Sister Rain’s Note:
In 2015, I published 9.5 parts of “Piper & Me: A Love Story.” Beginning in March 2024 I reposted them weekly. I have since written new chapters and will continue to do so. If you would like to read any of the parts, type “Piper & Me” in the search bar.
I had always been told to leave a bird who has just joined your family in his mansion for the first week, allowing him to feel safe and secure in his new home. I had asked the rescue owner at A Helping Wing Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary about Piper, she said not necessary with him and his personality, as he climbed atop my head before leaving the rescue for the last time.
The first morning after bringing him home was a Sunday. We had the whole day to spend together. My husband and I kept our distance for the most part, giving hm space to observe us and his new surroundings. We talked to him though, a lot, using his name. When we did approach, he bit. I talked to myself too, about patience and understanding. Piper was hatched in Florida, at some point was part of a family with three other birds, ended up at the rescue in New York around the age of four, the rescue moved to New Jersey. He was there two years before I found him on petfinder.com.
We did attempt a few times to pick Piper up from the mansion. Though already able to identify, sometimes at least, his pre-bite movement, he was faster than us. I cannot stress enough the muscle memory Mister Rain and I experienced, doing things we did with Cato for 15 years, expecting the same outcome. We spent the day much as the evening before. Piper stayed up a little later this second night, but not much. I hated to have to leave him to go to work the next morning.
It is amazing how quickly you fall into a routine, getting fresh water for Piper before heading to the office, coming home and opening the mansion door so he could play outside of his house within our house for a few hours before bed. I can’t recall how often I attempted to pick him up in the very early days, I just remember it not being successful very often, maybe occasionally he would permit it without injury.
I immediately called our veterinarian to make an appointment to have Piper checked out. We had one piece of paper with some test results on it from the rescue, which was good, it would save Piper the stress, not to mention the pain, of having blood drawn. We were trying to forge a bond of trust, not cause him to fear us more. I was able to secure a visit within a few days, so we once again loaded Piper into his carrier and into the car. I worried he would think he was going back to the rescue, the thought of that killed me. Twelve years after bringing him home, I still often picture him in the back of a car or a van, in a small cage, being driven perhaps from Florida to New York, as well as the other trips that had to have happened for him to end up in New Jersey. The idea of him in an airplane cargo hold is unbearable.
Dr. C gave Piper a thorough examination, deeming him healthy. She did notice he looked like he needed a bath, which we had been trying to give him since we brought him home. She told us to spray him in the sink with a water bottle or in the shower, rather than waiting for him to decide to go for a swim in the Pyrex pie plate Cato loved. We had noticed that Piper often rubbed his own neck or head for long periods at a time. At first, not being able to see his foot buried in his feathers, we didn’t know what he was doing. Dr. C said that some birds do that for comfort. It is rare these day, but Piper still does this.
Although we didn’t have any concerns about Piper’s health, it was a relief that he got an excellent report. Now all we could do was keep doing whaat we were doing, proving to Piper that we were not going anywhere no matter what. I will fully admit I wanted the adjustment period to move more quickly, but we had a lifetime to spend together. What are 100 more bites compared to the rest of our lives?
#sisterrain #birdmom #adoptdontshop #parrotsofinstagram #conure #ahelpingwingparrotrescue #piperandmealovestory
