Einstein Parrot's T-Shirts Benefitting Avian Rescue

I’m a parrot that wants to make a difference for other parrots who are in parrot rescues and sanctuaries. I design and sell t-shirts and other gift items to benefit parrot rescue organizations.

In my stores below you can purchase shirts for men, women, and children. Many styles and colors to choose from. In addition, Redbubble and TeePublic have coffee mugs, phone covers and all kinds of nice gifts! They also ship internationally. 

 Click to buy on Amazon

 Click to buy on Redbubble

Click to buy on TeePublic

Good Morning Texas!

On February 18, 2016 I was invited by The Wings of Love Bird Haven to appear with them on the morning TV show, Good Morning Texas! It was a wonderful and fun experience! The purpose of the segment was to tell folks about about The Haven and all the good parrot rescue work they do!

Waiting in the Green Room at WFAA Studios in Dallas. Marcia with De and Lou and the birds from The Wings of Love. Hatch the Blue and Gold Macaw, Baby Girl the Umbrella Cockatoo, Max the Eclectus. Tessa the Myers Parrot was there too!

In the studio, I suffered from a case of “stage fright”, actually I was being polite, allowing the professionals do the talking. Max the Eclectus did most of the talking! He felt right at home with Carrie the host. It was indeed a Love Connection!

Max ❤️ Carrie

It often takes me time to get familiar with a new environment before I feel comfortable enough to talk. In the studio there were lots of big cameras, people moving quickly, loud sounds, bright lights!  It was like a Big Party!

Getting set up in the studio

Getting used to my new surroundings!

Marcia comforted me.

Getting ready for my close up!

Towards the end of the show, as I was perched for my close up. I said, "Talk to me" and several people ran over to put microphones up to me. They tried desperately to get me to talk. My shyness over took me again, it wasn't going to happen! Watch these clips from the show that didn't get included in the segment.  Towards the end, you'll see the host commenting about it. (Sorry about the poor quality of the tape.)  You'll also see the how much fun the hosts had with all the birds!

Being a flirt with Jane McGarry and Shannon Hart!

I liked Larry's head set!

The STARS of the show! 

Hatch the Blue and Gold Macaw, Carrie McClure holding Max the Eclectus. Lou holding Baby Girl the Cockatoo, and De the director of Wings of Love Bird Haven.

It's been a long time....

I apologize, it's been a year since my last post. Time does fly by these days! Several things occupied my time. Most of last year was spent rewriting and updating my website. It was overdue for an update, and I hope you like the new design!

From This:

To This:

You'll find all the same information that was on the old site, just more detailed.  For example, when you click on the video tab, instead of having all my videos listed with links, I've written back stories and information that you might find useful and entertaining. Marcia often gets asked questions like, "How do you train Einstein?" Soon, I will be sharing more details about that! (And how I train her! Ha! :> ) Some things I write will be for fun, and some things will be informative, and you will still be able to find all my videos on YouTube!

As many of you know, the back porch was screened in so I would have a place to get fresh air and sunshine.  It has taken time for me to get used to my new area, and I really enjoy it on pretty days.

I have many ideas for new blog posts and I will continue to do videos. As you can see, I'm a very busy birdie these days! I better stop playing around and get to work!

Pecks! :>

Einstein

Einstein's Sweet 16 Birdhouse

This is my back porch.  It's small.  4 1/2 feet wide by 28 feet long. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade.  The humans hardly ever use it because it's just too small. The view of the back fence is not much to look at either.

Long...........

and Narrow! 

Not Much of a View

One day Marcia mentioned to Jeff that she would love a screened in porch for ME!  Someplace to hang out, get fresh air, and some sunshine.  It would also be nice not have to worry about mosquitoes.  Jeff said, "Well, let's screen our back porch in!   WOW!!!!! What a perfect Sweet 16 Hatchday present!!!

HAPPY HATCHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!!

After a few months, Marcia finally found someone to build my "Bird House"!  The men with lots of tools came and there was a lot of banging, hammering, and loud sawing going on in the backyard.  I was not allowed to supervise this project.  It was too dangerous, so I watched from inside.

If they only knew how badly I wanted to help!

The building continued for a couple of days...

Wall is going up!

Needs Paint!

Inside View.  Big enough for me!

