Pet of the Day

April 18, 2011

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Penelope, the Pet of the Day
Name: Penelope
Age: Twelve years old
Gender: Female
Kind: Quaker Parakeet
Home: Ohio, USA
 
   Penelope is the most recent addition to her family. David, her pet human, is a first time bird owner who adopted her from a parrot rescue in Akron, Ohio in March 2011 after doing a lot of research on taking care of birds and deciding that a little, feathered bundle of joy was the right pet for him. Little did he know that he would soon become the pet. Fortunately for Penelope's human, other people didn't research Quaker Parakeets very well, because she is from New Jersey, and Quaker Parakeets are illegal in that state, so he now has a little, green bundle of love. Unfortunately, many people don't do their research when getting birds (and other pets), and pet rescues, like the parrot rescue that Penelope came from, are overflowing with unwanted, abused, and neglected pets.

    The parrot rescue brought two other Quaker Parakeets and a Goffin's Cockatoo to meet Penelope's human, and Penelope bonded with her human immediately. She was very shy, and hid in his collar when he picked her up and threw a fit when one of the rescue ladies attempted to handle her to write down her leg band number for the adoption paperwork. Within half an hour of getting to know her human, Penelope was sitting on his shoulder and preening his sideburns. Her original name was William Penn, but since she had laid eggs at the rescue, the rescue workers urged her human to change her name. She is now Penelope, a.k.a. Penny, a.k.a. Pen Pen, a.k.a. "My Little Green Dictator."

    Fortunately for Penelope's human, she didn't come with many behavioral issues. She is relatively tame, although she does not seem to like being held at all, and is aggressive while in her cage, although she and her human are working on building up enough trust so that she isn't afraid anymore. She does love kisses on top of her head and being gently petted, and Penelope summons her human to pet and kiss her by making kissing noises. Penelope also says "hello" and mimics a crow when she is angry. She is a very vocal bird, and makes all sorts of squawks, squeaks, squeals, and chirps-something that most people don't realize before they get a bird: birds are loud.

    As Penelope's human did a lot of research before rescuing her, she lives in a very large cage with lots of different shaped perches and fun toys. Her favorite is a wind chime toy, because it makes the most noise when she slams it against her cage bars. She wakes her human up most mornings by clanging it into her cage repeatedly, squeaking with delight the whole time. She also enjoys lots of out of cage time and loves throwing small balls with bells inside that were originally cat toys onto the floor and making her human fetch for her. In her old home, she was fed mostly seeds, and, while the parrot rescue converted her over to a healthier pellet diet, she still does not like eating fruits and vegetables which are a necessary part of a parrot's diet.

    She is a wonderful, little bird who has finally found her forever home where she can trust, love, and be loved in return. She daily astounds her owner with her intelligence, and is shaping up to be an incredibly snuggly and affectionate feathered pet.

Penelope, the Pet of the Day
Penelope, the Pet of the Day

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