A Caique Owners Shopping List

Bringing home baby, and wondering what accessories are essential for your new fids well being? Well, we have got the perfect list to compliment your shopping spree. Straight from the recommendations of caique owners are some tried-and-true, accessories and must-haves. We’ve got your back (and your fids, too).

Must Haves

The cage- this is the most important aspect of your birds environment and one that needs to the most consideration. Powder coating or stainless steel finish depends on your budget, but no matter the finish, when looking at a cage consider the various aspects. Cage size is recommended at 24 by 36, with less then one inch bar spacing. Cages that open at the top are not recommended, and look for cages that have parallel bars so your bird can easily navigate. The author of this article prefers flat top cages, but it all boils down to personal preference. Food and water dishes that are extended outside of the cage (giving more room within the inside of the cage) are recommended.

Perches- a minimum of 5 is recommended. Choose different textures, shapes, and sizes, to give your bird a variety of to perch upon. Caiques like to chew and shred, so natural branches that have bark attached are recommended so the bird can take joy in stripping the perch of its bark. Cholla perches, that are made of a natural cactus material, area also enjoyed. Slick perches like manzanita and dragonwood are not encouraged. Rope perches are a favorite among caiques, as they can bounce and play, chew and rub on the soft cotton material.

Food Dishes- stainless steel or ceramic are encouraged. Purchase an extra set so that you can throw the dirty ones in the dishwasher and still have a clean set on hand. Stainless steel dishes are often sold as ‘coop cups’ and can be purchased to fit your already existing food dish holder, or come with their own attachment so the cups can be placed strategically within the cage. Caiques have a tendency to enjoy tipping over their food dish, so consider a dish such as the Quick Loc Crock, which literally locks in place.

Toys- Caiques love playing with toys- that’s a fact. The brighter, the bolder, the noiser- the better. Quick hint- check out the baby section of your local discount store. Hard plastic keys, teething rings, and rattles are bird safe and caique fun. Tried and true bird toys include the shreddable Parrot Pinatas, the mind bending Crazy Leather Box, or the chewable Brainiac block. All of these toys challenge your birds skills and increase activity while elevating boredom. The recommended number of toys is no less then 5 at one time in the birds cage. With a caique, the more, the better, so don’t be stingy when it comes to play items.

Emergency Medical Kit - If your bird breaks a blood feather, bangs a toenail, or injuries himself in any way, you want to be prepared. Accidents to happen, and caiques seem to be especially accident prone. A good basic medical kit will include self adhering gauze (vetwrap is a popular choice), clean gauze, tweezers, hemostats, a pair of sharp scissors, antibiotic cream, and a heat pack. Many different types of medical kits are included, and the more comprehensive ones contain everything from emergency handfeeding formula to forms that include your vets contact information.

Accessories

The Water Bottle- Caiques are bird chef wanna-be’s. Their specialty? Parrot stew. Whatever can go in the pot- er, in this cage, water dish- will. It can make providing a clean source of water frustrating at times. Especially when you go to change the water and you wonder why how on earth it turned a bright blue color, and what the heck are those floatie things? Trust me, you don’t want to ask questions. Some caiques, intelligent as they may be, don’t seem to realize that dunking that big chunk of brightly colored wood in the water doesn’t make the wood any easier to chew. There is a solution- water bottles. A water bottle can be hung, providing your pet with a constant source of fresh water, even if he has turned the once clean bowl of water into something less then delightful. When purchasing a water bottle, the recommended ones are made of glass (shy away from think plastic ones) and have stainless steel spouts and outfittings. Lixit brand are highly recommended.

The Snuggle Buddy- while this is the name of an actual product, in this article we refer to snuggle buddy as anything that your bird likes to sleep next/in at night. Most caiques enjoy having a ‘happy hut’ type of tent to sleep in at night. There are a variety of tents and huts available for purchase. Looks for one made of long last material such as fleece, with the hanging attachments made of something similar to plastic chain link. Otherwise the attachments that hold the hut to the cage can be easily chewed through by a bored bird. Other snuggle materials can include fleece swings, large cotton rope toy for the bird to snuggle, and other like materials.

