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Been thinking about it for a few days now, cancelling my membership. Have had some lovely chats with people, but I cant seem to put my heart in to this. guess I dont really want my life to change, Im too independant and too wary of allowing anything to possibly 'upset the applecart' so to speak! Soooo, I wish you all loads of luck in finding the person of your dreams, and the happiness you are seeking! Take care, and be happy!
lots of love from
The parroty one'
x

Albert.

Once I was an un-named bird,
Unnoticed, unseen, uncared for, unheard.
My own kind despised me, the humans cared not;
And that was my life, that was my lot.

So many beatings and peckings Id face
Every day of my life, I sure knew my place.
I had no importance, that was for sure,
So Id hide in the corner upon the cage floor.

One day from the cage I was taken away,
And nobody cared that I couldn’t stay.
I didn’t care nether, I was dying, I knew,
And death was a dream that I prayed would come true.

Then one day, gentle hands picked me up, held me close,
And soothed my sore body with soft gentle strokes.
Ointments and lotions were gently applied,
But they still could not ease the torment inside.

So I tried hard to move to the land of sweet sleep,
I was tired, and worn, my pain was too deep.
But one person kept crying and calling a name..
“Albert! Albert! Please wait! Try again!’’

“She means me!” *I* am Albert! I thought in surprise
I could see she hurt too, as I looked in her eyes.
In that moment I knew I was important at last,
It was time to fight back and let go of my past.

From then on, things changed, my pain, it got less,
And my torn, ragged feathers didn’t look such a mess.
I could eat without fear, no attacks came my way,
And my heart, it felt better, with each passing day.

Now fearless, I sit in a soft human hand,
And Ive learned something special, I now understand
That as wild as it seems, its so easy to see,
That Im healing my friend, as she’s healing me.

And I know that Im loved, even by friends unknown,
I know now I’ll never again feel alone.
My life is fulfilled, my song has been heard.
I am PROUD to be Albert, the small tattered bird!

In warm, proud loving memory of my dear little Albert.
Anne.M.******

©

After weeks of careful nursing care, and confidence building, I felt the time had arrived to try and introduce Albert to his own kind. At that time, I had two other budgies, Teapot and Snowy. Both were gentle, curious little birds, and although Snowy had no trust of humans whatsoever, she was totally unaggressive. Teapot was friendly to anyone, and anything. However, I still had concerns about the introduction. Albert was only half the size of Teapot and Snowy, he was such a tiny little budgie. Would they see him as the 'runt', and pick on him and bully him, as all the birds in his past had? Would he be terrified regardless because of his terrible past? There was only one way to find out....

With Teapot and Snowy sat happily atop their cage, I carried little Albert towards them on my hand. Teapot immediately flew down to my hand and introduced himself to Albert. Albert looked a little unsure, but not fearful. Teapot chirped and bobbed his head at Albert, yet was not too pushy. So far, so good! I then carried Albert and placed him on top of the cage on which Snowy sat. Snowy looked, and moved slowly and gently to this tiny little member of her own species. The three birds chirped at each other, and Teapot stepped forward and gently preened the face feathers of this new addition to his flock. I just sat watching, in silent, inner joy as the three birds checked each other out, then settled down for an afternoon nap, all snuggled up together. Albert was accepted. Albert was unafraid. Albert, for the first time in his life had friends of his own kind who meant him no harm, only acceptance.

Albert's world was, finally, complete!

Albert appeared to be gaining a tiny bit of weight, he was getting livelier, and one day, he actually ate happily and fearlessly from a feeder cup! That was such a huge, huge step for a little bird who only dared eat off the floor for fear of terrible harm.
I knew Albert was still very frail despite how much he’d improved, and I knew that his traumatic life before he came to me could still take its toll. I hoped he would live, I prayed he would live, I was not 100% sure. He’d been through so much. But one thing I was sure of, was that Albert had finally seen another side to life, he had seen kindness, gentleness, compassion, and his awful, heart wrenching fears were slowly fading away. He now knows what it is like to be safe and loved. That is what I wanted most in the world for him, and no matter what happens now, he has the gift of happiness and love. At long last, the sun has come from behind the clouds for Albert. It has finally stopped raining.

The next morning, something way beyond my hopes, prayers and dreams happened. I sadly lifted his cover, and a tiny, hunched up, sad looking, but very much ALIVE little budgie peeped back at me!!!! Albert had stayed, bravely made the choice to fight back and live. More medications were administered or applied, more trips to the vet, a treatment for a very nasty case of scaly mite was administered.
At one point, hope began to fade again as Albert began beaking or scratching open his healing wounds. They were itching him as they healed, so he ripped at them. Self-traumatisation on top of everything else was not good, not good at all. BUT, we got him through that!
I was giving him all sorts of vitamin and mineral supplements trying to build up his strength, as he would only eat the smallest amount of millet, and he would only eat off the floor of his cage, probably due to being attacked in his past, every time he went near a feeder. I noticed how when he went near the feeders in his own, safe little cage, he would clearly cower, looking all around him, awaiting, expecting attack, then move away without bothering to eat.
In the last couple of days, Albert has come on in leaps and bounds. He has been eating more, still off the floor, but certainly getting tucked in! He has been livelier, trying to fly when he’s been out of his cage, flapping his tiny little wing stumps with all his might, to rise about an inch into the air, and to travel about two inches, but he is TRYING!!!!! He will sit calmly and trustingly on my knee while, without restraining him, I gently lift his tattered feathers to check the wounds and injuries beneath. He lets me apply soothing medication to his skin, and he nether bites, nor attempts to fly off my knee. He trusts me implicitly.