Bye, bye, birdie....

So last night, I went out with my husband after a meeting in order to buy food for our ‘shit monsters’ (the term I affectionately use to describe my cats). I am not sure what is going on with my cats but they seems to be ravenous and simultaneously picky.

So at any rate – this particular pet store has a beautiful white cockatoo. I think it is a male – but I am not positive. Everytime I go to this store, I talk with , pet and pretty much flirt with this bird. He is adorable. I feel so baldy because he has been there for a while and no one seems to be adopting him (I am sure this bird costs well over $1500) - which means that day in and day out he is stuck in this pet store. Sure, he has human contact but not as much as he’d probably like. So every chance I get, I pay attention to this lovely bird.

Yesterday, I let him perch on my arm and being a bird, he spotted the bright shiny object in my ear (my dangling earring), and pulled it out of my ear. I pulled it away from him and he then proceeded to try to reach down and nibble on my ring. Seeing this, the alert staff proceeded to remove him from my arm and lock him in his cage. I was upset but I understand and I probably should not have been playing with him like that….

But today I am still thinking about him and wishing I could go back and spend some time with him. Owning a bird right now is out of the question. More and more though, I struggle with the idea of ‘owning’ pets. Or using pets to entertain us, take away our loneliness etc. I know that it is a mutually beneficial relationship and animals love us back. Still, I can’t bring this bird home. The fact that they live to be 80 does not help either because how do you ‘bequeath’ a bird?

I look forward to the next time I get to visit my little friend though. Perhaps someone will make the effort and decide to adopt him and give him a loving home.