Half of the store is organized for retail sales and the other half features a collection of some 20 different rescue birds of all sizes and varieties.

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Cory and Gina Dewees, owners of Parrotopia at 5910 Auburn Blvd., Suite 9 in Citrus Heights, celebrated their fifth anniversary in business early this month, and that’s something proudly they can tweet about.

“It’s been an amazing five years, both watching our business grow and seeing more and more customers discover us,” said the couple.

In just five years, Parrotopia has nearly doubled the size of its store to 4,800 square feet to better serve their customers, according to the owners. The couple has helped hundreds of older birds find new homes and introduce first-time owners to a young new feathered friend.

Parrotopia continues to be a rescue service for exotic parrots, and there are grooming and boarding services for the bird owners they serve. A variety of hand-fed baby parrots and “second chance” parrots that are seeking new homes are also sold.

The Parrotopia staff provides advice and support, ensuring that bird owners have the information they need for their pets, whether they are baby birds or older companions.

Cory and Gina Dewees, owners of Parrotopia at 5910 Auburn Blvd., Suite 9 in Citrus Heights celebrated their fifth anniversary in business earlier this month.

In addition to offering a large selection of custom seed blends, foraging mixes, nuts, pellets, and their own signature blends, the couple also offers helpful advice to provide an enriching environment for their bird companions. Toys, cages, locally-made custom play stands and carriers are available for sale.

The couple welcomed and sheltered parrots in their home for years before opening their store in 2020. They had been volunteers at Parrot Planet, located in the same business plaza which closed in December 2018.

“We followed our passion to open Parrotopia. It’s been both a joy and a lot of hard work to see the difference we’ve made to help the birds we love and to help educate new bird owners about all we can offer them,” Gina Dewees said.

Bright green walls give Parrotopia a tropical feel. Half the store is organized for retail sales and the other half features a collection of some 20 different rescue birds of all sizes and varieties on their perches who await their new home.

In another portion of the store, just outside of view, birds are given a nail trim, a spa day or boarding for a short time while their owners are away.

Some birds are more talkative than others, playfully mimicking your speech before returning to enjoy fresh chop, a custom food blend that is part of their daily diet. Some 20 pounds are freshly prepared for them each week.

Gina Dewees knows all her birds by name and the quirks of their personalities, whether they prefer men or women or might unexpectedly speak foul language that they picked up from their human owners.

A variety of hand-fed baby parrots and “second chance” parrots that are seeking new homes are also available for purchase.

Birds currently at the store include Lola, a female African grey; Petey, a Goffin’s cockatoo; Pepper, a 25-year-old severe macaw; Rocky, a 30-year-old male harlequin macaw who doesn’t look his age; and Cleo, an affectionate 15-year-old hybrid macaw, who quickly takes to Gina Dewees’ shoulder and offers her a morning kiss.

Many of the exotic birds on these perches were surrendered by their owners who could no longer care for their feathered companions to Parrotopia so new homes could be found for them.

“We ask that a prospective bird owner come in on three different occasions to interact with their new feathered companion to build a relationship with them,” Gina Dewees said. “We’ve had a very good success rate with customers who do so. We want these birds to feel comfortable with their new owners and enjoy their forever home.”

Parrotopia offers its customers help in choosing the right parrot species for their family, tips on diet and nutrition, practical advice on adopting a rescue parrot and basic knowledge on parrot health and illness they need to help their bird thrive.

“We want to help new parrot owners with the commitment they are about to make,” she said. “It’s not just the honeymoon phase where they’ll walk in and fall in love with one bird and then want to take it home. It takes multiple visits to allow both bird and human to fully bond.”

Find Parrotopia online at parrotopiasac.com or visit the store six days a week at 5910 Auburn Blvd., Suite 9 in Citrus Heights. The store is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays.