montagna@mizar.usc.edu (Cathy Montagna) (11/09/90)
I had my beloved, beloved parakeet (budgie) Pico for 13 YEARS before he died. About two days before he died, I noticed that he was "sitting" rather than perching; I took him to a vet, who told me that birds usually don't show signs that they're hurt until it's too late -- she gave Pico 24 hrs to live. Devastated, I took him home and held him in my hands on and off for the next six hours. After putting him on the floor of his cage to sleep (he didn't have clipped wings, but I always left the door open for him to sit on top of stay inside) I had no sooner got into my bed when I heard a wild flapping. I rushed back to the cage and Pico had gone; flown off to Heaven. He was a real people-lover and enjoyed chirping away sitting on my shoulder no matter what I was doing (watching TV, lying down reading a book, even taking a shower --no kidding!). About 6 months later, I got another baby parakeet that looked just like Pico (I know, I know....) but he's not the people lover Pico was. "Bird" (can't bring myself to name him yet, and it's been almost a year) is content to sit in his cage, bashing his head on his mirror (Pico used to do this, too). Sorry I got off on this tangent, but the vet couldn't believe my Pico was 13 years old! She called in the other doctors & nurses to come in and look at him and they all "oooo"ed and "aaaa"ed over seeing a bird who'd lived so long!