Caiques Are People Too!

Please drop by often, as this site will be updated frequently.

Unofficial Site for the Caique List that began at MountainCad.com

Roscoe, WB Caique, had just finished his misting shower in his outside cage and was happily running around on his boing perch and thru this acrylic ring toy. Mom went to roll up the hose. She heard him making loud noises and thought he was wrestling with the toy and having a grand old time. When the noises became frantic and urgent Mom went to investigate. Roscoe had his foot caught in the metal chains which had looped and closed very tightly around his foot. Roscoe and toy had go be removed from the cage in order to get enough slack to release his foot. This was no easy task. Poor Roscoe's foot was sore and swollen for the next day and he was barely able to bare weight on the foot. Fortunately he recovered, but just think what would have happened if Mom was not at home to rescue him. Toys must be inspected everyday for potential hazards and danger that could claim your parrots' life.

This flower disk can be found on many bird toys. See where the red arrow is pointing? Roscoe Caique got his ankle caught in the open wedge and trapped the entire foot. If Mom was not at home at the time, who knows what injury this poor fid would have sustained?

Please inspect your parrots' toys on a daily basis for potential danger and hazards that could claim your parrots' life or permanently maim them.

Here is Roscoe happily eating a yummy pink flower. Shortly after partaking of this yummy snack, he had to be rushed to his avian vet. Lucky for Roscoe that this happened during normal hospital hours.

Please do not allow your fid to have chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or avocado. They are a hazard to your parrot's well being.

LINKS FOR GOOD AND BAD PLANTS:

Gillian Willis Pharmacist and Toxicologist List of Toxic Plants

Household Poisons and Toxic Plant List

Toxic & Non-Toxic Plants, Trees, Substances

What Household Products are Dangerous to my Birds? - Julie Burge, DVM

Bird Safe - Excellent site for information on dangers, hazards and safety on cages, food, home, toys, health and emergencies. You can also sign up for the Bird Safe safety forum.

Bird Safe at Yahoo Groups - E-list where any and all parrot hazards, danger to parrots, and safety issues are discussed. If you have a concern about carpet, wood burning stoves, cookware, carbon monoxide detectors, new stove issues, paint fumes, etc. this is the place to get helpful input.

Toy Safety

Dangerous Toys Household Hazards Alerts - Bookmark this site! Excellent page for the latest on dangerous and hazardous toys and household items for your parrots.

Gillian's Help Desk - Gillian Willis is a pharmacist and toxicologist. She is considered an "expert" in matters of poisoning and toxic substances by those of us who participate in bird related mailing lists on the Internet

Household Hazards for Birds

Up At Six FAQ's on Hazards

The Top Ten Bird Killers from Exotic Pet Vet.Net

Summer Heat Precautions from Exotic Pet Vet.Net

Good Things to Know - a page that tells you what household dangers and hazards await your parrot.

Safe Bird Keeping Tips - By Carolyn Swicegood

SICK HOUSE SYNDROME Is your home safe for parrots? - by Carolyn Swicegood

Safe and Natural Pest Control- by Carolyn Swicegood

Cleaning Safely - by Carolyn Swicegood gives you recipes to alternative safe cleaners.

Teflon Kills Birds - Environmental Working Group Article on the deadly effect Teflon fumes on your birds

Food News: Pesticides in Foods - Environmental Working Group Article on the danger of pesticides

The Pros of Wing Clipping

Why Proper Wing Clipping is a Must

Why Quarantine?

Quarantine?

What is wrong with this toy you maybe asking. The cotton rope is too long. Since Caiques are so energetic and they love wrestling with their toys, there is potential for the long strands to wrap around their neck or body and strangle or squeeze them to death. You have to remember that any parrot will go into panic mode and will thrash about trying to work its way loose. This type of thrashing action will only tighten the stronghold.

Please learn to identify dangerous and hazardous toys. Keep your parrot safe. Most toy manufacturers won't, only you can. Your fids count on you to keep them safe from harm.

This version of the toy is much safer. Extra toy parts have been added and more knotting to take care of the extra length of rope.

The sleeping type of tents are extremely hazardous and deadly.

