Kidsday: A parrot makes a great pet
I love animals, and I have a few that are really cool.
I have a Red-sided Eclectus parrot named Mako. I got him from a breeder in Oklahoma (templeaviaries.com). A Red-sided Eclectus is beautiful and very friendly. If you are looking for a good parrot to start with, I would recommend this species. They are very loyal and great fliers, so try to find a room in the house that is empty and let him fly.
One costs about $1,000, and you also will need a cage. A Red-sided Eclectus eats almost anything you make it, but get a full list of safe and harmful items before you start to feed it; go to the website I mentioned.
Remember to feed your parrot daily and take it out to fly a couple of times a week. They love to take showers, so get a bird stand.
I also have an Australian Sugar Glider possum. It is a marsupial in the same family as a kangaroo or koala bear. These animals are called sugar gliders because they like sweet things like fruit and vegetables, honey and sugar, and can glide between trees; they don't fly but glide using extra flaps of skin between the legs and hands.
I got my Sugar Glider, Elvis, at a pet expo. They are great and loyal pets. It does not take much to take care of these animals, but you should do your homework before getting one. Go to the website: sugargliderinfo.org. A Sugar Glider can cost up to $300, and then you have to get lots of equipment, such as a running wheel and a cage.
You and Me
Everyone likes to know that they have a good friend inside and outside of school.
My school, Floral Park-Bellerose School, runs a special program, which I'm in. This program is called You and Me. In this program, specially selected students partner up with another student in their class. The aim of the program is to improve the social skills of children with special needs and to create and understand friendship. Also, this program helps the members understand the feelings of one another.
I hope these words prompt others to do the same thing as the students in You and Me. And remember, things aren't always as they seem.
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-- BENJAMIN GOLDFEDER/Kidsday Reporter