Almost 2 years ago my parents adopted a cockatiel from the rescue where Thomas and I volunteer. It was intended to be a hospice situation. He was at least 25 and in very bad shape. His wings were damaged in a way that could only have been cause by abuse. He was very weak. We needed to find him a quiet home where he could live out his final weeks in peace -- that's about how long the vet guessed he would live.
It's hard to find a home for a bird like that -- who would adopt a bird knowing they have such a short time with him? Luckily my parents stepped up and brought him home, expecting to have him less than a year.
Under their care, his health has made an amazing recovery. He no longer looks like a sickly old man. He's brought so much joy into their lives, and while they know they won't have a long time with him, any time they do have is a bonus.
We play a lot of cards in my family, and their cockatiel was invited to join in the fun. We accused my dad of having him mark the cards:
Wandering around; disrupting play:
He walked over and climbed up Thomas's arm:
He does get tired out quickly, so after a few hands of this, he went on my dad's shoulder where he took a nap.
3 comments:
He's at least 27? Wow!!! I love hearing about older cockatiels.
Oh Mary -- he's beautiful. He reminds me a little of Sugar Franklin. I hope he lives another 25 years and marks cards every chance he gets!
Elizabeth -- that's if we can believe the people who surrendered him. They claimed to have had him for 25 years until they just grew tired of him.
BP -- he is very beautiful! He's going strong now and my parents are hoping to have many more years with him.
Post a Comment