Ready for Screens and the Door!

After a few days I began to worry.  Don't you think I need some furniture to go in this new house?  Something to perch on? Come on!  I mean REALLY!  You expect me to stand on a concrete floor!

One day a BIG TRUCK arrived and delivered 2 BIG Boxes!  Just LOOK at what was in those boxes!!!!!  OH! MY GOSH!!!!!!

Java Tree

It's called a Java Tree Perch!  It's really BIG!  It's about 5  feet tall and 3 1/2 feet wide. It has a lot of nice horizontal branches that are just the right size for my feet to get a good grip.  

Marcia ordered this from The Platinum Parrot.  Lisa is the owner and she went to the distributor's warehouse and "handpicked" this perch just for me!!!!!  The toy you see hanging on it was a Hatchday gift from her!  Thank you so much Lisa!  I am a very Happy Birdie!!!!! 

There are not a lot of toys on it right now.  But there will be, I have plenty of time to decorate it the way I want!

The screens arrived and got installed.  They are made of a heavy duty screen material called PetScreen. It is very strong and will keep insects and animals out, but will allow the wonderful UV rays to come through.  I won't be in my Bird House all of the time, just during nice weather and to get fresh air and sunshine, but I need to be safe.  

Screened windows 37" wide by 55" tall

UH! OH!

Do construction projects always go perfectly smoothly?  Every thing was going along great.... THEN it happened!

We have a problem with the door!  

Do you know the difference between a right-handed door and a left-handed door?  Marcia didn't!  She explained to the salesperson what she wanted and which way she wanted the door to open.  The salesperson said we needed a righthand door. That's what she ordered.  WRONG!!!!!  We got the door, (which, by the way, was a special order) and it didn't open the way we wanted.  The door was put back in the box and taken back to the store.  The people at the store where very nice and allowed Marcia to return the door and order a new one.  The only problem is that we have to wait 2 weeks for the correct left-handed door to be made and delivered.  

In the meantime, there is this lovely piece of plywood attached to the opening.  

 The Temporary Plywood "Door"

Update:  Today my door was installed!  All done!

Door installed! Looks pretty good!

Watch the Video!

by Einstein Parrot

Show business? or Monkey Business?

Recently I received an email from a reality TV show!  They wanted to talk about me being on their show! A cooking competition reality show!  OK! I'll bite! 

Marcia gave them a call. She spoke with one of the producers of the show. They had watched my video on YouTube of Marcia and me in the kitchen making a salad and thought it was very good.

Marcia had never watched this reality cooking show, named MasterChef, but she had heard of it. They discussed the idea of a "home video" of  us in the kitchen. Something to incorporate into the regular show. They wanted Marcia to come to Dallas for an interview and talk some more!  Marcia loves food and loves to cook! AND they were interest in ME!  What a perfect opportunity to talk about parrot nutrition, cooking for parrots, and parrot safety in the kitchen! (i.e. Teflon fumes, etc.) She was being invited to an open call audition with VIP status! WOW!  Let's Goooo! Weeeeeeee!

Marcia was required to bring a dish that best represented us. She prepared a Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing.  It's sweet, nutty, and a little spicy! Just like us! Perfect!

Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing
Recipe adapted from here.

1 cup white or red quinoa, cooked according to package. Let cool.
Add the following:
1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped (may substitute any favorite nut, or hulled pumpkin seed or sunflower seed).
2 T. dried currants or raisins.
1 small apple, sliced into 1/8" wedges.
1/4 cup mint or arugula leaves, coarsely chopped.
For the dressing, combine:
1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
1 T. finely chopped shallot
1 tsp. curry powder
2 T. lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
Whisk in 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Toss into Quinoa mixture and stir.

Taste Tested and Approved!
Served on a Wing Plate!

Off to Dallas! 

Marcia arrived, salad packed and with an 11-page application in hand. She plated her dish along with about 40 other applicants all competing to get on the show.  A couple of people walked around the room tasting the dishes and asking questions. The two people who talked with Marcia seemed to be more interested in ME, than Marcia's cooking.  Then the interviewers made their decision. Marcia and only 4 other people were asked to stay and have a second interview! Everyone else in the room was sent home.  WOW!  YAY! Great Job Marcia!!!!!


