Too Close a Call

[Newticus]

So yesterday, I was at work when I got a call from my partner.
Our new tenant who likes our birds had taken Sushi, a rose crown conure, our newest parrot outside and he flew away. Most of our birds are clipped, but Sushi is a bad plucker and we wanted to see if the confidence from being flighted might help. We had also just taken him to the vet and finally been confirmed of his clean bill of health and had just moved him down with our other birds. I was devistated as images of my poor baby being eaten by local wild and domestic life, or starving to death flashed before me. I even cried on my manager, and I never cry. So I hopped in a taxi and raced home, hoping that we just might find him.
As I was pulling onto my street I saw my partners car. So I got out and she had found him in a neighbours yard in their apple tree. She only found him because he always whistles to her when she whistles to him. I raced home to grab our ladder by the time I got back my partner had gotten up high enough to get him and she passed him back to me.
I never thought we would lose one of our birds outside, that's why I keep mine clipped usually and I NEVER suspected my new tenant who is not unfamiliar with birds would take a flighted one outside.
I was so mad at her it took all my self control not to run up an beat her when she came outside. Thankfully she didn't hang around long.

I still will not be clipping Sushi, but my tenant has been given a stern warning to never touch my birds again.

sigh.....

Melanie

[RockysMom]

I can't even imagine how I would feel!!!! Rocky is not currently flighted( the breeder completely messed up his clipped before we got him) so we are going to let his feathers grow out and see how he does in our apartment being flighted. I am just scared to death of that happening that he will fly away, I don't know what I would do!! I am very happy that everything turned out ok for you and hope Sushi is doing ok!!! :)

[jenseits]

Whoa! Glad that ended well. Can't imagine what someone would be thinking, taking a bird that doesn't belong to them outside unrestrained. The problem is obviously not that the bird was flighted, but that your tenant was way out of line. I'm glad everything worked out and that you'll continue to give Sushi the opportunity to stay flighted (indoors!)

Sounds like your new tenant might not have what some of us would call common sense, and it could be a good idea to spell out what is and isn't allowed when it comes to the birds (regardless of whether you chew her out, I mean, which you are totally entitled to do as far as I'm concerned).

[NotEnoughTime]

It is great that you recovered your bird and I am happy for you!

I imagine your tenant is feeling pretty badly right now... Despite not having what we would call "common sense." Keep in mind that in those movies the pirates always have the bird on their shoulder and it never flys away - or if it does it always comes back...

It is what happens in movies - so it should be true IRL...

[jenseits]

Hm... in the movies, the bad guys always get knocked unconscious with one punch, while the good guy can get beat in the head and not even bruise. Cars can get totaled and still drive away. In fact, cars always have keys in the ignition so you don't need keys to get into them. Everyone has every phone number memorized. Lassie always knows where Timmy is and always runs straight home without rolling in a dead deer carcass first. Everyone owns a Mac.

LOL

[NotEnoughTime]

Yup - that's the way some people view life! One of my students once said, IRL sucks... Too bad for him, eh?

[asulli]

Originally Posted by jenseits

Hm... in the movies, the bad guys always get knocked unconscious with one punch, while the good guy can get beat in the head and not even bruise. Cars can get totaled and still drive away. In fact, cars always have keys in the ignition so you don't need keys to get into them. Everyone has every phone number memorized. Lassie always knows where Timmy is and always runs straight home without rolling in a dead deer carcass first. Everyone owns a Mac.

LOL

Tooooo funny!