mary@dinorah.wustl.edu (Mary E. Leibach) (12/06/89)
Sick, as I suppose most of the rest of you are, of the "cat topic", I thought I would make a positive contribution to this group (in the sum of ... just kidding ;-). As Christmas is a coming on, I thought I would do a little posting on some Christmas related bird topics. Those of you who don't like our ramblings (Blake's Birds are contributing to this effort) better hit "n" now. I'm about to get [insert your favorite word for my condition here]. Christmas is a time for decorations, gift giving, eating, inviting friends over, etc. But don't forget the birdies! Yes, those cute, cudly little feather balls that share our homes or backyards deserve a good Christmas too. First a few cautions to help your birdie have a safe holiday. Many people hang mistletoe, receive poinsettias, etc. Please be aware that these, and other Christmas plants are toxic to birds. If you are in doubt about the safeness of a particular plant, please keep it away from your birdies. (This also helps keep the plant safe and in one piece. :-) The tree is also a bad place for a birdie. Electrical wires can be chewed through and electricute your birdie. Hot bulbs can give a burn. Tinsel, glitter, and garland may be hazardous if swallowed or tangled up into. Glass ornaments may be knocked down and broken, creating a sharp hazard to cut your birdie. Christmas occurs in winter weather in many areas, so watch for drafts from company coming. Every bird owner should be aware of the dangers presented by non-stick cookware, but with all the cooking being done over the holidays, extra care must be taken. Of course, a mob of strange people doesn't exactly add to your bird's feelings of security, so birdie should only receive guests that he/she knows and loves. Birdie should be kept from cigarette smoke, and should NEVER be given alcoholic drinks. From the above, it sounds like your bird should be cooped up in a bare padded cell over the holidays. Not so. Schedule special time to spend with your birds. If your birdie MUST have a tree, make one from a non-toxic branch decked with popcorn strings and hung with nuts and dried fruit. It may look kind of dumb to you, but your bird will think it is delicious. You might make one for the birds outside too! Just make sure no over-eating takes place. Vic-Tanny doesn't accept birdie memberships. Nuts are a nice seasonal treat/toy for birds. Just keep in mind that they have a lot of fat in them, and should be fed in small quantities. Vila enjoys drinking fruit juice. If you don't want to waste a big bottle, Gerber sells juices in small individual reclosable jars for a few cents. Don't forget your bird's daily fruit and veggie requirements. If you are too busy cooking people food to slice and dice, try the salad bar at your local supermarket. You should be able to get brocoli, carrots, radishes, pineapple, melon, etc, in smaller pieces. And you can mix and match, feeding a colorful variety that is good for birdie and easy for you. Some of the table scraps from that lucious Christmas dinner may be good for your birdie. A little meat from your turkey or a well cooked bone is good. (And no, it is no more canabalism than a fox eating a rabit.) Cooked veggies, whole wheat bread, etc. are also good. Just stay away from chocolate, heavy spices and sweets. Winter, particularly when there is snow on the ground, is a hard time for outdoor birdies. Wild bird mixes help, as does suet. But if you want them to have a Christmas feast, get a small bag of good cockatiel seed from your pet shop, and mix that in. My mother's birds go wild over the stuff!!! And if the ground is snow covered, some parakeet grit is deeply appreciated. Now what do you get a birdie for Christmas? If his/her cage isn't big enough (they never seem to be) and you can afford it, a new cage might be the ticket. Just be careful introducing it to your birdie. Blakey moved into his new cage (and I thought I WAS careful) and promptly went on a hunger strike! It took me two days to get that bird to eat, and the only way I did it was to put his food in a mirror bottomed bird bath. So now he eats out of a bird bath. :-) If your bird comes out of the cage every day for playtime, and does not yet have one, a nice playgym would be a good way to keep some of his mess and destruction confined to one area while giving him neat things to do. New toys, a bird bath, etc. also make good presents. For your little friends outside, bird feeders, baths and houses are the obvious presents (though they may not be able to use the last two till spring.) This posting is a public service of Blake's Birds(tm). Corrections and additions are heartily welcome. Also, those knowing more than I do about wild birds and what turns them on are invited to share their knowledge. Blake's Birds(tm) want every bird and their humans to have a happy, safe and Birdie Christmas! -Mary and Birdies!
grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) (12/07/89)
In article <1046@dinorah.wustl.edu> mary@dinorah.wustl.edu (Mary E. Leibach) writes: > >Many people hang mistletoe, receive poinsettias, etc. Please be aware >that these, and other Christmas plants are toxic to birds. If you are >in doubt about the safeness of a particular plant, please keep it away >from your birdies. (This also helps keep the plant safe and in one >piece. :-) The tree is also a bad place for a birdie. Electrical >wires can be chewed through and electricute your birdie. Hot bulbs >can give a burn. Tinsel, glitter, and garland may be hazardous if >swallowed or tangled up into. Glass ornaments may be knocked down and >broken, creating a sharp hazard to cut your birdie. > > -Mary and Birdies! Can we try these methods on cats too? Sorry, I have kept my mouth shut on the whole cat thing, but I couldn't resist after reading this article... :-) - Greg -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Pasquariello (916) 920-9092 grp@unify.UUCP Unify Corporation ...!{csusac, pyramid}!unify!grp