The Parrot Who Thought She Was a Dog, by Nancy Ellis-Bell (HC, 2008, $2.75)
Nancy's husband gave her a "Parrot Weekend Experience" as a gift. They already had dogs and cats, so maybe she would like to try something different. She decided she wanted an African Grey, a mild mannered small parrot. Who she ended up with was Sarah, a two feet tall, mean, one-legged macaw who liked to scream out "It's crap", even when Nancy was on the phone with her editor. Sarah ate the dogs' food, washed in their water dishes, destroyed their toys, and started annoying the neighbors with her "barking". And this was all before she was given the freedom of the entire house!
"Touching, eye-opening, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Parrot Who Thought She Was a Dog is a tender tale of two worlds colliding, two lives enriched, and two souls restored. It is also a rewarding reminder that love can come from the most unexpected places."
Personally, this "worlds colliding" stuff is not for me, but then I don't handle chaos very well, which is probably why I have never had a pet. Well, I did have goldfish for a few weeks when I was really little. After the fish died from my excessive love, and overfeeding, my parents never tried again. (Actually that was likely because they didn't handle chaos any better than I did!) This book about a family who does thrive on chaos, can be found in the pets section, avail. 2/22.
