Oscar

When I enter the room to visit Oscar he immediately appears pleased, raising his crest and looking alert. He often reaches the front of his cage just as I arrive there and stretches his foot out through the bars to grab onto my extended finger. Once he’s perched on it, he then reaches with his other foot to grab onto my arm or wrist. He sits staring at me and unintelligibly (for the most part) answers my questions as we catch up on the time that has past since my previous visit. He clearly reminds me, though, that he’s a “pretty bird.” This greeting has lengthened over the last five years that I have cared for Oscar—a large white cockatoo.

Oscar is one of the first parrots I came to know. For many years we had parakeets in our home, but it has been the interaction with these large birds that has caused me to become fascinated with parrots. I am always happy when someone calls to ask me to care for one. Although these visits do tend to put a kink in my pet visit schedule—I linger a bit longer than I should with these feathered creatures.

I find them to be very intelligent and interactive. When I look into to their eyes as I talk, I believe they are paying attention to what I’m saying. I wonder if it is because of their ability to fly or because their physicality is so different than ours that makes them so interesting to watch and spend time with?

If we didn’t already have two dogs and a cat, I would pester my husband to allow me to have a parrot. And if I were I about 25 years younger; these birds require a lifetime of commitment. A cockatoo, such as Oscar, can live from 40 to 60 years (and the larger the bird, the longer they can live).

I suppose my visits to other people’s parrots will just have to get longer.

Do you like your name or do you hide it with an initial and use your less objectionable middle name? Are many of your friends unaware of your given name because they know you only by your favored nickname? Our pets, like our children, often suffer the consequences of a poorly chosen name. But unlike people, our pets are unable to assume an alias.

Perhaps it is not that important. A Great Dane with the moniker Tiny will not suffer humiliation at smiles and raised eyebrows. Nor will a proud feline cringe or refuse to eat when prompted by the call,  “Snookums, dinnertime.”  Besides it is great fun to select a creative name for your new pet.

Some people decide to wait a while to determine the personality of the animal before picking its name and others will chose a name based upon physical characteristics. Human names for pets have become extremely popular indicative of how many of us consider our pets to be important family members. While you are having fun picking a name for a new pet, consider these guidelines suggested by pet professionals:

• Pick a one-syllable name like Jake or Pete to make it easier for your pet to learn and to recognize it.
• Chose a name that will not be confused with a command.  (The names “Joe” or Neil” may sound like “No” or “Heel” to your canine companion.)
• Select a name that is easy to call (and won’t embarrass you).

Another amusing aspect of pet naming comes when there are multiple animals involved. Here are a few naming possibilities:

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Frank and Beans
• Fred and Barney
• Ginger and Nutmeg
• Master and Sergeant
• Seaman and Chief

Baxter in his Pool

For no particular reason, we named our chocolate Labrador retriever Baxter. But he has also developed the unfortunate nickname of Pooper to which he responds… We try not to use it in public.

In Memory May 27, 2011 - Jack Breiner

When I make late evening visits to animals while their owners are away, they tend to be perfunctory. But one evening I found myself sitting on a dog bed long beyond my departure time playing catch with Jack, a goofy black lab. Jack is the first dog I have ever met that actually picks up a ball and tosses it. I even found he’d fake in one direction, and toss it in the other when I prematurely leaned. I suspect I enjoyed that visit more than he did.

The best thing about having become a pet sitter is that I have learned to play again. This is something my AARP magazine doesn’t talk about. It has articles about the importance of staying physically and mentally active. They write of walking, bicycling, and ballroom dancing; they encourage we do mental calisthenics with daily puzzles and crosswords. But no one writes about the importance of play—in an unrestrained, unsophisticated way—at a mature age.

Research shows that for a developing child, unstructured play is imperative for social, emotional, and cognitive development. I would argue that it is equally important in our later years. Since I now spend much of my time actively playing, I find I am more creative than I have ever been in my adult life. I have more energy. And I perceive more of the humor in everyday living.

As I agedly regress, listening to Lady Gaga, playing keep-away with dogs, bouncing to country music with parrots, rolling on the floor with furry critters—I encourage my fellow AARP members to relearn how to play. And for an always willing playmate, I suggest you adopt a shelter animal.

[This first appeared as the "Editor's Notes" in the April/May 2010 issue of Pet Tails.]