February is Adopt-A-Rescued-Rabbit Month, so today we're featuring the story of Patch and Peewee.

Patch's previous family probably started out with good intentions when they bought her at a pet store, but they eventually surrendered her to the District of North Vancouver Animal Welfare Shelter in British Columbia when one of them developed an allergy to her.

Peewee was abandoned in the wild. Her odds of survival there were slim. Fortunately she also ended up in the care of the North Vancouver shelter. Both were posted on Petfinder, where Karen Chan Fong of Vancouver saw them and arranged
to adopt them.

The two have become good companions for one another, even though they have very different personalities. "Peewee is very sweet-natured," Karen says, "and Patch, well, is the opposite. She took longer to feel safe and trusting, which is no wonder, but she's a great and hilarious, peevish 7-year-old lady!"

Robert Levy is a digital media producer and video editor who lives in Rockville, MD, with his wife, two daughters, two cockatiels, one bossy budgie and an occasional guest cockatoo, as well as an assortment of fish, guinea pigs, a cat and four Australian sugar gliders. When not caring for his own flock, he volunteers with the Wilson Parrot Foundation in Damascus, MD. Today, Rob shares with us how having birds has shaped his life.

When I was a senior in college I found myself alone most of the day writing my honors thesis. While my friends were at classes or parties, I was home doing research or writing. I desperately needed companionship -- somebody to talk to, or just have around.

My mind went to a pet, but in my apartment, a cat or a dog was out of the question. What was next on the pet chain? I thought, "maybe a bird." I never expected that this desire for some animal company would result in a love of parrots that has lasted 20 years.

As I did my research on birds, parrots began to fascinate me. Parrot coloration is stunning, their personalities amazing, and they can talk! Not only would I have a pet, I thought, but also I would have somebody to talk to who would talk back.

Then I was hit with reality. Large parrots -- macaws and cockatoos -- were prohibitively expensive and extremely loud. Not a smart choice for a college apartment with four roommates. After more research I settled on a cockatiel: the small, clown-like bird similar in look to a cockatoo, but without the oppressive screech and cost. On a fall day in 1988 I met Slice, a baby male cinnamon pied cockatiel who would be my sidekick for the next 19 years.

After the jump: The author's girlfriend learns to accept the bird poop on his shirt.

Catherine Gwyer is a volunteer with Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Surrey, BC. Through Sunday, Jan. 29, she is answering your questions in our Ask the Experts forum. Below is her answer to her first reader question.

What questions should I ask about a bird I'm thinking of adopting?
Before considering adopting any bird, I recommend that you do some research about the specialized care and diet requirements of parrots and other birds. The smallest of species can live 10-15 years while larger species such as Macaws can live 80+ years.

All birds require fresh fruit, vegetables and grains daily. They also need to live in a clean cage and an environment that is free from smoke and harsh chemical odors. Some species, such as Lorikeets or African Greys, have specific dietary needs that have to be considered as well. Understanding the basics of bird care will help you determine if a parrot is the right pet for you.

If there is a bird club or rescue in your city that you can visit and talk to bird owners, it's a great way to learn firsthand information about the commitment it takes to have a companion bird in your life. [You can search on Petfinder for bird rescue groups near you.]

When you finally start your search for the perfect feathered companion, take your time and interact with the birds. See which one is responsive to you. Many people who have parrots will tell you that their bird chose them, not the other way around.

After the jump: 10 questions every aspiring bird-adopter should ask.

Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet's My Cat from Hell (Saturdays at 8 p.m. E/P), makes his living helping cat parents who have almost given up hope of solving their pet problems. He revealed to us the top three cat crises he's called in to solve.

PETFINDER: What cat-behavior issues do you see most?
Litter box issues, territory/aggression and integration -- introducing cat-cat, cat-dog, cat-baby, etc.

Why do you think those three are so prevalent?
By and large, it comes from lack of understanding of how your cat sees the world -- in terms of ownership or territory.

After the jump, Jackson's tips for solving these problems.

Did you know that all the animals featured on Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl are Petfinder alumni? That means all the puppy players, all the kittens in the kitten halftime show -- and even this year's new piggy pep squad and the bird who will be "tweeting" the action -- came from Petfinder shelters and rescue groups.

Puppy Bowl VIII airs Sunday, Feb. 5 from 3-5 p.m. ET/PT -- but you can visit AnimalPlanet.com for a sneak peek at this year's starting lineup, including Brandy (right).

As we were last year, associate producer Jane Harrell and I were lucky enough to meet all of this year's puppies (check back here on game day for exclusive behind-the-scenes photos).

