Wild Bird Food For Sale
Pet Store Takes A Walk On The Wild Side
It"s 4 o"clock at Pet Connection USA in Miami, Fla. It's the hour that their array of exotic birds, clusters of yellows, blues, greens and reds, are squawking in unison. Amongst the choir of feathered friends, critters such as a skunk, lemur, Bengal cat and dwarf rabbits scurry around their cages.
"I love this noise. I have no problem with it," said Roberto Masashige, one of the owners of Pet Connection USA. "I do everything here. I love animals."
Pet Connection USA may have only been up and running for the past three months but it has all the earmarks of a more established store. Masashige and his business partner Luiz Douglas Felice dedicated only two months, with little help, to setting up the elaborate layout and design of the store.
Thatched roof cages, verdant plants, an ornate aviary, and a stone-lined koi pond create a lush atmosphere. Faux stone reliefs, reminiscent of aging Mayan temples, line the walls and ceilings for that extra rainforest touch.
Masashige and Felice, natives of Brazil, have been animal enthusiasts since their time in their home country. Felice bred both dogs and birds in Brazil. Even now in Miami he breeds many of the birds that you see in the store. Others, along with most of the exotic animals, he purchases from local breeders.
Around each corner at Pet Connection there"s a surprise. Zoomba, Pet Connection"s resident pet lemur, lurches across his cage when visitors enter. Puppies, salt and freshwater fish and even a tiny marmoset all live under Pet Connection"s roof.
Another resident to the store, Eugenia the skunk, lifts her tail in your direction as you approach her cage. Don"t worry. Pet skunks have their musk glands surgically removed at an early age.
"When I first saw her she was in a pet shop and no one touched her," said Masashige. "I gave the woman 0 and now she"s here."
Felice even adds that when they first got her they thought the she was a he. A quick name change from Eugene to Eugenia fixed the problem.
Both Masashige and Felice devote huge amounts of time and effort into maintaining their store. A group of five employees pull their weight as well.
"We have to clean the cages all the time, all day long," said Felice. A less pungent animal smell in their store is a testament to it.
All tasks are split at Pet Connection to ensure a healthy environment for the animals. Two veterinarians, one for the dogs and cats and another for exotics, are always on call. And if a resident skunk and lemur isn"t enough, Pet Connection boasts reptiles and marine life as well. Tiny clown fish, freshwater stingrays and Japanese koi are all offered at the store.
Felice may love animals but some still make him nervous. A boa constrictor, carried around the shoulders of one of his young employees, creates an uneasy look on his face. The snake moves closer, he moves away. It"s the thimble-sized multihued frogs and lizards that are more his speed.
Besides selling animals, Pet Connection also offers supplies and food. Dog grooming, offered seven days a week, is also offered and is done by Masashige himself.
Rabbits, fish, lizards, snakes, cats, dogs, birds, chinchillas, ferrets and more. There is little that Pet Connection USA, a store still in its infancy, doesn"t have for the pet lover.
Pet Connection USA is located at 930 NW 27th Avenue in Miami, FL.
Caique as a Companion Parrot?
I had a sudden miscarriage a few months ago followed by the very sudden death of both of my grandmother, whom I was very, very close to. As a result I’ve become depressed. I am also a prior parront to a number of budgies and cockatiels.
A few months ago I went into my local pet store to get some fish food for my betta and they had a White-Bellied Caique for sale. He still had his juvenile plumage, so he couldn’t have been very old. Well anyway, the manager let me handle the Caique and I instantly fell in love with him. He surfed on my hands and in my hair, groomed me, and various other antics. I went in about once a week to visit with the manager and the Caique. I was intent on purchasing him, but the last time I went in, he had been sold.
I have an opportunity to purchase a young bird that I can finish hand-raising from a local-ish woman (about 150miles away). However, I work about 20 hrs a week and have school for 2 hrs in the morning. My fiance is at the house when I’m not, and I’m there when he’s not, etc.
So what I’m asking is if a Caique would make a good companion parrot (I’ve researched a lot about them, and they seem like it, but i want to hear from an actual owner) and if I should wait to get a weaned one instead of finishing the hand raising. I would prefer hand raising. I have hand raised one bird, but that was a mockingbird hatchling (he was released back into the wild after learning how to find food, etc.) Thanks for your time!