopping double meaning by purchasing a gift for a loved one and supporting a good cause at the same time! 

The 2014 Companion Parrots Re-homed calendars are available for purchase at Parrot University!

The price is $15, with 100% of the proceeds going to support the birds of CPR.  Shipping is available for a small additional fee.

Special thanks to those who responded to our requests for volunteer help.  Stephen Platte, Jim Alexander, and Judy Elkins gave Karen assistance at the Levine Senior Center event on November 16. 

For our Open House on December 7, Connie Thompson, Stephen Platte, Linda Dowdle, Judy Elkins, Val Vajay, and Lindsay Boardman all stepped up to give assistance with hosting duties.  Debbie Foster worked her usual magic with behavior demonstrations throughout the day.

Judy Elkins is definitely our "rock star" for the month!  Not only did she help at both of the above events, she has also made several vet runs to Huntersville recently. 

If you are interested in signing up to help at special events or with special needs such as vet runs, please email me at volunteer@CompanionParrots.org

Thanks for all you do.

Lynda Rettew

CPR Volunteer Coordinator and Board Member