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AIR: How all of my cousins birds died & 1 of mine :(

Sand

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1) My cousin's story: She had a new tea kettle, she boiled some water in the new tea kettle, all three of her birds were in the room that was wide open to the kitchen (the family room).
her and her husband decided to go out to dinner, she turned off the stove and left. When they returned, all of their 3 birds were dead.

2) My story: Our rule for cooking was always: Put the Air Conditioning or HEATER in the OFF position to stop circulating air, birds must be no where near the kitchen, and weather permitting, crack the window nearest the birds when we cook, if it was too hot to stop the air conditioning then we put them outside in the screened in porch in their cage. We were careful because we knew my cousins story.

I was making a frozen pizza that said put the oven to 425 degrees, when I preheated it, I always 1st put it to 450 and my oven always smells like chemicals when it's heated to 450 degrees.

One day my husband had 1 of our birds with him in his game room/office, I was preheating the oven for a frozen pizza. Mother in Law called and asked Husband to walk her dog asap, it was already 6:00PM and she was held up at work & couldn't get home. He handed me the bird on his way out the door as he was in such a hurry, so the bird ended up in the dining room with me. A few minutes later the oven buzzer went off & the bird flew in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen, shut the buzzer off, washed my hands, got the pizza out of the freezer, unwrapped it...then I said "it STINKS like chemicals in here, let get you back to your room" I took him to the back room & set him on top of the cage, he flew to me, wobbled, opened his mouth and had trouble breathing, he was immediately walked outside, walked around the house to the car and taken to the Emergency Vet because my Vet was closed. They didn't have much time for him, the intern Avian vet didn't know what she was doing in my opinion and he died the next morning.

**The time that my precious, most beloved bird son, was in the dining room and kitchen, was only minutes, 4 minutes or so in the dining room, and 4 minutes or so in the kitchen. Perhaps the oven is teflon coated the Vet thought, or maybe whatever coating it had was just too poisonous for a bird.

Please be careful with the air your birds breathe (birds, children, dogs, cats, you), I hope my post helps someone to be careful. It has taken me months to post this info, as my heart breaks again and again, anytime I think of it.
 
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sunnysmom

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I'm very sorry for your loss and that of your cousin. A very good reminder that we always have to be so careful. I'm surprised about the tea kettle though. Do you know what it was made of?
 

Shyra

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So sorry. We lost 4 birds from an unexplained air toxin a few years back. I would like to add to your warning that if one bird shows any unexpected distress like that get them all out of the house even if the others aren't showing signs. I lost the rest while I was at the vet for my macaw because they weren't showing any signs when I left. It's hard to forgive yourself when things like this happen. I still miss my babies.
 

Tyrion

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WOW....so little time to such a tragic end ..I am so sorry for your loss :(
 

Sand

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I don't know what her kettle was made of, she told me the story years ago, then when my bird died, I called & asked her again, but it's a blur what she said. I don't want to ask again bcuz she could barely be in the house for days after it happened from grief, me too :(
But you know what I decided? it doesn't matter what it was made of. I just think they don't belong in the kitchen while we're making stuff, cuz you're heating SOMETHING, and if you do or don't smell it in the air, you are still breathing in the molecules that are floating around.
**sometimes when I turn on a burner it stinks and smokes from an old drop of grease I didn't even know was there **

who the heck knows what all is bad for the birds, why risk it, that is what my husband always said, and he was right.
 

Sand

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we also got rid of all teflon pans after that, instead of buying all stainless steel pots , we got cast iron, bcuz they're coated in grease the house is always smokey if we use them. omg.
so then we got some stainless steel ones, aye yai yai!
 

RoxieW

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I never heat oven over 395 even if directions call for it. It just takes a little longer for items to cook. Read that the toxic fumes from coating in oven happens when heated over 400. My birds aren't in our kitchen but they are in family room which is next to kitchen and we have a pretty open floor plan. I also got rid of all of my teflon. So sorry this happened to you, but thank you for sharing so hopefully it will help other people know dangers of cooking around birds.
 

Tiel Feathers

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How horrible! I'm so sorry @Sand and @Shyra for your losses. Thanks for reminding us to always be aware of potential toxins.
:sadhug2:
 

Hankmacaw

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I'm so so sorry Shyra and Sand. I grieve with you for the loss of your loved ones.
 

Shyra

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It really makes you think about and wonder how some of these birds survive in some homes with people smoking around them, using cleaners, air fresheners, you name it. Then other owners have one bad day and their birds are gone. I just don't understand it. It also makes it hard to argue with people when they know someone who keeps bad fumes around their birds all the time. You know it's doing damage but it's hard to prove and convince the owner while the bird seems healthy on the outside.
 

iamwhoiam

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So sorry for the multiple losses.
 

Just-passn-thru

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Gas stoves can spill out gas if not shutoff all the way , maybe it was not the tea kettle .
 

Alien J

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I can't even pretend to have the words to express how truly sorry I am hearing of your loss. Thank you for finding the courage to warn others so that they may not suffer your pain.
 

Clueless

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I so so sorry for your losses.

I'd like to remind people never to use an oven liner either. My in-laws gave me one and there was an obvious warning on the box not to use around birds.

And never, ever use the self-clean function on the stove. I've heard of tragedy after tragedy from that.
 
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