The Second Interview

Marcia had to stand in front of 2 more interviewers and answer questions about food, and more questions about me were asked! Questions like, "What kind of food do you like to cook?" "Does Einstein always cook with you?" "Does Einstein learn words easily?" "What is your style of cooking?" "What does Einstein say?" "What does Einstein say about your cooking?"  She was dismissed and was told to wait for a decision in the hallway. The interviewer entered and told Marcia to come back the next day for an "on camera" interview! At this point, Marcia became very curious and decided to play along. Yes! She will do the camera interview!

Lights! Camera!
The on-camera interview went well.  Marcia was asked some food and cooking questions, and A Lot More questions about ME!!!  They told her she did a great job and were interested in her doing the next assignment.  They gave Marcia instructions to do the "home video".
BINGO! Great, she thought! Finally getting down to business!  But then... were we? It seems this was just another part of the "casting" process. Others who came that day for camera interviews were given the same assignment. Marcia was excited but confused? Something didn't seem quite right. This bothered her and she thought about it most of the night.


The next morning
Marcia and I decided to get on the internet and do some investigating.  She found this show's website and discovered they had some of their episodes on YouTube.  We began to watch. The first episode involved a lot of people preparing special dishes for a panel of judges. Based on how much the judges liked their food determined if they would move on to compete in the show that season.

As we watched, it quickly became clear that there were some amazing people! Some of them cooked amazing dishes, some of them had amazingly inspirational stories, some of them had quirky and bazaar behaviors or "props".

Mmmmmm, interesting we thought! Suddenly it all became very clear! They were interested in Marcia and me, but only as a gimmick! This is not what Marcia and I are about! It's bad enough that parrots are so misunderstood as companion animals. This doesn't represent who we ARE at ALL!!!

My mission statement

"To entertain and bring joy, to foster the human-parrot bond, and to convey that parrots are deserving of immeasurable amounts of patience, nurturing, and companionship."

Perhaps the first part "to entertain and bring joy" is fitting, but at what expense? We decided that nothing of value would really come of this experience. We sent them a nice email thanking them for their time and gracefully took our bow.

All in all, it was a fun and exciting experience, and one that reminded us of several life lessons.

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

Trust your gut and that little voice inside of you!

To thy own self be true!

Bubba and the Sweet Pea

Bubba and the Sweet Pea is a children's book, written by Gladys Bourtros who lives in Australia.  It is about her Sulfur Crested Cockatoo, named Bubba. Bubba was hatched with PBFD, (Psittacine beak and feather disease). He was a beautiful little guy with a personality and a zest for life like you couldn't believe!  In his 4 1/2 short years on this earth he took a wonderful journey and inspired his owner, Gladys Bourtros to write a book that will help so many.

"Bubba, a beautiful and magnificent cockatoo, is the show’s star attraction! But something very strange is happening…Bubba is losing his feathers!  With hope and courage, Bubba sets out on an unforgettable journey in search of Uriah the great Eagle, who has the power to grant any wish.  All Bubba has to offer Uriah is a humble sweet pea.Join Bubba on his amazing adventure in quest of his feathers, as he learns through his struggles and fears, what it means to be truly beautiful."                                                          ~From the Website

Gladys and Bubba battled this awful disease together. A disease that currently has no cure.  Their story is not about PBFD, it is a story about inner beauty and the power it has. This book and its message can help children who are challenged with issues of self worth. With so much emphasis on outward appearance, our children are rarely taught the importance of self esteem and inner beauty! In addition, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to raise awareness and funds for further research of Beak and Feather Disease and hopefully a cure.  

The book is illustrated beautifully by Andras Balogh. This book can be enjoyed by young and old alike, and the book makes a wonderful gift too! I just purchased a bunch to give as gifts to many of my young friends!  You may order the book here. Gladys can also be found on Twitter and Facebook, send her a "Like", and tell her Einstein sent you!

A Review - Life with Alex, a memoir

Life with Alex is a 55 minute documentary about Alex, 

"the parrot who changed how the world understands animal intelligence"

Marcia, Jeff and I sat down together and watched the DVD other day.  

Arlene, the producer of the movie asked me to write a review and I was honored.