Foraging system- Foraging is an important part of your birds wild, natural behavior. While we highly encourage a foraging model feeding system, because this theory and research is still relatively new and mainstream, we are categorizing a foraging system as an ‘accessory’ rather than an immediately required part of your birds environment. Creative Foraging Systems is a new company that has a fantastic line of feeders and toys that are perfect for caiques. Allowing your bird to work for their food lets them re-create natural behavior that can potentially curb future behavioral issues. You have many options and choices when it comes to foraging, but we most highly recommend a foraging system as a main feeder, and an accessory like the ever popular Crazy Maze as a supplemental item.

In Conclusion

This is just a sampling of items that can be purchased for your bird, and come highly recommended by owners. Look for other articles that include in-depth product reviews, food recommendations, playgym accommodations, and much more.

Please excuse the dust

We recently upgraded the forum software to vbulletin 4.0. We’d been running vbulletin 3.8 in the past. 4.0 is a dramatic upgrade and has completely changed the structure of the site - for the better! Of course with any upgrade there is a learning curve. Unfortunately we lost all our custom styles and forum look and feel when we upgraded, so now the forum appears to be ‘fresh out of the box’ so to speak. I am working on customizing the site, but its going to be a process.

If you have any suggestions or input on how the site should look or feel, or if you have any special requests for new features to the site, please let me know!

National Bird Day

Join Us for National Bird Day

January 5, 2010

“Why National Bird Day?

• The beauty, songs, and flight of birds have long been sources of human inspiration.
• Today, nearly 12 percent of the world’s 9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century, including nearly one-third of the world’s 330 parrot species.
• Birds are sentinel species whose plight serves as barometer of ecosystem health and alert system for detecting global environmental ills.
• Many of the world’s parrots and songbirds are threatened with extinction due to pressures from the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss.
• Public awareness and education about the physical and behavioral needs of birds can go far in improving the welfare of the millions of birds kept in captivity.
• The survival and well-being of the world’s birds depends upon public education and support for conservation.

This is the reason for National Bird Day.”

The above is a snippet from the website nationalbirdday.com

National Bird Day takes a stance against owning parrots as pet, the pet trade in general, and the many concerns with owning exotic creatures. Some may or may not agree with the keeping of parrots in households as pets. In fact, just the other day, I commented to someone that I don’t like seeing animal in cages as a general rule. They looked at me kind of funny and asked me “well, then why do you have birds?” I replied that while I disagree with animals in cages- it is out of my control to do anything beyond the best environment for these animals that have been placed in my care. I don’t have control over parrots in the pet trade, and while I may disagree with it, isn’t it my duty to care for the ones that have already been the victims of human misinformation and ignorance?

Whatever reason you celebrate National Bird Day for, take a moment to celebrate that special feathered friend in your life. Give your bird an extra scritch and treat, and realize that while you may not have control over what goes on in the pet trade, by educating and informing your community on bird care, and donating to a worthy bird cause, you too can make a difference.

Boarding Your Bird

The holiday season is a time for travel and for pet owners that can be especially stressful.  Finding kennels for cats and dogs is relatively easy, but how about one that specializes in birds?  One that will recognize the importance of the seemingly small details that are so critical to good bird care? Thinking about it is enough to make you pull your hair out!  Not to fret, while it can be a seemingly overwhelming burden there is hope.  There are many options to choose from.  There are several in-house pet sitting services that have avian knowledge.  Also, boarding is available at a facility set up specifically for avians, at your vets, or you can even entrust your bird to a friend while on holiday.

If hiring a professional pet sitting service to come into your home and care for your animals, consider a few things.

- Is the business/professional licensed

- Is the business/professional bonded and/or insured?

- What prior experience with avians does the caretaker have?

Getting recommendations from other bird owners is a good way to start the search for a professional sitter.  You can also use online resources such as the website for the National Associate of Petsitters located at www.petsitters.org to find a petsitter in your area that meets your requirements.  Many sitters also arrange a pre-meeting so they can come to your house and meet with you.  That way you can review how they interact with your animals.  If you hire through an agency, make sure the agency is in good standing with your local and state agencies. Be sure you get a signed contract of services rendered, and that it explains clearly what liability the company/agency will take if unexpected accidents happen in your absence.

For whatever venue you choose to board your bird while you are away, be sure to ask the caretaker of the bird questions, such as those listed below, to ensure the health and happiness of your pets.

- What type of training do you have?

- Do you have previous experience caring for exotics & avians?

- How many other pet sitting obligations will the sitter have during the period they will have your pet(s) under their care?

- Can the employee provide references?

