How to Keep me Healthy:

How to Keep me Safe:

Here are several tips on how to keep me safe!

1. Keep my cage in a place where I don’t get direct sunlight!

2. Keep my cage in a place where other animals can’t get to me! I’m a lot smaller than they are, so they could hurt me before you could even get there!

Rounded Rectangular Callout: One of the former birds that lived in my first home was killed by the sun . . .

Rounded Rectangular Callout: If you have a cat, please be extra careful! Even if my cage hangs, they can still get to me! And in my cage, there’s no place for me to go to get away from their claws!

If you have a dog or a cat, please be careful! Mostly, I get along great with other animals, and since I’m an excellent flyer, you probably aren’t worried about me. But remember that I just had my wings trimmed, and I’m NOT used to flying like this! So if the cat or dog comes running, I might NOT be able to get away! Please keep kitty and puppy under supervision or constraint when I am out of my cage!

If you have another bird, please take care! I LOVE other birds, and I am NOT afraid of ANYTHING! Not even that McCaw with the HUGE beak! I just figure that I’m the boss, and they have to listen. Sometimes they don’t understand this concept, however, and since their beak may be LOTS bigger or stronger than mine, please be VERY careful when we are together!

Rounded Rectangular Callout: I was raised with a cockatiel and a Sun Conure, so I know all about “dominating” bigger birds! My first parents wouldn’t leave me alone with the Conure, though! I think they didn’t trust her or something!

When I’m around water, WATCH OUT! I LOVE water! I LOVE to take a shower and a bath. But sometimes, I don’t realize that the open toilet or the fish tank aren’t put there for my specific purposes! I might try to take a bath in these, and I might either drown, or pick up some “bug” that my body can’t fight off!

Please keep my air safe! I’m VERY sensitive to chemical odors and smoke! Even common things you use in your house can put out toxic fumes. Stuff like Teflon-covered pots and pans, bread makers, toasters, irons, coffee makers, hair dryers, waffle makers, etc. For a list of common household items that might make me sick, go to http://www.birdsandmore.com/margaret.html

Rounded Rectangular Callout: One of the former birds that lived in my first home died when my first human mom cleaned her oven (self-cleaning!). The smoke was too much for his little lungs!

Also, watch out for cleaners, candles, aerosols, Febreze, Carpet Fresh, space heaters, pine scented items, leather protectant sprays, potpourri and glue guns!

Rounded Rectangular Callout: By the way, you don’t need to put on that perfume or cologne! I think you smell nice JUST THE WAY you are! And besides, your perfumes can make me sick . . .

I become DEATHLY ill when I come in contact with saliva! This means YOURS, as well as that of your dog or cat! Please keep me away from your mouth, because there NOTHING I like better than to peck at your teeth!

Please be careful around open doorways! I am an EXCELLENT little flyer, and though I LOVE to be with you, you never know when my curiosity will win out over my desire to sit on your shoulder!

9. Please give me a good cage. Since I LOVE to chew on the cage bars, make sure they are “bird safe”! No zinc! (and you might have to ask the pet store helper to know what is a safe cage!) Make sure that it is big enough for me! I’m an acrobat, so I like a good-sized cage. I don’t like round cages, though. They mess up my tail feathers!

10. I LOVE toys! Any kind, especially shiny ones! But please make sure any metal parts are stainless steal! I LOVE to chew on metal, and anything else might make me sick! Also, watch out for toys with little holes in them, like balls for cats and stuff like that. I can get my foot caught in the holes and hurt myself. For more information on unsafe toys, go to http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/alerts.htm

11.

12. Plants . . . I LOVE to eat plants! But unfortunately, not all plants are good for me to eat. For a great list of plants that are poisonous to me, go to http://sis.agr.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.list?p_sci=comm&p_type=all&p_x=px You can find also find a list of plants that WON’T hurt me at http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/safeplants.htm

13.

14.Please only use newspaper or wood shavings in the bottom of my cage. Grit paper isn’t necessary, and it hurts my feet. Also, I would probably try to eat walnut shell litter or corn cob litter, and this could possibly kill me.