Keeping Birds in the Office

When we first bought our grey cheek parakeet, Baby, we had been sitting a friend's grey cheek, Phoenix, for a week. We were hooked by this little bundle of personality and knew we wouldn't return Phoenix without getting a grey cheek of our very own. So, off to the bird store I went. I was lucky, it was February and baby grey cheeks were in the stores. At American Aquarium there was one left. "I'll take him," I said, not even asking the price. After all, I had parrot fever. And, with the help of a girl friend, walked the bird, his new cage, food and vitamins, home to where Phoenix, my charge, was waiting.

Baby saw Phoenix and must have thought the angels had smiled upon him. A fellow grey cheek! Maybe one of his brothers or sisters! He flew to Phoenix's cage, only to be attacked by a jealous Phoenix. "Poor little baby bird," said my friend. And the name Baby stuck.

My husband is a dentist and I am his office manager. Several years ago he built a large, beautiful office, located on the ground floor of a large apartment building, surrounded by a garden/courtyard, with windows in every room. For the week we had been babysitting Phoenix, we had been bringing her to the office with us, her carrying case tucked carefully into a fur hat placed in a canvas bag. Her cage was placed in a small office, with a window looking onto the garden. We didn't want to leave her at home. Our office hours were long, and, often, because we ate dinner out after work, we didn't return home until after ten p.m. Now, at least for another week, I'd have two birds to transport back and forth to the office. And I'd need another cage, more food, more toys, another playpen. Goodness!

Now, Richard and I are not the only occupants of the office. For the most part, all of the other people working in the office have accepted the presence of my birds. Some have even welcomed them. And the patients? With maybe one or two exceptions, they love them. "I come here to see your birds," I hear with regularity. "Where are they?" One of the other doctor's patients once told me, "You know, I came here the other evening with my kids and you weren't here. I couldn't get them to stop crying. Now I make sure you and the birds are going to be here when I come."

In the beginning Baby was shy. Though he was a hand raised, banded bird, born in Long Island, he behaved a bit like a wild caught bird. He would not stay perched on a finger and couldn't wait to get away from humans. It took a lot of insistant hours to turn that little bird into the lovable attention monger he is now. There is not one person who can walk into the room where Baby is, without having that little bird run to him/her, chirping a mile a minute. If the person does not extend a finger, then Baby will try and figure out a way to climb onto that person, up on to the shoulder. The patients become enamored. We've had four go out and buy their own grey cheeks when they were easier to find. Still others have realized that birds make great pets and have purchased other species.

At first I thought we'd get this bird to sit with me in the reception area and say things like, "brush and floss," or "Pitz is great!" Unfortunately, grey cheeks are not know as talkers, only squawkers. I realized right away that if we were to have any semblance of peace in the office, Baby would have to be kept in the small office/consultation room, as he would "talk" to every passing person. I also realized he would have to be visited frequently during the day in order to be kept quiet and happy. Baby craves attention and has been known to try to "dig" his way out from under the door of the office if he thinks he is missing something. Ths problem has been somewhat alleviated, however, by the addition of Pasha, a Quaker parakeet. We added Pasha to the family almost a year ago, and he has been a wonderful companion to Baby. Now both birds are visited frequently during the day. In addition, they are taken to the kitchen daily for treats (fruits and veggies) and baths, if they so desire. I think Pasha would take a bath twice a day in a large cereal bowl if we let him. And, at the end of the day, if the office is relatively quiet, we bring them out to the desk with me.

Don't get me wrong. It's not always sweetness and light around here: At one time we used to let Baby sit on top of the paper towel rack in the employees' bathroom. This was fine if the light was left on. But if it was turned off and a hand reached in to turn it on, watch out! There is a sign on that door now: WARNING, THESE PREMISES PATROLLED BY AN ATTACK PARAKEET. The sign was provided by a hapless victim. Or the time a well-meaning patient brought the birds a stuffed animal to play with. Trust me, even birds with clipped wings can fly if the urge hits them. Mine flew enough to startle the patients in the waiting room. And heaven forbid if the maintenance man decides to water the trees in the garden. I'm sure the birds think the big red hose is a snake. They won't quiet down until that "snake" slithers away.

Having these little companions in the office has been a joy. It warms my heart to see a gruff, corporate head pick up Baby and let him preen his beard. Or to see an elderly patient's eyes light up with wonder with the attention that little bird bestows upon them. "He loves me," they murmur. Then there's the beautiful young models (Baby loves beautiful women) who can't believe the bird will literally run after them as they try to leave. Or to see a burly young man with Baby on one shoulder, Pasha on the other nibbling at an ear or sideburn, saying, "Help, Lynn," with a silly grin on his face.

We bird keepers know how soothing our pets can be. So many patients tell me the birds help make our office a happy, cheerful place--unusual for a dental office. Others say they help ease their fear. And as for Richard and me.--Well, dentistry can be an exacting, sometimes stressful profession. When either of us starts to feel a little pressured or down, we just visit the birds for a few minutes and everything seems so much better. And, who knows? Quakers are supposed to be good talkers. Maybe we'll get a "brush and floss" yet.