Most of us have heard at one point or another that you can’t cook with non-stick pans around pet birds, and if you have not heard now you know!  The culprit lurking on the pan’s surface is the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or commonly Teflon) coating that makes the cookware non-stick. PTFE and related coatings (PFOA, PFOS, etc.) emits toxic fumes when heated that are especially dangerous to birds due to their unique respiratory system. These coatings are the most common source of inhaled poisoning in companion birds. This article will discuss why pet birds are particularly sensitive to PTFE fumes, which