Out Now The Bird Sitting Toronto Book
Parrot Parenting
How to Provide the Best Care for Your Bird
By Samantha Khela, who founded Bird Sitting Toronto
A practical guide to a happy, healthy bird: the cage, the food, first aid, grooming and training. Samantha wrote it from the birds she looks after every day.
- 175 pages
- Paperback & Kindle
- Out since December 2023
What’s Inside
Eight Chapters, From The Cage To The Vet
The book’s own contents page, and what each chapter covers.
Chapter 1
Introduction
- How it all started
- The story of our flock
- Bird Sitting Toronto
- The Bird Sitting Toronto wall
Chapter 2
Types of Birds
- Small birds
- Medium birds
- Large birds
Chapter 3
Bird Cages & Accessories
- Cage size, shape and features
- Where to put the cage
- Cage lining and cleaning
- Chewing, foraging and exercise toys
- Your avian first-aid kit
Chapter 4
Bird Diet
- Seeds vs. pellets
- Switching to pellets, slowly or cold turkey
- Filtered vs. tap water
- Foods that are not safe for birds
- Grit and gravel
- Parrot chop
Chapter 5
Bird's Well-being
- Common injuries, and how to avoid them
- Safe and unsafe house plants
- Teflon, the silent killer
- Why is my bird vomiting?
- Leg bands
- Spotting a sick bird
- Bathing and exercise
- The annual vet check
- Travelling with birds
- Telling a boy from a girl
Chapter 6
Behavior & Training
- Hand-training a new parrot, in seven steps
- Harness and leash training
- Strengthening the bond
Chapter 7
Bird Grooming
- Nail clipping
- Wing trimming: how, the benefits and the risks
- Beak trimming
Chapter 8
Supportive Products
- Air filters
- Robot vacuums
And At The Back
Appendices
- Seven avian vets in Toronto
- Educational brochures from the Association of Avian Veterinarians
- Veterinary and internet resources, and books
From The Book
“On my wall, I proudly display a polaroid of every bird I’ve had the honor of caring for.”
The wall is still here, behind many of our guests in their photos.
Then And Now
Written From Real Birds, And Still Counting
- 900+birds Samantha had looked after when the book came out, in December 2023
- 1,500+birds today, across 3,000+ boarding stays since 2021
The first figure is the book’s own; today’s is from our records, rounded down.
A Few Of The Birds Behind The Book
- LovebirdStayed with us
- ConureStayed with us
- ConureStayed with us
- CaiquesStayed with us
- ParrotStayed with us
Who Wrote It
Samantha
Samantha founded Bird Sitting Toronto in 2021 and has looked after other people’s birds in our family home every day since. Her first bird was Matcha, a budgie, during her master’s at the University of Toronto. She is certified in Bird First Aid & Care.
The foreword is by her husband, Amir Khela.
Questions, Answered
Where Can I Buy It?
On Amazon, in paperback and on Kindle. In Canada that is Amazon.ca, and it is on Amazon.com too.
Is There A Kindle Version?
Yes. It reads on a Kindle or in the free Kindle app on any phone or tablet.
Who Is It For?
Anyone with a bird, or about to get one. It starts with the basics, like the cage, the food and the dangers nobody warns you about, and goes on to first aid, grooming and training, for small birds like budgies up to large parrots.
Is It About Boarding?
No. It is about looking after your bird at home, every day. One section covers your choices when you travel. When you need us, that is bird boarding in our home.
Get Your Copy
Paperback or Kindle, from Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, Bird Sitting Toronto earns from qualifying purchases.