Pet of Month – August 2016

Well don’t you know about the bird? Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word! Our August Pet of the Month is a special b-b-bird by the name of Xolani. She is a 7-month-old Cape parrot with lovely red, gray, and green coloring. Her parents Anita and Scott, experienced bird owners, did their research and decided young Xolani would fit right in with their flock. They were getting her from a breeder in Oregon and after deciding she was the one for them, were told she had a crooked beak (known as scissor beak). Left untreated scissor beak can have devastating effects on a bird’s health and quality of life.

Xolani was lucky to have been taken under the wing of such caring parents. Anita and Scott make sure she has what she needs, lots of things to chew, and has her beak trimmed regularly to keep it healthy. They contacted City Pets regarding Xolani’s special issue; Dr. Weinrick looked over pictures to ease her parents mind before she was even a patient. After her initial exam, Dr. Hui started trimming her beak, graciously accepting the role of the “bad guy”. This is no small sacrifice because parrots have long memories and are known to hold grudges.

“She loves toys! Her favorites are brightly colored wooden blocks and chunky wooden puzzle pieces. These help keep her beak worn down between trims. Snap peas are relished and kale is refused every, single time. She likes to “talk” and we often hear her practicing new words. Most mornings during feeding she will fly over, look in her dish and ask “what’s that?”. Xolani is a wonderful girl and we are so happy she is with our family.”

We agree.