|
Life in the Bird House |
| About the author:
Melissa Kauffman is the Editoral Director for BIRD TALK magazine and BirdChannel.com. She shares her Southern California home with her husband, her mixed-breed dog, a guinea pig and her two cockatiels, Carlisle and Natty Bird. Share in the adventures with her flock and her experiences in bird ownership in Life in the Bird House.
|
|
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Family Pictures
My husband, Scott, told me the other week that a friend of a friend of his was a photographer and that she was coming to visit the friend, and he wanted her to come over and take pictures of us and our pets. I was lukewarm about this suggestion. I had a hair appointment that day, I didn’t feel like cleaning the house, the floor under the bird cage would have to be kept pristine up until the moment she came over, and etc., etc. View Blog>>
Friday, May 2, 2008
So You Think Your Bird Can Dance?
The answer to that is a resounding "No." I have never thought either of my birds could dance. I've lived with them for more than 15 years, and I've danced around the room plenty of times, and never once have they joined in. View Blog>>
Friday, April 25, 2008
Manmade Is Not Better
My hand hurts because I’ve spent the past half an hour trying to re-create a cockatiel as my bird avatar on the BirdChannel.com. I tried different colors and beaks and body types, even wings. I just can’t get them to look even a little bit as good as my birds.” View Blog>>
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Grand Opening of the Bird Clinic
When I first got Carlisle, I knew absolutely nothing about birds. I can’t even remember why I decided to take him to the vet. I had so little money as an assistant editor that it must have been for some specific reason rather then an annual checkup. There was a vet clinic down the block from my apartment, so I decided to take Carlisle there. It was the best decision of convenience I ever made. View Blog>>
Monday, April 7, 2008
Right On, Target!
Oh, it is that time of year again. The time when I go to Target and buy some more under $10 t-shirts with bird motifs.” View Blog>>
Monday, March 31, 2008
Death In The Family
Sadly, my guinea pig Jack passed away Easter weekend. He had bloat, so it was a painful passing. He chirped in pain and shrieked when he died. He was in the same room as the birds, so they watched and heard this horrible passing of their roommate. (Yes, Jack was being treated by a vet and we did everything we could to save him.) . View Blog>>
Thursday, March 27, 2008
From The Bird Cage to the Dog House
My eyes are burning and my mind is in first gear; I am so tired. No, it’s not because of Daylight Saving Time, although that has certainly contributed. It is the new puppy.View Blog>>
Monday, March 17, 2008
Grey Matters
I just subscribed again to National Geographic and was delighted when I received my first issue, March 2008. On the cover was a Border Collie with the blurb, “Inside Animal Minds.” Of course, the delight was immediately followed by the thought, “They should have put Alex on the cover.” View Blog>>
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mirror, Mirror
What does my cockatiel Carlisle see when he stares obsessively in the mirror each day? It has got to be something good. He approaches that mirror with confidence, a sort of cocky walk, crest raised high and whistling.View Blog>>
Monday, March 03, 2008
Who Let the Dog Out?
Late last night I got a knock on the door at home. My company's marketing manager, Lisa MacDonald, was in the area with her son and they found a Husky running around in the street. The poor baby didn't have a collar (wasn't microchipped either we later found out), hadn't eaten in awhile (its ribs were visible), but was obviously quite tame. View Blog>>
Tuesday, February 28, 2008
Looks Like We’ve Made It
I love to shop. I hate spending money but I do love shopping. No surprise then that catalogs bring me such joy. And what recently brought me even greater joy was receiving my Pier 1 Imports “Springy Thingy” catalog that had a cockatiel on its front cover. A cockatiel, you ask? View Blog>>
Monday, January 28, 2008
Bird Dance Party
We have two photo studios here at work. The one upstairs is used for filming, and the room is also shared with two people from our digital/pre-press department: Gina and Pamela. Today, the BirdChannel group filmed its promo for an upcoming video contest. View Blog>>
Friday, January 04, 2008
I Hate Visitors
If there is one thing I can’t stand, it is showing my office – aka the bird room – to visitors. First of all, it is never clean enough. Second of all, it is never clean enough. I could slave away the day before, and the bird area is a mess by the time someone comes to my house. View Blog>>
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Family Squabbles
Although my two cockatiels have lived side by side for more than 15 years, they still squabble over territory. My husband would always call Carlisle “the bully,” but I’ve noticed Natty Bird going after Carlisle plenty of times. I would have to say that they are equal opportunity bulliers. View Blog>>
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Joy of Giving
This time of year always brings the question – should I or should I not get my cockatiels presents for Christmas. Like everyone, I am on a tight budget. Most of my family lives in other states, so I’ve have to buy practically everything online and ship it. View Blog>>
Friday, November 30, 2007
My Life With Pet Birds
I am the editorial director for a company that publishes pet magazines, and I have a dog, two birds and a guinea pig. My friends think my life is strange. I don’t know about that, I believe everyone’s life is a little different. On some days my job is stressful, on other days it is fun. View Blog>>