Meet Lola – a very relatable parrot who, like us, loves Indian food.
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (who is a boy, by the way) lives with his humans – a Pakistani family in Manchester.
And he has developed a taste for the finer food in life – chappatis (thin roti) and biryani to be precise.
While cockatoos normally have a diet of seeds and vegetables, Lola has a penchant for human food.
One of his owners, Bisma, even makes tiny little chapatis for him every day which he quickly gobbles down.
She tells Metro.co.uk how Lola is a fussy eater.
‘Starting off he wouldn’t eat anything except sunflower seeds, which aren’t healthy for him. It took us time but we slowly started introducing things into his diet, boiled peas, sweetcorn, mashed sweet potato etc.
‘He’s a very fussy eater, so he doesn’t eat unless we hand feed him.’
A typical breakfast for Lola will include boiled peas handfed to him one by one. For lunch, mashed banana or Weetabix with a bit of water (he isn’t allowed too much milk).
And for dinner – seeds and a healthy mix pellets that contain all vitamins.
But Lola is unmoving in his snack preferences – he has to have his mini chapatti every day.
As a special treat, he’ll get biryani or potato rice.
Bisma adds: ‘He eats everything except plain rice, he’s very cultured
‘Lola is so fussy, we have to babytalk or whisper cute things to him in order to get him to eat. We’ve devoted our lives to him.’
The family has tried to introduce a balanced diet so Lola doesn’t get sick. They take him to regular check-ups to make sure he’s in good shape.
What can parrots eat?
According to Animal Direct, parrots can eat a variety of human foods but not all are safe for them to consume.
Some of the foods that can be safely consumed by humans are harmful for birds, for example, chocolate and avocado.
Seeds, pellets and nuts should account for no more than half of a parrot’s daily food intake.
Bisma continued: ‘Lola is a beautiful, majestic bird who is also very intelligent and sentimental. What people don’t understand is that animals have feelings, just like humans.
‘Lola wants love and attention and deserves it. As a family, we put Lola first before making any decisions.
‘We don’t eat crisps/chips/biscuits in front of him or he screams for it (he isn’t allowed unhealthy food regularly, only as a treat very very rarely).’
He’s also allowed to roam around the house and is only put in a cage during bedtimes.
Bisma added: ‘We believe that as humans, we’re superior, so it’s our responsibility to look after animals and make them feel loved.’
If you have a story about an unusual pet, email metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk to tell us more.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/10/relatable-parrot-loves-indian-food-and-eats-a-mini-roti-every-day-12214782/
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