Meet Megan and Bam-Bam

Meet Megan and Bam-Bam

One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a pet store is connecting people with their first pets. First-time pet owners are excited, enthusiastic, willing to learn and just a little bit nervous. We like new pet owners to take their time, learn everything they can and get comfortable with a new pet before it goes home.

Not long ago, Megan came from Lake Forest to The Animal Store in Lincolnwood to get her very first pet, a cockatiel she named Bam-Bam. In fact, she and her mom, Jenny, visited the store several times and did a lot of research before choosing Bam-Bam. After playing with this little cockatiel several times at the shop, Megan decided it was just what she wanted for her birthday.

“I love birds,” said Megan. “Before we we got Bam-Bam, we learned how much work they were. We read about birds first in books from the library. We also learned a lot from the staff at The Animal Store, like how to feed Bam-Bam and what size cage we should get.”

“I loved it there at The Animal Store,” said Megan. “I love to look at all the animals, especially the birds. The people there were really helpful and they have a huge selection of pets.”

It’s not always easy to tell with birds whether they are male or female, but Megan thinks Bam-Bam is a female “because it whistles a lot and girl cockatiels whistle a lot.” Another tell-tale sign is that females have stripes at the bottom of their tail feathers. “Bam-Bam has stripes.”

Megan thinks cockatiels make great pets. She takes her bird for “walks” up and down their hallway. “I love the singing!” she said. “Bam-Bam sings the most in the morning.” Megan has learned a lot more about cockatiels since she brought Bam-Bam home. “I learned that if its crest is up, that means she is curious; if her crest is down, that means she’s calm; and if her crest goes up and down really fast, that means she’s mad!”  Not shockingly, Megan has figured out that the hardest part of owning a bird is cleaning the cage.

Even still, Megan and her family are happy with their choice.

Need help picking out your first pet? Stop into the store and we would be glad to help you. Mention the Megan and Bam-Bam post and get 15% any bird toy or treat.*

We’d love to hear about your first pet; email us or leave a comment.