Meet Laurieton market regulars Hendrix, Chico and Skittles Camden Haven by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 29, 2024 Debbie Aitchison and her ‘cute critters’ Hendrix, Chico and Skittles. Photo: Sue Stephenson. VERY few people batted an eyelid when Debbie Aitchison took her three birds for a walk around the last Laurieton Riverwalk Markets of 2024. Perched atop her equally colourful tresses or sitting on her shoulders, Skittles, Hendrix and Chico are market regulars who clearly have no intention of flying far from their “Cute Critter Sitter”. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Caring for animals is both Debbie’s passion and job. The number of people thanking her or simply stopping for a chat, is testament to her popularity as a pet sitter. Besides, her well-behaved and clearly photogenic birds are hard to resist. Each happily chirped along as Debbie shared their stories with News Of The Area. “The rainbow lorikeet (Skittles) I got as a nine-and-a-half week old baby. She was going to be released because the owners didn’t want her anymore,” she said. “A lot of training went into making sure she doesn’t get scared. “The turquoise green cheek conure (Hendrix) I got from my friend because she accidentally had a male and a female, so they had babies. “The sun conure (Chico) I got as a ten-day old baby chicken.” Conures are South American birds, frequently found flying around the Amazon rainforest with their friends the macaws. Licences are no longer required to keep them as pets. Debbie says her birds “know nothing but to be sociable.” “I normally have a stall here and everyone just crowds around, looking at them.” Keep an eye out for Debbie and her “cute critters” at the markets, which resume in 2025 on the additional date of 5 January. By Sue STEPHENSON Chico’s ‘bird’s-eye’ view from the top of Debbie’s colour-matched hair. Photo: Sue Stephenson.