"Have you ever wanted to spend a day with Alex? I sure did! Well, now it's possible, "Life with Alex, a memoir" will do just that! You will get to see how Alex starts his day, what he likes to eat, and interacting with Arlene and the students at the lab.  My favorite part was a scene with Dr. Pepperberg and Griffin when Alex took on the role as teacher!  You'll see Alex at play, as well as, at work. You will experience how he was the "BOSS" and he knew it too! He was a force to be reckoned with at times. The movie shows that Alex enjoyed his work and he enjoyed the people he worked with.  You will witness the dedication and perseverance of Dr. Pepperberg and the joys of the victories they shared through the years as they gained acceptance in the scientific ranks. This movie is indeed a CELEBRATION of Alex's life!"

After watching we all thought it would be a good idea to purchase another DVD and give it away!!! A raffle!  All you need to do is go to my website and enter.  We will have the raffle on December 1st, 2012.  Just in time for the holidays!  

If you can't wait till then, just go to LifeWithAlexMovie.com and purchase one or two!  These will make great holiday gifts for your parrot friends!  

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the movie will be donated to The Alex Foundation

Remembering an Old Friend

Friends come and go out of your life.  There is a poem I'm reminded of about friends.

Make new friends,

but keep the old.

One is silver,

the other is gold.

Some friends come into your life that you never really meet, but you immediately have a strong connection to them. That's the way if was with Alex, the African Grey. I never met Alex, but he had a solid influence in my life.  He was a very smart parrot and although he is now gone from this earth, he still remains Golden in my heart and in the hearts of others.  

September 7th 2012 will be the 5th Anniversary of his passing. To commemorate a DVD will be released.

"Life with Alex: A Memoir" will be available for sale this fall at www.LifeWithAlexMovie.com.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Alex Foundation.

If you are Facebook fan, please "Like" the LifeWithAlex Page

It's Raining Tail Feathers!!!

Thunderstorms don't scare me... until the other night!  We've had a drought here in Texas and we've been with out thunder for a very long time.  The other night we had a really LOUD clap of thunder and it literally scared the TAIL FEATHERS out of me!!!  I was all comfy cozy in my cage with my cage cover on dreaming birdie dreams.  Then WAMO! I thought I was a Goner!  My instincts kicked in and I automatically released all but 3 of my tail feathers!  

You may not know this, but birds have a built in defense mechanism where we release our feathers when we feel threatened. Better for the predator to get a mouth full of feathers than get us! I lost 9 that night and molted 2 the previous week end. As a result the back of the bus has very few passengers! (If you know what I mean.)  Oh, don't worry... the feathers will grow back! I am fine and acting perfectly normal. No other feathers are ruffled.

All of my Facebook friends have been so nice and supportive of me.  Here are a few of the comments I have received:
    Can I have your feathers? :) ♥
    Aw, you're cute with short hair. :)
    Aww poor buttless birdy.
    Poor, poor E! Ask your humans for some knickers or coveralls!

They also asked some really good questions:
When you feather come back in does it itch or hurt. I guess what I'm trying to say is, is it uncomfortable?
Good question! Last time this happened, I didn't like my tail stroked. Marcia pets me with a long stroke
from head to tails with her hand cupped. When her hand got to the tail, I didn't like it and moved my tail
out of the way. My tail was sore. She will not be stroking my tail for a couple of months!
Does this affect your balance at all?
You would think it would affect my balance, but I still get around just as well as I did before. 
I can still fly-hop from my perch to the kitchen counter and to the table. I perch just fine, no problems!
Why is your cage so clean?
Ha! My cage got cleaned the night before. This picture was taken first thing this morning. My morning bomb was done on my play perch. Also, if the humans are home I'm usually out of my cage, hence a neat and tidy cage, but BIG messes around the play perches!

This has happened to me before.  Once, in September 2010 I was in my cage sleeping and all was quiet.  No thunderstorms that night.  Can't tell you what scared me exactly, might have been a bad dream or it may of been a Gecko. They come into the house during the summer. They are tiny little guys and don't hurt anything but to eat an occasional spider they find here and there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_House_Gecko

Morning After: September 14, 2010 

Thinner, but still Pretty!  September 2010

Re-growth after  4 weeks

Re-growth after 6 1/2 weeks

Now, if you will excuse me... I have some feather making to do!

