Keep your feathered friends
healthy and happy!
Gloria J. Towle
Board Member
From all of us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society we would like to thank you for a wonderful 2013 and we look forward to serving all of our 26 Aroostook County communities in 2014.
We are so very thankful for all the support that we received throughout the year and are very grateful for those that give not only financially, but by donating supplies, volunteering time or helping with our many fundraisers. We are especially grateful for the many wonderful pets that found new, loving homes and for the people that opened their hearts for these deserving animals.
Though many of our articles concentrate on the dogs and cats in our lives, for me, I am also a fan of our “feathered friends.” I love watching the many birds that are attracted to our black-oil seed feeder and suet. My two indoor kitties, Willie and Annie, spend countless hours on the window seat, watching the parade of chickadees, nuthatches, buntings, blue jays, finches and many more. Winter can be a particularly trying time for wildlife; food becomes in short supply and water sources freeze over. Sometimes I wonder how they manage to survive in the harsh, below-zero temperatures. I always make sure the feeders are full and always “spill” some for the doves that are ground feeders.
For birds, water is essential for drinking and for bathing — a year-round necessity to keep feathers in top flying and insulating shape. While animals will eat ice and snow, they benefit from a reliable source of water.
I have found the easiest, most reliable way to keep water ice-free is to use a heat source. You can find birdbaths with built-in heating elements online or at your local garden center. My heater will shut off when it gets up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, that way you are not using up energy when the days are warmer. Important safety tip: Be sure your outdoor outlets are protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to cut off the electricity in case of a short.
However you provide water, remember that sanitation is important year-round. Locating water sources close to your house makes cleaning and maintenance much easier — and you won’t have to carry buckets of water far. Be sure the containers are regularly cleaned and replenished with fresh water to prevent the spread of disease.
Rinse a birdbath daily before refilling it, and clean it once a week using a solution of one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water and a scrub brush to loosen debris. Rinse again thoroughly before refilling with fresh water.
We hope that if you are interested in adopting, that you will stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society and check out the wonderful pets that are just waiting for that forever home! We are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing for lunch noon to 12:30 p.m. Check us out on Facebook or Petfinders.com. Please be responsible, spay and neuter you pets. And have a Happy New Year!
