Tip of the Week
Snails aren’t just for eating algae! Freshwater snails make wonderful pets as additions to many aquariums.  But remember, most snails do not thrive on algae and will need their diet supplemented with other goodies!  More info to come when the new Snail Care page is up!

Tip of the Week Archives

Cheep Talk by Paisley

Research Before Buying!

“So, I’m sitting on Mom and she is talking to a lady who wants to get a parrot.”

“Uh oh!  I hope you listened in on the entire conversation, Ruby.”

“Paisley, of course I did!  I’m a parrot, what else would I do?  Anyway, the lady asked Mom what kind of bird she should get!”

“What did she tell her?”

“Well, she did like she always does and asked the lady if she had a lot of time to spend with one, if she had little kids at home, and how much experience she has had with us birds.  When the lady answered back, I was blown away!  I had to screech when I heard her.  She said ‘I don’t even know how to take care of birds; I just want one that talks.’”

“No!”

“YES!  I know!  That’s horrible!  Mom went on to tell her how there is no guarantee that any bird will talk and to use that as your only requirement for getting a bird is a little selfish.”

“You go, Mom!”

“She told the lady also that we birds take a lot of work, are messy, need specialized diets, and can be a little noisy…Paisley!”

“Hey!”

“Hey, you are half my size and can still scream me out of house and home!”

“What did the lady think of Mom’s responses?”

“She wasn’t too happy.  She wanted a bird that talked and wanted Mom to find her one.  But it’s not going to happen.  Mom let her know what she thought and kept explaining how much care and what kind of care a bird needs and for someone who has never had a bird, they should start out small.  But she told her the most important thing is to research first.  She told her she should be well prepared before bringing a bird into the family and possibly ending up with a bird with bad behaviors because it wasn’t want they thought it was going to be.”

“But we are awfully cute and hard to resist!”

“That is true, Paisley, but Mom made sure the lady understood all this and at the end of the conversation, the lady said she would research first and thought that maybe a bird wasn’t the right pet for her.  Our Mom did a ton of research before bringing us home and that’s why we are such happy birds!  Mom told her that birds cost a lot of money to buy and then to keep up with.  I think that is what did it.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that one person has been educated and might make the right decision before making an impulse buy and getting a bird because it might talk.  We should try to send out that message to more people.”

“Please do your research first before bringing a bird into your home!”

Visit Paisley's Cheep Talk Archives:

Beware of Household Dangers!

Can't Beat Variety!

Research Before Buying!

Some special points of interest this month include:

	Give your betta the home it deserves! Let your fish be happy and healthy. A happy fish is more enjoyable and can live a longer life. Visit The Think Tank to learn more.
	Think your bird only needs seed in it’s diet? Think again! Birds benefit from having a variety of foods given to them.  Paisley will fill you in on Cheep Talk!
	Cats and dogs need flea prevention, even cats that are always indoors. And don’t let slightly cool weather fool you! Those fleas are still hiding out and need to be gotten rid of!  See what Levi and Gordon have to say on the subject on The Scratching Post!