Various varied questions...

[Linearis]

Have a few questions... sorry for long text, if you'll read anything though please the first one because it's more serious I think.

1) and most important question... about the teflon/PFTE thing... I live at home with my parents. They use normal pans 99.9% of the time (says my mom) but sometimes use non-stick too and my room is next to the kitchen but there's a wall between the kitchen and my room (and a door obviously). I tried telling my mom that non-stick coating is dangerous for birds but she doesn't listen and just says they don't use it much, and that my bird is in a different room so it's fine. But there's a gap under my door obviously so I'm worried, also a bit of a gap in the doorframe itself. I'm not sure what to do, when we kept talking about it she just got pissed off at me. Is my bird fine since she's in another room? I don't want her to die.... obviously. She also said they don't "normally" overheat the pans... Idk how that's supposed to make me feel better. I know my dad burns stuff sometimes.

2) the cage I got my bird came with perches already installed but they're not the best, for foot health. I got new perches Yesterday made out of coffeewood (I believe you guys may know it better as Java wood?) and they seem really great, but I'm really unsure how to go about "renovating" my parrotlet's cage since she's new to the house and her cage so this is still so... well, new to her. She was stressed out first day and finally she seems more comfortable I'm worried about shaking things up again so soon (only the 4th day). I thought maybe I could just leave the current perches there and gradually add the new ones and gradually take old ones out?

3) she's very young also so she's clumsy sometimes and falls... a bit worried about her hurting herself although she flaps her wings to break her fall. I just use paper to line the cage. So far she seems fine every time and gets back up but I'm a bit worried. At first I thought she was sick but everything else seems normal, she preens a lot, very chatty, playful, etc. In the pet shop she has no perches so maybe she isn't used to it, that's what I figure. She's getting much more skilled now.

4) she really loves millet, and broccoli, and lettuce... but mostly ignores her normal food. Should I just give her less millet so she's "forced" to eat the seed mix? Going to keep giving her vegetables though obviously... I tried giving her strawberries but she didn't seem to like it (?!).

Thanks for reading.

 

[Max83]

1) I think that if they don't overeat the pan she should be fine. maybe open a window while your mom cooks and try to place her as away as you can even with close door (for safety). Maybe someone will give you a more experienced and detailed reply

2)right gradually changing as you said

3) young birds are clumsy at first, is she flighted? she has already learnt to fly?

4) every birds have his own likes and dislikes about food, try a variety and find what she likes...but it's good she eat vegetables. try with apple and carrots too

 

[Jas]

Hi!

1. My bird almost died and was quite far away from the kitchen.
Dangers Of Teflon Cookware
Get your parents to read this.

2. I have Java and it's great though can be slippy so don't use it for a roosting perch. Just place them near the cage for a few days and let her settle in. Some rope Perchs and some natural wood Perchs like grape vine wood be a good investment for the future.

3.is she clipped? Put some Perchs at the bottom of the cage and a blanket too. Babies are clumsy anyway.

4.what species is she? Focus on veggies and less on fruit.

 

[Max83]

@Jas what happened to your bird? was it in another room? oh god..

 

[Linearis]

It seems she is clipped, but I didn't do it... I want her to fly personally. Also my mom will never read that. x.x

I'll probably have to ask that they open the porch door while they cook with it... Do you think putting a fan near cage pointing towards my door would help? Like... if gas in air gets under door maybe I can like... blow it back? Sigh, I don't know. But I'm just worried but my parents are stubborn. Maybe I could leave cage partially covered (the part that is in direction of kitchen) + fan.... And tape the gaps on frame (but don't think I can tape gaps on bottom.... lol).

 

[Jas]

He was in my bedroom and the kitchen is downstairs. (Fumes had to travel through the living room,hallway, landing and two closed doors).

He had some tail bobbing and seizures, nothing I could've done as the damage is irreversible, vets can't cure anything (they were closed).

He's doing well (very lucky)

 

[Jas]

Towel under the door, windows open, kitchen windows open, towel cover the cage, take the birds outside in travel cageS?

 

[Jas]

Do you have extra funds to replace the cookware?

 

[Linearis]

That's scary... and yeah I have the funds. I'll try to talk to my parents more but they may snap at me. I'll consider all those options too if all else fails... not gonna stop me from worrying though. I'll also repeat your story to her.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I think replacing them with safe non stick pans yourself seems like your best bet. They work really well too! Not only better for your bird, but better for all of you.

