Coverage for your chameleon

You can get pet health insurance for your dog or cat, but what about other pets? Until recently, people with birds, potbellied pigs, chameleons and other exotic animals were out of luck when it came to insurance coverage, but pet insurance provider Nationwide now has plans for those pets, too. Heidi Sirota, Nationwide's chief pet officer, said in a news release that it's the only avian and exotic plan available in the United States. Covered animals include chinchillas, goats, sugar gliders, iguanas, tortoises, and parrots and other birds. Not eligible are animals that are venomous, endangered or illegal to keep.

Kitchen wares and cleaners pose a danger to birds

Bird owners, beware! The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fumes from the self-cleaning oven process can kill avians, who have highly sensitive respiratory systems. Fumes from overheated nonstick pans are also deadly to birds. For both reasons, it's best for birds not to live in the kitchen (not to mention the risk of burns from a stove). Even moving birds to a well-ventilated room in another area when cleaning the stove or using nonstick cookware is often not enough to protect them. Avoid using the self-cleaning feature on your oven — using elbow grease is safer for your bird buddies.

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