Since birds drop more than feathers, a business is born FlightSuit diapers take care of pets' 'poop problem'
Carla Thornton
Saturday, November 29, 2003
San Francisco Chronicle

Mark and Lorraine Moore, a career Navy couple, were being transferred again, this time 2,600 miles away to Virginia. And this time they had two parakeets, two cockatiels, a conure and a cockatoo to load in the minivan along with their two kids.

They hated the idea of their pets being cooped up the entire trip. "We wanted to take them out in the car and at friends' houses so we could show them off," said Lorraine. "But birds poop every 15 minutes." And that is how bird diapers were born.

With the help of a seamstress friend, Lorraine made skivvies for all six of her birds. They had openings to accommodate legs, wings and the tail and a Velcro fastener. The key feature: an elongated "poop pouch," which caught droppings for as long as four hours. To fine-tune the designs, the Moores visited local pet stores to measure additional bird tushes. When other bird owners began asking about the diapers, the lightbulb came on.

"We knew it was a great solution for us. Then we thought maybe this would work for other people, too," says Lorraine.

The Moores formed a company, Avian Fashions, and premiered their patented didees, called FlightSuits, at www.flightquarters.com on New Year's Day 1997.

The stretchy Lycra suits come in sizes to fit every avian figure, from petite for parakeets to "colossal" for plus-size parrots. Pampering a bird of average size costs $30, including the suit, disposable liners, a leash and shipping.

Initially, the Moores ran Avian Fashions out of their 1,100-square-foot apartment on a military base. In 1998, they traded up to a 4,000-square-foot home in nearby Stafford, Va. Last year they retired from the Navy to run their enterprise full time.

No bird brains when it comes to growing a parrot diaper business, they have introduced FlightSuits in 10 additional colors and fleece-lined for cold weather. Costumes -- Santa Claus, bunny and turkey suits among others -- now make up 30 percent of sales. Knitted monogrammed sweaters appeal to the preppie bird. Any day now, Avian Fashions will pass the $1 million mark.

"We won't stop until we make the world safe from bird poop," declares Mark, a Hayward native who credits his big brother, Rob, for setting an early example in strange business ventures. A young Rob ran lemonade stands for funeral services. Now he's president of a data-processing company in San Jose. Mark realizes that his own career path has done a reverse commute.

"They all think I'm a bit flighty," he quips.

Perhaps stating the obvious, Lorraine says FlightSuits work best with tame birds. Younger birds also tend to be more accepting of wearing clothes.

Vicky Foppiano of San Francisco has given up trying to wrestle her 3-year- old blue-and-gold macaw, Scooter, into a diaper. "It's a great idea. I guess we should have worked with her more," she says, sighing.

The suit spooked Scooter the first time she wore it. Now she screams whenever she sees the tropical print. "Awwww! Awwww!" says Foppiano, doing a serviceable imitation of a large parrot in distress. "That's what she does. Would you like me to send you her diaper?"

Art Mechaevich of Livermore has had better luck with his two green- cheeked conures. Romeo and Juliet first wore FlightSuits when they were just 6 weeks old and now love dressing up. "They know they're going outside," said Mechaevich, who takes the small green birds shopping with him at Wal-Mart.

Suited birds get out of the cage more, agrees Lorraine Moore. They go to church, on bike rides, walking the dog, picking up the kids from school.

That makes her feel good.

"It never gets old getting an e-mail from someone who says, 'I've always wanted a bird but couldn't because of the mess,' and know our FlightSuit is going to make their dream come true."