When you’re Britney Spears, even the mundane act of buying a pair of pet birds is enough to whip the paparazzi into a frenzy. Only Paw Nation has all the details on the parakeet purchase, including the news that it was not just one parakeet that Spears bought, but two!
It was just another day at work for Brieanne Kirby, manager of the California Pet Center in Woodland Hills, California, when Spears walked into the store last week and things took a surreal turn. “I didn’t even notice her at first,” Kirby tells Paw Nation. “She was wearing sunglasses and had her hair in a bun.” But a mob of paparazzi soon surrounded the pet shop, prompting Spears’ security guard to ask Kirby to lock the doors. “I have never seen so many paparazzi in my life,” says Kirby, saying that the police showed up to control the crowd.
“She’s a nice, sweet lady,” Kirby, 22, says of the famous singer. “She asked me which type of bird would be best for a family with kids.” Kirby walked with Spears around the store, pointing out different birds, from African Grey Parrots to Cockatoos. “She asked me lots of questions about how to care for the birds, which I was happy about,” says Kirby.
As paparazzi clamored for photographs through the store’s glass front, Spears picked out two parakeets that she “fell in love with” — a yellow and blue parakeet, and a second with pretty feathers in a shade of sky blue turquoise.
“Parakeets are ideal for new bird owners and families with children because they’re easy to care for and their beaks are much smaller compared to other birds,” says Kirby, adding that parakeets do better when they have a fellow parakeet to hang out with. “They have their own little chirps,” Kirby says.
Spears bought the parakeets for $19.99 each, as well as a large, roomy cage, toys and food. “We recommend parakeets stay on a pellet diet and avoid seeds,” says Kirby, explaining that seeds are fattening. “Every couple of days, you can treat your parakeet to bits of vegetables, boiled pasta or fresh fruits — anything but citrus,” she says. “Their cages should be cleaned out once a week.”
Purchase complete, Kirby escorted Spears and her security guard to the store’s back door so they could leave. “It’s a heavy wooden door, so I couldn’t see outside until I opened the door,” recalls Kirby. “As soon as I unlocked the door, there were flashbulbs popping and paparazzi were yelling [Spears'] name. An hour after she left, there were still paparazzi inside the store taking pictures.”
Kirby doesn’t know what Spears decided to name her two new parakeets, but is sure they found a good home.