- What precautions will the sitter take to prevent the transmission of diseases?

- How many times a day will they come to your home, and how much time will they spent at each visit?

- Will they interact with the bird, clean the cage, etc.

- What is the cost of each service?

- Are they willing to cook food for your bird or will all supplies have to be prepared in advance?

You want to also touch base with the employee and find out how knowedgeable they are about your species of bird(s).  If they have general knowledge, it may be a good idea to send home some literature about your birds.  That way you ensure they will will know the differences in species and the particular care each species may require.  A lesson on how to properly handle the bird would be important as well.  Be sure to leave a large flyer in an easy to locate place, i.e. the fridge for instance, detailing the emergency contact numbers, your number, alternate number, and avian vet number in case of emergency.

Good luck in your search for the ideal pet sitter.  While the search may be harder then expected, the reward of leaving with peace of mind that your pet is safe will make your vacation all the better.  Happy travels!

Winter Weather & Your Birds

As the winter weather approaches we get a lot of questions regarding keeping your bird warm. How to do it safely?  What’s the ideal temperature to keep your pet parrot at?  Can I use a spaceheater?  We want to address all these concerns and more.

As soon as the temperature starts dropping my heat bill starts going up.  When the heat bill goes up I add an extra layer of clothing and turn the thermostate down to save some money on the heat bill.  But what about the animals?  My cats have thick fur coats, they’ll be ok.  But parrot feathers don’t seem exactly warm, do they?  Since I have caiques and other south american species, I looked up the average temperature for their natural region.  I found the weather wild birds acclimate to is 55 – 64 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since my birds are indoor pets I don’t have to worry about dropping the temperature down that low.  I keep my thermostate at about 68 degrees during the day, and drop it down another notch at night.  I do cover my birds at night in the winter months to help with added warmth and to keep off any air that may be blowing on them when the heater kicks on.

If you still don’t feel comfortable with your bird at cooler temperatures there are other alternatives.  Heated perches are very popular.  They are fitted so that the cord stays outside of the cage, and the perch heats up slightly to provide a warm place for your bird to roost.  If you have a bird that likes to chew and destroy his footwear I would be wary of putting one in the cage. I know of other owners that purchase the ceramic heat emitters that are found in the reptile section of your pe tstore, and turn those on at night for their birds.  The heat emitter does not emit light, only heat, making it ideal for night use.  If you do choose to get a heat emitter make sure that you buy the appropriate outfit for it.  You want to get a holder that has a ceramic base to screw the bulb into.  Otherwise, you run a risk of fire as the heat emitter can get too hot to use in regular sockets.

Owners that keep their birds outdoors report the animals acclimating quickly to the outdoor temperatures.  Aviary owners make sure their birds have an indoor area to get away from the elements, as well as an outdoor flight for the birds to frolic.  I’ve seen many pictures of cockatoos at Mollywood Rescue in Washington choosing to romp outdoors in the snow of their flights in the winter season.  Birds can acclimate much easier to cold weather then they can to hot weather.  If allowed to acclimate it is reported that they do extremely well in cooler temperatures.  Your pet is hardier then you may think!

Oftentimes the subject of supplemental heat in the home, mainly spaceheaters, comes up as soon as the weather gets chilly.  Bird owners trying to save money on heat always question the safety of heaters.  Some well known brands of heaters can have teflon (PTFE) on them.  So buying a safe heater can be a bit tricky if you don’t know the right questions to ask.  From my experience, some options that are safe include the Optimus rotating oscillating heat fan, which the manufacturers ensure has no PTFE on it.  Some brands of ceramic heaters are said to be safe as well.  Among bird owners, the favorite are the ‘radiator’ type of heaters that have oil components and no teflon.

Winter doesn’t have to be a stressful time, so kick back and relax!  Be vigilant and you and your feathered friends will get through another cold season comfortably warm and stress free.

forum update

Hello all!

I just wanted to address some of the going-ons that have been happening over at caiqueforum.com. We run Vbulletin software to power the forum, and recently Vbulletin announced a software update. This software update marks the change of the current Vbulletin ‘way of life’ - not only are many many many additions being added to the new software, but gone are the yearly fees for licensing. A one time fee has been implemented, raising the initial cost of the software. The software is on pre-sale at a heavily discounted price until the 30th of this month.

