One of things that I enjoy most about the Pets chat rooms on AOL is meeting "strangers" who often become friends. Our common love for animals draws us together like magnets. And when I am visiting the Feline Fancy chat room to talk about cats, I am always thrilled when I meet someone who is as nuts about both cats and horses as I am.

That is where I recently met beaksandpaws, whose menagerie of assorted pets is a pure delight. Not only does she have cats and horses, but she shares her life with dogs, birds and assorted reptiles. Now there is an animal lover for you! She was kind enough to share photos of some of her critters so you can get acquainted with them.

First, the birds -- that's Lory scratching Trixie's belly:

More pictures ...

Pollack, a 6-year-old rescued citron cockatoo, has become the avian emissary at the Florida Wild Veterinary Hospital. Included in his "job description" is assisting Linda, the receptionist, in welcoming human clients, operating the copier and generally being adorable. If you are lucky, you may overhear hear him chatting with staff when you call the office. Linda doles out his salary frequently -- he works for yummy cockatoo treats.

Does your vet have a furry or feathered mascot greeting clients at the front desk or wandering about the office? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Here, Rover!
Sunnee is an umbrella cockatoo from Delaware. He can say a number of things, but his favorites are "hello" and "I love you." He also knows how to whistle for the dog.

Photo by ANNIECC454

· Vote for Pet of the Week
· Say Hi to Sunnee
· Put Your Pet Here

Red Beauty
Oklahoma macaw Gochenoc says many words in two different languages. She loves games, and she'll tell you when she wants to play by saying "Peekaboo!" or "High five!"

Photo by Sportsmed16

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· Say Hi to Gochenoc
· Put Your Pet Here

My Internet buddy Pointedcat is a former breeder and cat show person, and also a skilled photographer. During the construction of her new home, she patiently stalked a magnificent kestrel every evening, waiting for her shot.

Finally kestrel and Pointedcat made that connection:

Isn't it a gorgeous bird? What varieties of wild birds share your neighborhood habitat?

Call Him 'Pretty Bird'
Jendaya conures orginally come from Brazil, but colorful Bonito Passaro hails from Minnesota. He loves to cuddle, play tug-of-war and try new tasty treats.

Photo by Udzurvit2001

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· Say Hi to Bonito Passaro
· Put Your Pet Here

Dirty Bird?
Casey is a white pied cockatiel from New Jersey. She enjoys car rides and drinking milk, but she hates bathing -- which can be a problem for a white bird.

Photo by Lanairoc

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· Say Hi to Casey
· Put Your Pet Here

Colorful Character
The owner of this green-cheeked conure says, "Baxter is an acrobat and a flirt. He also likes to lie on his back on the cage floor and play dead. Scares me every time! He's very smart and is learning new words every day. His new favorite is 'GimmeeKiss.'"

Photo by Feathers3377

· Vote for Pet of the Week
· Say Hi to Baxter
· Put Your Pet Here

Cuddly Cockatoo
Sunny Feathers is a triton cockatoo from Michigan. He likes to fluff up and make noises to get the dog to bark, then he'll bark along. He also enjoys cuddling in bed under the blankets.

Photo by Nero472

· Vote for Pet of the Week
· Say Hi to Sunny Feathers
· Put Your Pet Here

A month ago, Friday was not so fortunate. His head had become impaled on a fish hook, and a line wrapped around his throat. He was in deep trouble.

However two friends, Anne and Hugh, discovered him in a lake in their back yard. With patience and care, they were able to remove the hook and disentangle him from the line. They took him into the house to try to save this little guy.

A few days ago, I wrote about my pal Pamie and her dachshund Fritz, aka Mr. Puppy Feet. Pamie and Mr. Fritz share their home with Sweetiepie, a 7-year-old green-cheeked conure.

This beautiful bird is native to South America, though Pamie advises getting exotic birds through U.S. breeders or shelters, as imported birds may carry health risks or may have been shipped inhumanely.

A Very Friendly Bird
Consuela, a macaw from Alabama, can't wait for company to come over. She taunts them for hours on end, "Gimme a kiss! Hey baby, wanna kiss?"

Photo by Tanned2U

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· Say Hi to Consuela
· Put Your Pet Here

Pretty Package
Chica is a peachface lovebird from New Hampshire. Her favorite game is hiding in boxes and playing peek-a-boo. She also enjoys taking baths and saying her name over and over.

Photo by Gemini1617

· Vote for Pet of the Week
· Say Hi to Chica
· Put Your Pet Here

Beloved Bird
Tootsie's owner says of this Goffin cockatoo from Oklahoma: "Spoiled. That's all there is to say about her."

Photo by Badakd

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· Say Hi to Tootsie
· Put Your Pet Here

A round of applause goes to this very smart Grey who obviously knows his Bible and enjoys singing. I had to chuckle while watching this video, but I think he has been watching too much television.

What songs seem to attract your birds? Leave a comment and share your bird's musical proclivities.