The Drawer - Frequently Asked Questions

My drawer has become very popular these days.  Ever since it made its appearance on YouTube in March of 2008 I've received a lot of questions and comments.

Marcia used to keep kitchen towels in it.  When I decided this was my drawer she found a new place for the towels.  Then came the toys.  In the cabinet below she used to store boxes with Christmas dishes. I started chewing the boxes, so those dishes found a new place too.

A drawer in the kitchen might not be for every parrot.  Some parrots would destroy a wooden drawer.  For some reason I've never chewed hard wood.  I prefer the softer woods and soft plastic.  A lot of you ask the "poop" question.  Well, I have never pooped on the drawer or in the drawer.  I am always given "poop" breaks and taken off the drawer and put on my perch to take "care of  business".

I would spend all day on the drawer if my humans would let me.  But they don't.  I am only allowed when they let me.  The rest of the time I'm either in my cage or on a perch somewhere in the nest.  I really enjoy talking on the drawer too.  Visit my YouTube movies and take a look!

Many of you have asked, how do you keep the drawer open without it closing and squishing me!  The answer  is:  Unigrass 6600 Drawer Slides.  You can find them on the internet, hardware stores, even eBay!  They are inexpensive too.  They are installed on all the drawers in my nest.

Slide mounted on Drawer

Slide mounted in cabinet

Here is a video showing how the slide works.

If you and your human decide that a kitchen drawer might be fun, please remember that safety and supervision must be kept in mind at all times.  Please be aware of electrical cords and remove them from the area.  Kitchens are not the safest places for parrots, so please be careful!

Einstein and the Great State Fair of Texas

Today is Opening Day at the State Fair of Texas!  If you’re planning to go, be sure and check out the Creative Arts Contests because a portrait of YOURS TRULY has won FIRST PLACE!!!

Dallas has been home to the State Fair since 1886 and it is the largest state fair in the United State by annual attendance.  People come from everywhere to just have a great time!  I am so excited to be a part of this years fair, even if it is in a small way! 

First, a little background information- Earlier in the year Jeff was talking to a friend at work and this friend mentioned his son is a talented young artist and is interested in drawing birds.  He asked Jeff if he had any pictures of Einstein that his son could take a look at and possibly use to create a drawing.  “We only have about a MILLION!!!”, Jeff said!  Jeff took a few favorite pictures to work with him and one was chosen by Hunter, the young artist.  Marcia knew nothing about this as Jeff wanted to surprise Marcia for her Birthday in June with the completed work.  One day, Marcia had been working around the house when Hunter, his mom, and Jeff surprised Marcia with the completed masterpiece!  WOW!  What a surprise!

Marcia, Hunter, & Me

It was VERY GOOD!  So good in fact, that Hunter’s art teacher thought it should be entered in the 2011 Texas State Fair!!!  So off it went to be framed and judged as we waited and waited for a decision.

On September 4^th we got the Good News!

Hunter’s drawing won FIRST PLACE!

Hunter, Thank You! for your Amazing Talent! 

Jeff, Thank You! for giving Marcia one of the Best Birthday gifts EVER!!!!!!

Marcia and Jeff went to the State Fair to view the portrait on display, with the winning Blue Ribbon!

I'm so proud of Hunter and the good job he did! I learned to say "Blue Ribbon!"
Watch the video!

I've Been Sent To A Secure and Undisclosed Location!

I had a little excitement at the nest last week!  Last Monday Marcia walked into the family room to do a little dusting.  Little did she know that she would have to fetch my birdie boots and a rowboat!  The faucet connection under the wet bar had sprung a leak and water was everywhere!  I just couldn't resist saying this!

She quickly grabbed a bucket and put it under the sink.  She immediately put me in the cage. Called Jeff for back up and fetched the wet vac.  It was quite a night of activity!  Our neighbor came over with his wet vac and helped too!  Carpets started to get ripped up!  OH! NO! You all know how I hate that!

The damage...  The major concern is about 200 square feet of wood flooring and the saturated base of an 18 foot built in cabinet that houses the wet bar.  A team of water mitigation experts were on the scene the next morning! Joe and Aaron were great and explained to Marcia and Jeff what was going to happen in the next 3 days.  Basically, they were going to have to live inside their home with the noise that only a 747 can make!  Seven huge fans and three very large dehumidifiers were set in place to dry everything out.