The puppies are just as cute in person as they are on TV. But the real MVPs are the adoption group staff and volunteers who travel to New York City from as far away as Texas and California to show millions of viewers the adorable pets waiting to meet them at shelters and rescue groups!

After the jump: See all the adoption groups who brought pets to Puppy Bowl.

Jan Robson has been a volunteer with Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Surrey, BC, since 2003. She has been director of volunteers and director of education, and now focuses on education and pet therapy. She is also the doting mom to seven rescued parrots: a mitred conure, four lovebirds and two budgies. To pay for her addiction to her feathered friends, she works as coordinator of the dementia helpline at the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

If you are looking for an unobtrusive, low-maintenance, low-cost pet, a parrot is just the ticket.

Now, if you already have a bird in your life, you're either laughing your head off or thinking, "She can't be serious!" Well, parrot-lovers and parrot-lover wannabees, I am most certainly not serious! In a nutshell (pun intended!) parrots are noisy, messy, demanding little individuals. Here are a few facts about having a parrot in your home:

Parrots are loud. Even the small parrots, such as lovebirds, parrotlets and budgies, can be quite shrill when they vocalize. While training can help to contain the noise somewhat, vocalizing is an important part of a parrot's social communication. And, make no mistake about it, they are very social creatures. If they do not have an avian flock, they will look to you to be a flockmate, and there are many responsibilities inherent in that role.

What happens when two dog lovers live in a no-dogs-allowed apartment? Emily Scheu of Washington, DC, tells us what she and her husband did. "Whenever we'd see a dog on the streets," she says, "we'd have to bend down and pet him or her. We watched dog show after dog show on Animal Planet. We knew things had gotten bad when we found ourselves standing outside the local dog park fence, ogling all the adorable dogs inside."

All these "symptoms" meant one thing: The couple had to move. So they did, to a dog-friendly apartment.

Once that was accomplished, the search began. "We immediately turned to Petfinder and fell in love with 1,000 dogs," Scheu says. Fortunately, one stood out. His name was Billy.

Billy was being fostered through K-9 Lifesavers, also in D.C. The couple applied for him, had a home visit and were approved, then drove to Billy's foster home to meet him.

January is National Train Your Dog Month. To celebrate, we're holding a live dog-training Q&A on our Facebook page this Friday, Jan. 27, from 12-2 p.m. ET! Dog-training expert and CEO of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Mychelle Blake is joining us to answer your questions.

How to participate:

• "Like" Petfinder on Facebook
• Visit our Facebook page this Friday, Jan. 27, from 12-2 p.m. ET
• Ask your dog-training and behavior questions!

About Mychelle Blake:
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC, is the CEO and executive director of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, an organization dedicated to promoting education for dog trainers.

Mychelle has a masters in social welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Her background is in working with shelter dogs and cats and she is a community training partner with Best Friends Animal Society. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and her two dogs, Buzz and Kaylee.

Our friends at The Shelter Pet Project have released another ingenious ad campaign featuring newly adopted pets puzzling over their people's odd behaviors.

In the clip above, a cat wonders why a little boy is playing in a giant litter box (i.e. a sand box). In another, a dog muses, "I've never understood why my human won't leave the house without her leash. I think she's afraid of getting lost. But it's okay, I kind of like showing her around." The tagline: "A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. Be that person."

We love the campaign, from Chicago ad agency Draftfcb, so I jumped at the chance to interview one of its creators, art director Heather Barnes, to get the behind-the-scenes story.

Petfinder: Where did the idea for the campaign come from?
Barnes: Many people have special relationships with their pets. And most people might say one of the best parts about having a pet is observing them, trying to figure out why they do some of the funny things they do. Well, isn't it possible that when they give us that little cocked head to the side or funny look, they're doing the same thing? After all, we humans do a lot of funny things too. Don't pretend you don't!

After the jump: The unexpected mishap that happened while filming one of the ads.

Steve Dale is the host of the nationally syndicated radio shows Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute with Steve Dale. His column, My Pet World (in which this post was originally published), is carried in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. He also serves on the board of directors for the American Humane Association.

Q: My son has three pet hermit crabs. We have a problem. My son is a New England Patriots fan -- don't ask me why. Of course, we are fans of our local team. Will the crabs get along with one another if they are wearing different team logos painted on their shells?
-- D. H., Denver, CO

A: I may not be paid as much as Tom Brady, but I might love my job more because of questions like yours.

Crab shells painted with sports-team logos are a craze, but it's not a healthy one. "Crab shells need to breathe, and the paint interferes," says Carol Frischmann, author of the book Animal Planet: Hermit Crabs.