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THE FEATHERED FORUM

In This Issue
Don't Spook Your Bird
Meet No Name
Meet Marko
Meet Buddy
2015 Calendars Now Available
To Quarantine or Not to Quarantine
Free Parrot Classes
Tootsie Tips for Parrots
Train Away
Volunteer Corner
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About CPR
  
 Meet the Birds
 and at Parrot University 
321 S Polk St, Pineville
Click for map and directions

Visiting Hours:
Mon - Fri 10 AM - 7 PM
Saturday 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday Noon - 5 PM 
  
Contact Us 
 704-889-2325 
 
Our Mission 
The exclusive mission of Companion Parrots Re-homed is to accept companion parrots from unwanted, emergency or crisis situations throughout the Greater Charlotte, North Carolina, area and to facilitate through training and education, new adoptive homes for these sensitive and intelligent birds.
 

New to CPR


Meet our new birds at Parrot University and at

 

 

No Name, Military Macaw 

 

 

Joining us soon


In Quarantine

 

June Bug, Green-cheeked Conure

Larry Sprinkle, Budgie

Zazu, Cockatiel

 

 

October 2014

Don't Spook Your Bird

By Leslie Wieser

 

Parrot with Witch Hat

Please play it safe this holiday season to
protect your bird from a multitude of possible hazards.

 

Halloween is great for spooks and goblins, but not for birds. Those costumed kids can look like great big predators to your birds, so it's best to keep them separated. Also, Halloween produces an abundance of candy. Monitor your bird and make sure he/she doesn't get into the chocolate, which is extremely toxic and can be harmful or even fatal to birds. Educate your guests as well, so they don't give your birds a dangerous tidbit.

 

On Halloween night, the door will be constantly opening and closing while you are handing out candy. Remember to put your bird into its cage before the doorbell starts ringing to avoid any opportunity for escape. Each Halloween I stop and remember my beloved Zippy, a Cockatiel I adopted many years ago. On October 31, 2005, Zippy took a fatal crash inside our home, after he was startled by the trick or treaters outside our door.

 

Enjoy Halloween, but please take the time to protect your bird from any hazards this holiday might bring.
No Name: Featured Bird for October
Meet Our New Military Macaw
 
Military Macaw
New Military Macaw
Species: Military Macaw

 

Age: unknown 

 

It was love at first sight! This wonderfully socialized Military Macaw was recently found outdoors. She was significantly underweight, but has been eating a healthy diet and is now in the average weight range. She seems to show a preference for women and definitely demonstrates a preference for head rubs. Please come meet this gorgeous girl! She will surely be a special companion. 

 

Watch No Name's video and come meet her.

Maddie: Featured Bird for October

Meet Maddie

 

Maddie, Amazon
Maddie, Yellow-naped Amazon
Species:  Yellow-naped Amazon

  

Age: 11 years

  

Have you ever noticed that some of our birds get a lot of attention because they are such show-offs? Maddie, on the other hand, is a handsome Yellow-naped Amazon who is sometimes overlooked because he's being quiet. Maddie offers a beautiful invitation to be stepped up, by lifting his foot and has learned a variety of behaviors. It would definitely be worth stopping by to visit this sweet guy who just might turn out to be your new best friend.
 

Watch Maddie's video.

Peaches: Featured Bird for October

Meet Peaches

 

Budgie
Peaches, Budgie
Species
Budgie

Age: 2 years

 

At Companion Parrots Re-homed, we just love our Budgies! Peaches and her sister Pebbles came to us a while back. At the time they weren't socialized, but now they will happily fly to your hand to earn a nibble of millet. Budgies make such good companions because of their size and noise level. Just in case you didn't know, they are definitely part of the parrot family -- just pint-sized. Come on in and meet this girl. We'll even provide the millet! 


Watch Peaches' video!

2015 CPR Calendars Available Now

 

The 2015 Companion Parrots Re-homed calendar, titled "Favorite Things", is CPR Calendar now available! The cost is only $15 (plus $3 for shipping), with all proceeds going to support the birds in the adoption program. Many thanks to all of our generous sponsors who supported this project.

 

Thanks also to Debbie Foster for her beautiful photographs and to Lynda Rettew for her patient and painstaking editing and production. The 2015 calendar is a beautiful keepsake that you will be able to enjoy throughout the year -- they make great holiday gifts too!

To Quarantine or Not to Quarantine...
By Jennifer Drummond

 

That is the question. It will likely only take one visit to see the Birds of CPR at

Military Macaw
No Name in quarantine home.

Parrot University to determine if you are a "bird person." That's how it all started for our family. We visited the birds every week, we read books and, most importantly, we attended the free classes offered, taking lots of notes. Of course, at this point something important was still missing from our plan...the bird.