I approached our forum members about this opportunity, explaining that I don’t have the funds to cover the entire costs myself. The community was AMAZING and kicked in to cover 110% of our software costs. Now I’m just waiting for the software to be officially released so it can be downloaded and implemented.

The new software has many new features that I can’t wait to implement. This includes user blogs, photo albums, the ability to instant message people on your buddy list through the forum, and much more. The software also contains a CMS- content management system- that will allow us to branch out our forum even more!

With the advent of the CMS contained in the new software, I’m pleased to announce this means more advertising opportunities for caiquecrazy. Also in the works I have plans to implement a classifieds ad section: post your ad for a minimal price (.50 per ad!) and have it get exposed to hundreds of hits a day.

I hope you are all excited about this as I am. More information to be available soon!

Caique Calendar 2010

Well folks the long awaited caique calendar 2010 has been released and is now available for sale at http://zazzle.com/caiquecrazy*

I’d like to thank everyone that entered their photos into the contest, it was so much fun to wade through all the caique photos, yet so hard to only select a few!

New caique merchandise will also be released within a couple days. Merchandise includes binders, postcards, greeting cards, and much more. If you have any special requests, please send an email to emily@caiquecrazy.org and I’d be more then happy to help!

The Truth About Parrots

Watch CBS Videos Online

Interesting video with Mira Tweti

A Caique Owners Shopping List

Bringing home baby, and wondering what accessories are essential for your new fids well being? Well, we have got the perfect list to compliment your shopping spree. Straight from the recommendations of caique owners are some tried-and-trues, accessories and must-haves. We’ve got your back (and your fids, too).

Must Haves

The cage- this is the most important aspect of your birds environment and one that needs to the most consideration. Powdercoating or stainless steel finish depends on your budget, but no matter the finish, when looking at a cage conside the various aspects. Cage size is recommended at 24 by 36, with less then one inch bar spacing. Cages that open at the top are not recommended, and look for cages that have parallel bars so your bird can easily navigate. The author of this article prefers flat top cages, but it all boils down to personal preference. Food and water dishes that are extended outside of the cage (giving more room within the inside of the cage) are recommended.

Perches- a minimum of 5 is recommended. Choose different textures, shapes, and sizes, to give your bird a variety of to perch upon. Caiques like to chew and shred, so natural branches that have bark attached are recommended so the bird can take joy in stripping the perch of its bark. Cholla perches, that are made of a natural cactus material, area also enjoyed. Slick perches like manzanita and dragonwood are not encouraged. Rope perches are a favorite amoung caiques, as they can bounce and play, chew and rub on the soft cotton material.

Food Dishes- stainless steel or ceramic are encouraged. Purchase an extra set so that you can throw the dirty ones in the dishwasher and still have a clean set on hand. Stainless steel dishes are often sold as ‘coop cups’ and can be purchased to fit your already existing food dish holder, or come with their own attachment so the cups can be placed stratigically within the cage. Caiques have a tendency to enjoy tipping over their food dish, so consider a dish such as the Quick Loc Crock, which literally locks in place.

Toys- Caiques love playing with toys- thats a fact. The brighter, the bolder, the noiser- the better. Quick hint- check out the baby section of your local discount store. Hard plastic keys, teething rings, and rattles are bird safe and caique fun. Tried and true bird toys include the shreddable Parrot Pinatas, the mind bending Crazy Leather Box, or the chewable Brainiac block. All of these toys challange your birds skills and increase activity while eleviating boredum. The recommended number of toys is no less then 5 at one time in the birds cage. With a caique, the more, the better, so don’t be stingy when it comes to play items.

Emergency Medical Kit - If your bird breaks a blood feather, bangs a toenail, or injuries himself in any way, you want to be prepared. Accidents to happen, and caiques seem to be especially accident prone. A good basic medical kit will include self adhering gauze (vetwrap is a popular choice), clean gauze, tweezers, hemostats, a pair of sharp scissors, antibiotical cream, and a heat pack. Many different types of medical kits are included, and the more comprehensive ones contain everything from emergency handfeeding formula to forms that include your vets contact information.

