June 17, 2005

Pet of the Month

Yoshi, a three-year-old cockatiel, can whistle a portion of the USC fight song.

“Yoshi”

Yoshi, a three-year-old male cockatiel, worked his way into the hearts of the Larson family when daughter Christy Larson wrote a very convincing persuasive essay in favor of getting a pet.

“My parents relented, and I picked out Yoshi at Petco for my birthday on Dec. 21, 2002,” recalls 13-year-old Christy, who will be an eighth grader at Chaboya Middle School next year.

Little did they know that this intelligent bird would be able to do much more than whistle, nod his head and ring the bell in his cage to get their attention.

“He came back from a vacation at my grandma and grandpa’s and could bark like a dog he had heard through a window,” says Christy.

“When you tell Yoshi to go to his cozy, he snuggles up to a piece of furry material attached to the side of his cage,” she adds.

But his most endearing quality—if you’re a USC fan—is his knack for whistling a portion of the USC fight song.

“I think it is hilarious when Yoshi hops onto my mom’s shoulder, proceeds to nip at her earrings, and she screams!” says Christy with a laugh. “Yoshi has become a part of our family. At breakfast on the weekends, he perches on the chair next to me and enjoys his treat of Cheerios.”

With her Pet of the Month entry, Christy Larson has won a $20 gift certificate from Evergreen Pet Center, located at 1620 E. Capitol Expressway in the Silver Creek Marketplace by Hollywood Video.

If you have a pet that you’d like to enter into our Pet of the Month competition, send an e-mail and photo to Editor Bea Baechle, bea@timesmediainc.com.