When you live with a parrot that can’t find a use for you.
Two humans look into each other’s eyes and know this conversation should have happened before they met the bird.
“He’s awesome. I can’t get him off me.” Cali grinned cradling a young red parrot who’s spread his wings hug wide while using his talons to latch onto the front of a T-shirt to lay his head into Cali’s neck. That’s parrot body language for mine.
Snickers infiltrated our family after spending an afternoon splattered against Cali’s chest. I was baggage. I didn’t know it, yet. I sat in a visitors chair holding Snickers. Handing Snickers to me was a surprise to Snickers. He asked for no such thing.
“He is adorable.” I am smitten. I stroke Snickers’ head feathers smooth. A caveat screams inside my skull; Yeah, but he’s a male scarlet, they are more than a handful. They are two handsful!
“Should we? We have the room. Butters sure could use a friend.”
Snickers nuzzles into my neck, but he’s not with me, he’s got his attention on Cali. He needed that angle to get a bead on his chosen one. I feel that slight mental distance. “Well, he’s a male, and a scarlet. Are we ready for all that?”
We debate the fine points of bringing home a new member to our parrot lifestyle. We laugh while waiting for one of us to say no…