I had to leave!!!

I was packed up and whisked away to a friends house as the mitigation experts unrolled yards and yards of plastic sheeting.  A drying chamber had to be set up to dry the place up.  Then the dust was going to fly! All of the wet wood flooring had to be removed!  Here is what the nest looked like on day 3.

I liked being on vacation with my friends in their home. I am very lucky to have good friend's who are very nice and let me stay with them. I thank them SO very much!!!  I hope all your birdies have a safe place to go if an emergency ever happens in your nest!  Please discuss this with your humans, it's very important.  There was no way I could have stayed during these days of upheaval.  It was just too scary!  The off gassing from the plastic, the deafening noise, the very low humidity in the house, and all the dust was very dangerous for me!

I was able to return back to the nest on Saturday afternoon when every thing was all dried out.  I did miss Jeff and Marcia! It was so fun to see them again! I think they were happy to see me too!  When they came to get me I was on my perch watching TV.  Marcia stuck her head around the corner of the room and with a big smile on her face, said "Hi! Sweetie!" I made a loud whistle, made a poop, and lifted my foot up for her to pick me up! Then a few moments later Jeff came in the room and we all sat on a sofa and I perched on Jeff's knee! Flock was together once again! YAY!!!

The repairs will be made soon. There are lots of people to talk to and decisions to be made. I will probably get to go on vacation again when workmen come to fix everything.  Marcia tells me not to start reading the travel section of the newspaper.  I shouldn't get any ideas; it will not be any place exotic!

Bon Voyage!

Einstein’s Ringtones to Benefit Avian Charities!

Einstein's Ringtones

My ringtone's are back!  Years ago I distributed my ringtones on Myxer.com to benefit parrot rescue organizations.  They were a big hit! People could listen to me any time their phone rang!  Sadly, Mixer went out of business and I was left with no way to distribute them.

I am very happy to announce that I am now self hosting them on my website!  They are also FREE!  However, if you like them and want to help parrot rescue organizations, I have provided a PayPal donation link.  Just go to http://www.einsteinparrot.com/ringtones/

To Catch A Thief!

Humans might call me a Pack Rat! I beg your pardon!!! A hoarder? I don’t think so! Me? Stealing? A Thief! Never!!!! But officer, it was a misunderstanding, I was just BORROWING IT!!!

Marcia uses a dish drainer in addition to the dishwasher. Items we use everyday get put in the dish drainer. Other things go into the dishwasher. One item that Jeff uses everyday is his coffee mug. He fills it up every morning as he gets ready to leave the house for work. He puts on the special lid so that it doesn’t slop and spill everywhere. (I understand this is an act performed by many people in their need to satisfy their caffeine addition.) In the evening, he or Marcia washes the mug and lid and places it in the dish drainer to be used the next morning. I’m quite smitten with the lid too! I like to take it out of the dish drainer and throw it on the floor, just like the rest of my toys.

This particular day, I had other plans. I never intended to enter a life of crime, but the coffee lid treasure was just too hard to resist! There it was in all of its radiant black plastic loveliness!!!!

Watch the video and pay attention to my quick thinking and stealth action!

Fast forward, the next morning. Jeff gets ready for work, time to fill his mug… no lid? Where’s the lid? “Marcia, have you seen my lid?” he asks. “No, it should be in the drainer” she replies. Just so happens there is another similar type container in the cupboard (not his favorite) and he reluctantly fills it up and off to work he goes. I secretly hoped that loosing the lid would keep him home with me, alas that idea did not work. Several days go by, searching for the lid continues. Jeff concludes it was the best coffee mug lid he had ever had and will just have to go and buy a replacement.

Then, one day Marcia decides it was time to clean my toy drawer. (A chore she does about every other week.) This is the drawer in the kitchen, next to my cabinet where I go to shred my toys. A nice dark place and perfect for hiding things. Guess what she found!!! OH! MY! The coffee mug lid!!! HOW DID IT GET IN THERE??? She gave me three guesses and the first two didn’t count!

Mystery solved! I had enjoyed quite a few chews in seclusion and the rubber gasket necessary to keep the liquid contents from spilling had been totally shredded. Those humans! They really should take better care of their prized possessions, otherwise they become MINE!!! Lesson Learned AGAIN!