Thursday, March 18, 2010

My feathered friend.

This is Paulie. Paulie joined the family about twelve years ago, when we ran into him in a pet shop. I'd wanted a small parrot for a while, since I knew that was all I could afford, and when I saw this little green-cheeked conure perched unhappily in a cage, his chest bare of feathers because he'd plucked them all out, well, I felt sorry for him. By contrast, the sun conure that shared his cage was brilliant in every way: cheerful, sunny, brightly colored. But there sat Paulie, naked before the world and wanting only to be loved for who he was. I fell for it, and I'm pretty sure I got a discount for buying him naked.

It took a while before his feathers grew out. I knew they would - self-pluckers usually have some kind of psychological problem, and I figured he wouldn't go crazy as a result of living with us. Turns out I was right, surprisingly.

I know he looks sweet enough, but he's actually a little shit.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this the same bird that you had that sang the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" song?

Liz

Anonymous said...

He looks like he's got quite a personality.

Propoquerian said...

I think your bird may have a drinking problem. I'm pretty sure I have a poster with a picture of him on it, a martini, and the caption "Pauli wants a cocktail."

All joking aside. This story warmed my heart. I'm not even a bird person but....I woulda taken him to by the way you described it!
my beagle was picked up in a alleyway in some trash and brought to a very hoity-toity pet shop where people wanted the pure-bred, show-winning stories of the dogs they baught. Charlie, my beagle, was one-third the price as the others because he lacked such a story. I had to take him :)

Urban Cynic said...

Little Paulie is a very lucky fella...

MauritaMason said...

Liz, Paulie doesn't speak English. But he did like to dance to that song and tweet a little bit.

wildstorm, yes, he's quite a character.

Pro, LOL about the poster. Also, it's nice to know you are a fellow champion of the underdog.

UC, yes he is, and he'd better start appreciating me more.

Taylor said...

I just thought I would let you know that I was making lunch today and Paulie was doing his obnoxiously high squawking noise and going nuts. I gave him a gold fish to try and sooth him, which he snatched out of my hand and as I was eating he turned around like an angry teenager and went into his little house. lol He hasn't came out yet. He does have a big personality.

MauritaMason said...

Miss S, that's funny. What he wants is PEOPLE food. Meaning, whatever you are eating. I'm starting to think he's kind of over the goldfish crackers.