If you must continue to provide one for your parrot, please remember that they need to inspected on a daily basis for wear and tear. Especially the inside. For some reason, fids like to chew or dig holes within the hidden areas (look at next picture) and some birds have been caught and strangled or suffocated inside of their beds. Also keep in mind that feet or legs can get caught up in the hanging loops and can kill or maim your loved one.

The sleeping type of tents are extremely hazardous and deadly.

On July 20, 2004, poor Bongo Caique was found by his mommie hanging upside down. While she was at the post office, Bongo somehow got his legband entangled in the chewed up areas, shown by red arrow, and had to be cut free. It took 2 people to free him. I hate to think what Bongo's fate would have been if she had not come home for hours! If you insist on having one of these sleeping tents, you must inspect them inside and out everyday! Many of these sleep tents are sewn using nylon thread and many birds have been found strangled and dead or badly caught up and tangled in the thread. If your parrot likes to sleep in a tent, why not switch to a Toobie? You can see the Toobies on our Toy Picks page modeled by Bailey Caique. (To return to this page, use the side bar link or your browser back button).

MORE SLEEP TENT HORROR STORIES

Posted to the list on July 22, 2004

also had a problem with the "H____ Hut. I washed Mango's hut"(the Hut was like brand new not chewed or damaged in anyway), snipped a couple very small threads I saw when it came out of the wash, then put it into her cage. Well, the next day when I got up she didn't come running out to see me as usual, she just stayed in the hut making a low cheeping noise. When I got closer to the cage I realized there was something definitely wrong. Her leg & toes had been wrapped several times in string(not her banded leg) and she was pinned to the hut! I can't imagine how terrified she was stuck to that hut, I'm just lucky she didn't break her leg trying to get free or have to lose the toes due to them being soo tight in the string. It took several minutes of careful snipping to free her. I don't use any huts in her cage anymore. Just my 2 cents.

~~ Laurie, Mango & Kermit ~~

Posted to the list July 22, 2004

My story with the h____ huts is one day I left the house for only one hour. In that time, Scooter and Maddie had chewed a hole in the side of the happy hut and BOTH were inside. Maddie on top of Scooter. If I had been much longer, Scooter would have died, I'm sure.

~~ Pam ~~

Posted to the list July 22, 2004

And many, many cases of birds becoming impacted on fibers. There was a case some years back of a mini-macaw I think it was. Bird started loosing weight, they were certain the bird had PDD (Proventricular Dilation Disease aka Macaw Wasting). They euthanized the bird then did a necropsy, proventriculus was totally impacted with synthetic fibers from the fuzzy/fleecy type hut, the bird was starving to death. I would not have anything with synthetic or fuzzy fibers in any cage of mine!

~~ Gloria ~~

Posted to the list July 22, 2004

I’m the webmaster for our bird club and I got an email to that site at the beginning of the year from someone who’s sun conure had chewed on one and then got strangled by the threads.

~~ Chris ~~

Posted to the list July 24, 2004

I too used a happy hut for YoYo when we first got her. She loved it & spent lots of time in there doing who knows what... Well, one day I was working upstairs & I could hear her calling to me. I whistled back, but her call was different than usual, so I eventually went downstairs to find her stuck in it & unable to get out. Luckily my husband arrived home from work just then & we were able to cut her out of it--it was a 2 person job. She'd chewed a hole in the bottom & was inside chewing up the plastic floor when she got stuck. She was really overheated when we got her out.

Luckily, I had just read an article in the Pet Bird Report about contact calls, so I was sensitive to her different call & was curious enough to investigate. I never doubt her calls or shrieks now--I know she tells the truth.

I have since made her sleeping bags out of fleece, but just one thickness that hangs over a perch & no floor. I make a dozen or more at a time, so I can just replace them as needed.

~~ Ingrid & YoYo ~~

Posted to the list July 24, 2004

For anyone interested in learning how to make their own Toobies, check this out!

Make Your Own Coffee Can Sleep Hut!

~~ Roseanna ~~

Hazards and Dangers for Caiques and All Parrots

Links for More Information on Parrot Dangers and Hazards for your Feathered Family Member