It was Sunday, hot-mid 90's, Mothers day, and I was on my way to pick up my daughter from a sleepover. 2 blocks from home I semi-consciously see a bird on the middle of the road. Thinking it will fly away, (they always do!) I slow down slightly but keep driving. It doesn't fly away, and when I look back in my rear-view mirror, its still there - on the middle of the road! (And gratefully missed the tires!!!) So I stop, do a u-turn in the middle of the block and go back. Its a cockatiel, just sitting there. I pick it up, put it in the car and run home and place it in a cage with some water.
We spend all afternoon going house to house asking if anyone has lost their bird. No one claims him/her but a few would love to 'rescue' it. That evening I try taking it out of the cage, dog safely locked in the den, and it promptly hops on my shoulder and stays there until I plop him back in the cage. No easy task putting him in the cage, and I have bite-marks to prove it! He wants out, and he wants my shoulder. Monday I place an ad in the paper - knowing that if it were my bird, I would hope someone would do the same. I call and make a vet appointment (for today), call the bird rescue and the humane society. They all tell me that the chances of finding its owner is next to nill...
Now its Wednesday, and our lives - actually mainly my life has been turned upsidedown! The bird, we nicknamed him 'King', being that I found him on King Street, has bonded mainly to me, sitting on my shoulder, nibbling on my earrings as I write this. He squaks loudly when I leave the house and hates to be in his cage. I adore birds, having had canary's for years - but this one is different, he/she is like another child! Our dog, a terrior-mix, see's him mainly as 'bait', and drolls and shivers when in the same room - not to mention whining in jealousy when I am in the other room...
I woke up this morning realizing I was dreading getting up. Not only is the usual morning routine of waking my daughter and making breakfast and lunch a bit stressful to begin with, but now knowing that I will need to spend at least an hour with the bird (changing clothes after the fact - they poop you know!) listening to his talking and dealing with cleaning out his cage - I knew even before I got out of bed that I just don't have it in me to be a good mother to this little creature... He is truly adorable, very loving, snuggling into my earlobes, but the stress factor has littlerly turned my life insideout and upsidedown!
My daughter cried huge tears this morning, but I hope she will understand. I feel guilty and yet also a bit relieved. So now I have a new mission, trying to find a perfect home for this little guy. He needs someone who will spend hours with him in a safe (pet-wise) environment. Someone with a big cage and the willingness to spoil him/her like it deserves. I have bonded enough to it that I know I won't hand him over to just anyone. So the challange is on. Wish me luck...
