Dirty birds clean up their act
By Donna De Marco
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published May 3, 2004

Mark and Lorraine Moore's careers have gone to the birds. The Stafford, Va., husband-and-wife team, who invented and patented a diaper for birds, have watched their business, Avian Fashions, soar in the past seven years.

FlightSuits, their signature product, which were created for the Moore family birds' needs, have landed all over the world.

The skivvies, made out of a stretchy Lycra with funky colors and patterns, have made it possible for pet birds to navigate outside their cages without soiling carpets, couches, drapes or even their owners.

We got laughed at a lot," said Mr. Moore, 45. "Above all the teasing, we did have happier birds, happier kids and a happier life.

We knew [the diapers] were enhancing our life and so we had a deep commitment to the product," he said.And now the couple, who has eight birds, two children and a dog, is laughing all the way to the bank.

Sales since the company started in January 1997 reached $1 million in November. The company is on pace to hit $350,000 in sales this year. That's compared with $18,000 in 1997.

On average, the company brings in $1,000 in sales a day, but that's not always the case. In a 10-minute period Wednesday, the fax machine produced $3,000 worth of orders from its distributors.

The pace is picking up," Mr. Moore said. "Finally, people are taking us seriously."

The company broke even after its third year and has been making a profit since.

The idea for the bird bloomers came out of necessity. The transient Navy family was moving from San Diego to upstate New York, but wanted the birds to roam during the cross-country journey.

They don't belong in a cage in the first place," said Mrs. Moore, 44.

She joined forces with Cely Giron, a friend in San Diego, to design the perfect diaper. They experimented with a handful of prototypes with snaps, hooks and fabrics before settling on the FlightSuits with Velcro.

I had a sense that this was going to be big," Mr. Moore said.

The patented reusable diapers, which sell for $20 to $26 depending on the size, are made from a lightweight stretchy Lycra fabric, like a swimsuit. The bird fits into the suit by guiding its feet through the wing openings and raising the elastic straps up and over its wings. The diaper closes with a strip of Velcro in the back.

A removable pad lines the pouch and collects the droppings. The weight of the feces pulls the diaper away from the bird. Depending on the size of the bird, the pads need to be changed every four to six hours.

Some birds need some time to get used to the FlightSuits and they aren't suitable for all, particularly those that don't like to be touched.

As part of almost natural evolution, the Moores created a leash that attaches to the FlightSuits with a Velcro strap.

The diaper and leash allow bird owners to take their feathered friends almost anywhere.

Tamara Henry, who has four pet birds, has taken them into public places such as the grocery store and the bank.

Without the diapers, "it would be very messy," she said. "I would not have four birds."

Seven of the Moore's birds -- a cockatoo, a conure, an African grey, two cockatiels and two parakeets -- roam freely around the office, which is in the basement of the couple's home. All of them are fitted with colorful diapers, contentedly sitting on the head of Avian Fashions' only other employee, Diana Knight, clinging to Mrs. Moore's shoulder or resting on their perches. The eighth bird -- a lovebird -- is being trained to wear the FlightSuit, Mrs. Moore said. The birds wear a variety of the custom-made diapers from bright to toned-down colors, floral prints and rainbow patterns.

Avian Fashions has become a full-time job for the Moores as orders come in from all over the world via the Web, phone, fax and from distributors. The FlightSuits also are sold at some pet stores and on Petco.com. The couple, who have been married for 21 years, retired from the Navy to spend all their energy to build their nest egg.

The diaper business has expanded into Avian Attire, a line of costumes such as Santa Claws, Biker Birdie, Tux With Tails and Uncle Sammy Bird.

The costumes are a stretch for some people," Mrs. Moore said.

The company also sells diapers for ducks and geese and will begin selling bird sweaters in the fall.

The Moores have no intention of expanding their wings beyond avian creatures, despite requests for monkey diapers.

"We don't want to get too off our focus," Mr. Moore said.