Accessories

The Water Bottle- Caiques are bird chef wanna-be’s. Their specialty? Parrot stew. Whatever can go in the pot- er, in this cage, water dish- will. It can make providing a clean source of water frustrating at times. Especially when you go to change the water and you wonder why how on earth it turned a bright blue color, and what the heck are those floatie things? Trust me, you don’t want to ask questions. Some caiques, intelligent as they may be, don’t seem to realize that dunking that big chunk of brightly colored wood in the water doesn’t make the wood any easier to chew. There is a solution- water bottles. A water bottle can be hung, providing your pet with a constant source of fresh water, even if he has turned the once clean bowl of water into something less then delightful. When purchasing a water bottle, the recommended ones are made of glass (shy away from think plastic ones) and have stainless steel spouts and outfittings. Lixit brand are highly recommended.

The Snuggle Buddy- while this is the name of an actual product, in this article we referr to snuggle buddy as anything that your bird likes to sleep next/in at night. Most caiques enjoy having a ‘happy hut’ type of tent to sleep in at night. There are a variety of tents and huts available for purchase. Looks for one made of long last material such as fleece, with the hanging attachments made of something similiar to plastic chain link. Otherwise the attachments that hold the hut to the cage can be easily chewed through by a bored bird. Other snuggle materials can include fleece swings, large cotton rope toy for the bird to snuggle, and other like materials.

Foraging system- Foraging is an important part of your birds wild, natural behavior. While we highly encourage a foraging model feeding system, because this theory and research is still relatively new and maintstream, we are categorizing a foraging system as an ‘accessory’ rather then an immediatly required part of your birds environment. Creative Foraging Systems is a new company that has a fantastic line of feeders and toys that are perfect for caiques. Allowing your bird to work for their food lets them re-create natural behavior that can potentially curb future behavioral issues. You have many options and choices when it comes to foraging, but we most highly recommend a foraging system as a main feeder, and an accessory like the ever popular Crazy Maze as a supplimental item.

In Conclusion

This is just a sampling of items that can be purchased for your bird, and come highly recommended by owners. Look for other articles that include indepth product reviews, food recommendations, playgym accomodations, and much more.

Rescue VS Purchase VS Adoption

For some time now, there has been a debate going on about the true meaning behind these three common terms that we hear so often. “I rescued Fido from a pet store” is the general statement that leaves people shrugging their shoulders and asking, “come again?”. You hear the terms rescue, adoption, and purchase, used almost interchangeably these days. What do they really mean?

Rescue is defined as “to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil.”  The term ‘rescue’ means to save a bird or other animal, from dire conditions that were hazardous to the animal and/or life threatening. Case in point:, Molly, from Parrot Hope Sanctuary. “Molly is a seven year-old green winged macaw. She was left behind in deplorable conditions, a mobile home that had been repossessed that the owners decided to trash on the way out, as they left their parrot behind. Molly went countless days with absolutely no food and water. Neighbors, who could hear Molly screaming, were unsure what to do to help. Finally, they made contact with Parrot Hope Sanctuary, who worked with local authorities to help rescue Molly. Molly was suffering from starvation and kidney failure due to malnutrition.”

Adoption is defined as “To take into one’s family through legal means and raise as one’s own child.” (substitute child for ‘bird’). When speaking of’ adopting a parrot, this normally refers to going through a rescue organization, choosing a bird, going through the necessary procedures, and filling out legal documents transferring the ownership of the bird from the organization to you. Adoption can also refer to the rehoming of a parrot via a private party. Adoptions normally include an ‘adoption fee’, which is a small fee that covers any medical treatment the bird has received while in temporary care, or reimbursement for food items and/or enrichment. The adoption fee should never exceed the original cost of the bird as a weaned baby. If one pays the ‘full price’ for an older parrot, this is to be considered as the ‘reselling’ of the animal, which is generally frowned upon.

Purchase is referred to when someone pays retail price for an animal from a pet store, or private individual (such as a breeder). When someone comments that they have “rescued” an animal from a pet store- it normally translates into what the animal lover community calls a pity buy. A pity buy is when a human sees an animal in conditions they deem as ‘unfit’ in a retail setting, and to take the animal away from those conditions, they purchase the animal. There can be legitimate cases of rescue from a store, but normally such actions are classified as adoption or purchase.
So the next time you hear someone say they ‘adopted Fluffy”, ask what that really means. If you are dealing with a behavioral problem, this can be crucial. Adoptions, purchases, and rescues all come from vastly different backgrounds, and pinning down the source of the birds previous living arrangements can help unlock any behavioral (or otherwise) difficulty the owner is encountering. And, as always, educate. Encourage people to use the proper terminology when referring to their animals past history.

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