 

[LSA]

I'm probably gonna get pounded for this! This is long but all parts are relative.
1) Teach your dad to cook.
Chloe, George and Lettie (Pineapple, Lovie, YNA) all survived a house with non- stick cookware right next to the room for years. It's not a good situation, but it's not instant death. I just made a stop from a rolled up towel for the bottom of my door and turned off my a/c vent at cooking times.
2) Change perches and such over time, say an item a week. Next bird you'll know to change it before s/he moves in. Drs. Foster and Smith have some great deals right now.
3) All babies are clumsy at first. You might try a folded up towel, preferably the same color as the bars, on the floor of the cage for a little while. One of my birds has falling problems, I replaced her perches with thinner ones and made sure she had a couple low enough.
4) Millet and sunflower seeds should only be used as a treat. It'll lead to a fat bird. She's probably never had a fresh option before so is just enamored. Shortly, she'll want her original food, too. Try other fruits and bell peppers. Assumedly, she's on a pellet diet. If not, switch her over to one little by little this week. Pellets are a more balanced option.

Make sure not to feed her tomatoes and their relatives like eggplant or Golden Berries. Neither of you should eat their leaves, stems or vines! Also, avoid potatoes turning green.
Don't feed your bird onions of any type, cooked or frozen.
Certain celeries, like rhubarb, cooked or frozen, are poisonous to birds. Fennel and stalk celery are not.
Avoid giving her avocado and chocolate.
Some nut shells, like peanuts, can cause aspergillus in birds. Play it safe and only feed them raw, shelled, unsalted nuts as a treat.

 

[sunnysmom]

Babies tend to be clumsy. You can try lowering her perches for now and keeping the bottom of the cage padded. Also, I would say no Teflon at all. We never mean to burn something but it happens....

 

[Linearis]

They agreed to get rid of the Wok, but some other stuff I'm not sure of... Like the Hamilton Beach Dual Zone 3-in-1 Griddle/Grill, on the product page all it says is "non-stick" but there's no way my parents will get rid of it. On another seller page I saw it said "PFOE-free non-stick cooking" but idk if that's the same as PFTE or different... and what exactly they mean by non-stick.

Apparently one of the non-stick pans we have is ceramic so that's fine, we have another pan that's non-stick but my dad said it's non-stick due to like... a hardening process of the steel? I have no idea... x.x He used a term that I can't even remember now.

Also what about my non-stick rice-cooker?... They said they used it two days ago and my bird is fine. Rice cooker shouldn't really get hot enough to cause harm I think and my mom is upset about the thought of throwing that out because it was a gift sigh.

 

[Barbara jasko]

Another serious danger to birds is self cleaning ovens. If you have one, only use with all windows open and the birds moved as far away as possible. I run fans everywhere and only use when there is a good breeze through the house. Put my birds on the screened in porch for the time.

Perches should have varied sizes and textures for foot health. I like hemp boings, cholla perches (so I can add enrichment in the holes), and natural wood perches. I don't use the concrete or the ones supposedly to keep their nails trimmed. I wouldn't like to sit on those so I figure they wouldn't either.

I definately would get her checked out by an avian vet ASAP to make sure she is healthy.

If she is not eating the seed mix that is good. Maybe she was weaned onto pellets. Either way pellets and a fresh veg diet are what is recommended. Millet in small treats is OK. Might help in training. Keep trying various veg. She is still young so maybe hasn't been exposed to alot variety.

 

[LSA]

Know that "non-stick" doesn't necessarily mean "Teflon!" There are plenty of non- stick pans that aren't Teflon!
My answer said "non- stick" cookware not "Teflon!" There's a big difference.
Teflon is actually a brand name for PTFE coated cookware like people say "coke" for "soda." Teflon is used in many products, i.e. some hair dryers. Check your clothing irons and self- cleaning ovens, too. There is a certain chemical smell associated with these items when heated.

 

[Linearis]

Yeah I know non-stick doesn't necessarily mean teflon, the product page doesn't specify how they made it non-stick, some non-stick like ceramic I heard are fine so that's why I'm wondering and mentioned product name. I don't expect anyone to know either just... you never know, so just decided to mention the product name anyway. x.x

 

[LSA]

Most "P_FE"- free items are safe. Teflon nonstick cookware uses the chemical polytetrafluoroethylene bound to a metal such as aluminum. These are related to but not exactly the chemical coating used by Teflon, thus the "P_FE." Most Organic Chemistry courses explain this.
Other nonsticks, i.e. ceramics, do not use poly_fluoroethylenes, thus the lack of that chemical's odor.

 

[Linearis]

This one just says "PFOE-free non-stick cooking" though

 

[LSA]

It's not a fluoropolymer nonstick in any form.
Fluoropolymers are aka super plastics. By adding ethylene, they are safely ingestible in small amounts by humans and heatable to 570F. For stability, the flourene must be increased.

 

[saroj12]

Teflon fumes are odorless