Mongo Sucks wrote:

> There was a letter in today's Dear Abby regarding a cockatiel.  The
> letter-writer and Abby both thought that feeding a bird at the table
> was disgusting.  I am curious what everybody thinks about this.  I bet
> that most of us here do this all the time.
> 
> 
> DEAR ABBY: I recently met a lady I'll call Gloria. We have been
> spending time together and enjoy each other's company.  Last week, she
> invited me to her home for dinner. While I was eating, she excused
> herself from the table and returned a few minutes later with her pet
> cockatiel, "Bogart," on her shoulder. After she sat down, she placed a
> morsel of food in her hand and lifted it to her shoulder so Bogart
> could eat.
> 
> Next, she put some food in her mouth, and with the bird still on her
> shoulder, exposed the tip of her tongue (which had another morsel of
> food on it), and proceeded to let Bogart peck the food off her tongue.
> Finally, she craned her neck toward the bird as if delivering a
> passionate kiss, while Bogart inserted his beak between Gloria's lips
> and withdrew a shred of food.
> 
> I enjoy Gloria's company very much, but we are only at the beginning of
> a relationship. Abby, does being a pet lover have any bearing on what
> is appropriate at the dinner table? And what are the health
> implications of intimate contact with one's bird?
> 
> I have had pets in the past that I loved. But they never sat at my
> table, nor did they insert any part of themselves into my mouth to
> retrieve snacks of any kind. Was what Gloria did acceptable behavior at
> the table? -- NAUSEATED IN OLDE VIRGINNY
> 
> DEAR NAUSEATED: Hardly! However, putting aside her lack of basic table
> manners, I have a "tidbit" for you: This is a basic hygiene issue --
> meaning there are health concerns for both Gloria and her pet. My
> veterinary expert, Dr. Erwin David, tells me that the oral cavities of
> both birds and humans are teeming with bacteria. Both Gloria and Bogart
> could catch something potentially harmful from each other.
> 
> You have now had a taste of what life will be like if your relationship
> progresses. Do not kiss Gloria unless she first gargles with a
> mouthwash that kills germs on contact.
We will let our birds eat at the table, but I sure wouldn't let the bird 
eat out of my mouth. That, as Abby pointed out, could give the bird or 
the person unwanted germs.
Debbie
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