Here is how my life got started with parrots:
My husband and I have always been animal lovers. We have 1 dog. It was my husband's birthday and we were spending the day together. We were to be married in the near future, and I had 1 errand to do at the shoe store. I didn't want him to see my wedding shoes, so he went into the pet store next-door in the plaza.
There was a parakeet in a cage with a sign that read "7 year old male. Friendly. $30 including cage." The parakeet jumped right up onto his finger. So, especially with it being his birthday and all, I bought it for him. It was a very cool little bird. My husband's mother never let him have pets growing up, and I already had my dog (now our dog) when I met him, so this was officially "his" first pet. He named the parakeet "Tiki."
I had a coworker who loved birds, and had 12 of her own. She would tell me funny stories about them. I found it very cute and fascinating, and that is probably what sparked my interest in birds other than parakeets. Five months after getting Tiki, a Sun Conure at the pet store caught my eye. He was clinging to the front of the cage staring at me. It was weird that he seemed to connect with me, and that I was drawn to him with all of the other birds in the store... he was kind of set back and not in a central location. The sign on his cage reflected that he hatched the day after our wedding. I thought about this bird for a week after seeing him.
Fully understanding the commitment you take on when you adopt or purchase a bird, we researched Sun Conures for over a week. While they are certainly not the right choice for everybody due to their extremely loud, high pitched screams, etc., my husband and I decided that it was right for us. We both are extremely patient and love all animals. The clown-like personality of the Sun Conure won us over. We adopted him and named him "Rico." He was 3.5 months old at the time.
Tiki and Rico quickly became friends. Unfortunately, 5 months later, Tiki died. He had a tumor. We only had Tiki for 10 months, but we were devastated. My husband lost his first pet. Rico was now 8.5 months old.
Not even a full week after Tiki died, my cousin found a parakeet in a busy hospital parking lot. It needed a home. It seemed like fate and we definitely wanted to keep him. I brought him straight to the vet just in case he was sick or contagious; I didn't want Rico to catch anything from him.
While I was at the vet with this new parakeet, I saw a flyer for 2 birds who needed a home. A Sun Conure and a Hahn's Macaw. It said they shared a cage, were the best of friends, had good personalities, but due to a new baby they were no longer getting the attention that they deserved. They were 5 years old. I thought it was crazy to even consider it, but I brought the flyer home and talked about it with my husband. Again, it is not the right choice for everyone, and I urge everybody to please make sure you understand the commitment when you take home a bird, but for us, it was the right decision and we decided to adopt them. Their names are Maestro & Hahnsie.
So we then had 4 birds (all within 1 year): A parakeet, 2 Sun Conures, and a Hahn's Macaw. Because the 3 bigger birds hang out on our shoulders, etc., the parakeet would get lonely when we'd all leave the room. So we got him a parakeet friend. They are now best friends. Their names are Louis & Pinot.
We now have 5 birds... and that is our story! It definitely took time (and patience!) to get a routine going. A routine is very important for them and for you. It's been 3 years now and we absolutely love them. It is A LOT of work, but we find it rewarding and we enjoy it. They are good boys (most of the time!) ;o)
"You get out of it what you put into it."
~Kelly from CT~
P.S. You can find pictures of all five of our babies in Photo Gallery 5 - Click Here
Please send me your "Parrot Tale!"
Tell me how your life with parrots got started, and I'll post it here on my next ezine! Email it to:
goldie_web@yahoo.com
