Moving on from pets

Me, ‘I’m going to miss you, buddy. I hope you have a good life and are taken care of.’

My bird, *stuffing his face with mango*.

Me, ‘I know it’s hard, but it’s for the best.’

My bird, *chewing a pencil*

If you’ve read my post about Jumbah you’ll know about how I found the little rainbow lorikeet hurt and abandoned, and he’s been living with me ever since. We’ve been developing a solid bond. He sticks his head in my mouth, chews my hair, and makes a mess whenever he can. Unfortunately, after talking to friends and family, I’ve realised as much as I would like to keep him, I’m not going to be able to give him the best, most stable life. I’m a student. He makes finding accommodation difficult, and I move around a bit and travel. He needs a good home who will take care of him and give him constant attention. Sadly, I think I’ve found one.

I know rainbow lorikeets are a pest (practically the rats of the sky), so I’ve been hesitant to hand him into a wildlife rescue centre, especially because he is so domesticated and can’t fly. That leaves organisations with two options: put him down or find him a home. So, I’ve decided to find him a home and make sure it’s the best home it can be. I’ve received dozens of messages about him from lots of different people. I have found a good family. They already have birds, know how to handle them, and have five very lovely, gentle children.

Now the hard part is letting him go. I’ve enjoyed my time with him, and I hope that his tiny bird brain retains a couple of fond memories from staying with me. Even though he isn’t dying, it’s still difficult to say goodbye. All I can hope is that I’m doing the best thing for him.

Tagged in Student life