 

If you didn't already know, parrots are so smart and sensitive that most times they will choose you -- not the other way around. If you're not sure what species you're interested in, how much bird you can handle, or even if you have the time or space for a feathered family member, please consider the option of becoming a quarantine family. You'll be provided with everything you need for a 30 day stay in your home -- you only need to provide fresh foods and companionship.

 

Over the last year, our family has quarantined seven different parrot species, from a Green-cheek Conure to a Military Macaw. Each bird came with their own unique personality. Some came from broken homes, or lost their special someone or were even found outdoors. These intelligent creatures all have one thing in common -- they want and deserve a loving family. Please consider the gift of your time and home by providing temporary shelter for one of these deserving birds. Who knows, you just might find your match and decide to adopt your new feathered friend!    

 

Free Parrot Care Classes

 

Check out our upcoming free classes. Click to read the class descriptions and call 704-889-2325 or email to parrots@parrotu.com to register.

 

Parrot 101

Saturday, November 1, 2 pm

 

Avian Health & Medicine

Sunday, November 9, 2 pm

 

Food & Nutrition for Your Bird

Sunday, November 2, 2 pm

 

Positive Reinforcement Training

Saturday, October 18, 11 am   |  Saturday, November 15, 11 am

 

What's in your Toolbox?

Saturday, October 25, 11 am

 

Sex & the Single Bird

Sunday, October 26, 2 pm

 

Toymaking Class

Saturday, November 8, 11 am

 

Parrot 101 and Avian Health & Medicine are required for adoption. All classes are held in the CPR Education Center at Parrot University. Check our fall class schedule at www.parrotu.com then click 'Calendar of Events'  

 

Tip of the Month: Tootsie Tips for Parrots

By Lindsay Boardman

 

Concrete Perches
Concrete Perches

Parrots use their feet constantly. Their essential activities such as feeding, climbing, perching and playing depend heavily on good foot health. There are a few things we can do as owners to help make sure those tootsies stay in good repair.

 

The first thing is allowing our birds to get plenty of exercise. The second is feeding a high quality diet. (Be sure to check out our Food & Nutrition class to learn more about good diet.)

Finally, offer lots of different perches! A mixture of wood, concrete and rope inside the cage is the best way to go. A single wooden dowel across the cage can encourage the development of serious, long-term problems such as bumble foot and arthritis.

 

Talk to your avian veterinarian about the condition of your bird's feet and always provide your parrot with a variety of clean, well-kept perch options. And please call Parrot University if you need a recommendation for an avian veterinarian in your area.

 

Train Away!
By Debbie Foster

 

Chris training an Amazon
Chris Jenkins with Savvy

I always find it fascinating to watch a professional animal trainer. They demonstrate such attention to detail and a laser focus on the animal they're training. Attendees at our recent workshop got to see just that with Chris Jenkins, from Natural Encounters, Inc. Chris revealed 'The SECRET' and then demonstrated some of his techniques with Savvy, Bosley, Kahlua, Gipper and the new Military Macaw.

 

I particularly loved his version of an "Aha" moment. Concentrate not on what you don't want the bird to do, but ask yourself what you DO want the bird to do. That's a step most of us skip entirely.

 

For example, if you don't want the bird to scream, what do you want it to do instead? Do you want him/her to whistle, whisper or sing? Notice that those behaviors can't be done while screaming.

 

Maybe the bird already does something that you can start to reinforce heavily, while ignoring the screaming. Or (here's the "Aha") maybe you can teach the bird to do something new. You'll get to improve your relationship and take steps to improving her/his behavior at the same time.

 

So here's your challenge for this month: identify a problem behavior and ask yourself what you want the bird to do instead. Train away! 

Volunteer Corner
By Lynda Rettew

Anjana and Jennifer visiting with Sinbad

Val Vajay and Stephen Platte represented CPR at the Dog Gone Good Time Festival on September 27 in Ft. Mill. We later heard that at least one potential adopter came to us from this event. Good work!

 

On October 4th, five volunteers gathered in the CPR classroom to discuss event representation with Val and me. We discussed the event kit, how to set up and represent CPR and how to identify more opportunities.

 

Thanks to Jim Alexander, Anjana Bhawnani, Jennifer Drummond, Judy Elkins, and Susan Williamson for meeting with us and for your wonderful contribution. We look forward to offering you volunteer event opportunities very soon!

 

For those who were unable to attend, we'll have other opportunities for you to get involved. Look for special requests via our volunteer email and please reply back if you find something that interests you.

 

As always, thanks so much to all of our volunteers. We appreciate you.

 

-Lynda

Help the Birds -- Become a Monthly Donor
 

Your monthly pledge will provide reliable support for CPR throughout the year. All donations are tax deductible. Click a parrot to donate.

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 Thank you for your support!

We'd love to hear from you!  Please send your comments, suggestions, and stories to info@CompanionParrots.org. Thanks to all of you for your support!

  

The Birds of Companion Parrots Re-homed
Board of Directors
Volunteers