Feeling Guilty About My Parrots

Writing as an indie author is hard work! For the last couple of weeks I have been busy with proofing and editing. If it is not that, I am writing and marketing, interviewing, blogging...you get the picture. Before I know it, the day is over.

Then it is time for exercising, dinner, time with Dave, chores...and again you get the picture. Day over.  Time for bed.  The only problem is, I have 2 parrots that need attention. Two beautiful hookbills with the intelligence of a two year old human (Pionus) and 5 year old human (African Grey) who wait patiently, wondering when "Mommy" will give them some personal attention and love.

Oh, I clean up their cages every day.  They always have clean perches, new paper and clean dishes.  They are given fresh water three times and food twice a day.  They get out on their play gyms every day. 

The problem is, I don't spend personal love time with them like I used to. I don't know why the day goes by so much faster now.  Perhaps I am getting slower, I don't know. All I know is my heart breaks when I look at them and think "Another day that I did not hold you on my arm and tell you how beautiful you are, how I love you.  Another day closer to when you leave me and I will wish I would have felt the soft velvet of your feathers a few more times." 

I promise myself I will do better.  And then life happens. Would they be better off in another home?  I don't know. They certainly are part of our lives.  They sit on play gyms in the room where we usually are, or in cages with toys and DirecTV. Birds outside don't do much besides eat, sleep, preen, and escape danger.  So maybe they are fine.

Maybe if I found new homes for them it would break their hearts.  Kazoo (the Pionus parrot) has been with us twenty years.  He will be twenty-one in August.  I hand fed him as a baby. I am his world.  I am sure he wonders why he does not get as much attention as he used to, but how would he feel never seeing me again?

Melanie has been with us sixteen years. She will be seventeen in June. At only three and 1/2 months old, we were her fourth home! That was too young to have been moved from the breeders.  We worked with her and she healed from an illness (the first grey on record to do so)...and now talks like crazy. What would she think if we "got rid" of her? What would going to a fifth home do to her self esteem?  And, yes, parrots have self esteem.  Especially parrots with the intelligence of a five year old.

No, finding new homes is not the answer.  Perhaps I transfer my guilt into feelings they are not even feeling.  Perhaps they are just fine! I don' know.  I know they want attention and I know all too often I don't give it. An endless circle of guilt.  Yet, without them life would not be as wonderful.

And so, once again, I promise to do better.  Today I will take the time to sit outside with them for at least a half an hour.  Maybe a half an hour each individually and tell them each how fabulous, how beautiful, how precious they really are. Life with parrots is truly special.

Ah, little velvet man and African satin princess, how I love you.  I have failed many times to show it, but you are dreams come true. I wanted you since I was a child.  Please forgive me my lack of time. You are always in my heart and I will try,really try, to give you more of me. Being human, I will fail many times.  Please forgive me when I do. Please forgive me and remember that I love you. So much that at times it breaks my heart.

                                  

There Is Nothing Like Being Owned By Parrots

I have a life besides being an indie writer. You know I paint, but did you know I am owned by parrots?

There are dog lovers and then there are cat lovers.  They both give reasons why dogs or cats are the best pet you can have.  And, of course, we have all heard that cliche "Dogs are a man's best friend".  Dog lovers go on and on about dog's loyalty and how glad they always are to see you.

Hmmmpfffff.  You don't have a clue to how close of a relationship one can have with an animal until you are owned by a parrot. People who don't know much about birds think they must be boring.  Not so.  Most parrots have the intelligence of a three year old human.  African Grey parrots and Cockatoo parrots have the intelligence of a five year old human.  Animal experts now say they are at least as intelligent as dolphins and moneys...maybe more so.

Does you dog talk?  I did not say mimic.  I said talk.  There are still some "experts" that say parrots only mimic.  They obviously have not lived with parrots.  Or watched the videos of Alex, the African Grey.  He is dead now, but learned colors, sizes, shapes and could pick them out when asked randomly.  Some greys are being taught to touch computer keys to call up different photos of parrots.  They think in 10 years greys can video conference.  True, it won't be as in depth as us...but pretty cool.

My parrots will look at me out of the blue and say  "I love you."  When was the last time your cat said that?  When they are tired, they say "Time for night night" or "See you tomorrow".  If I don't act immediately, I hear "Let's go.  Let's go."

Some think parrots are dirty and have bugs because they are always pecking at themselves.  Not so.  They are cleaning feathers and rearranging feathers to get warmer or cooler.  Parrots ARE messy.  They throw things and their feather dander gets on everything.  There is lots of vacuuming done in my house and we have air purifiers.  But guess what?  Their poop does not stink.  Not one bit.  Nice, huh?

Parrots are not for everyone though.  They are very, VERY high maintenance.  They need one on one time daily.  They need to legitimately be part of the family.  As flock animals, they like to be involved and included.  They can't be put in a cage and left there just because their feathers happen to match your decor.  Some parrots actually go insane because of bad treatment.  They are a commitment for decades.  Do you get rid of three year old humans when you tire of them?  That is what it is like if you "get rid of" parrots.

Don't get me wrong.  I love dogs and cats.  I also love snakes and other reptiles.  But there is no other animal in the world that can have a deeper relationship with you than a parrot.

We have a male White Capped Pionus named Kazoo (16 years old) and a female African Grey name Melanie (20 years old).  Kazoo could live 35 years and Melanie could live to be 75.  People ask why we chose animals that have the intelligence of human children and will live (one of them longer than we have left here) so long when we are childless by choice.

My answer?  Well, yes they can bite.  They are messy and can be loud.  They are demanding.  However, they will never do drugs, total my car, need money for college, or marry someone I can't stand.  That is more than a fair trade-off, if you ask me.

Oh-oh.  Gotta go.  My "bosses" are ready for breakfast.  Kazoo is saying "Wanna eat" and Melly is yelling "Good Morning."  I don't want to be written up.