Sunday morning

After a night of fretting, Robert woke up in a good mood. He's not such a morning person (I mean bird) but today he was rested and happy. After feeding him breakfast, Robert had a bath. First breakthrough: Robert cuddled in the towel, a bit unsure of himself, but content to let me scratch his neck. He actually closed his eyes in pleasure at being touched, and I snuck in a little kiss on his cute grey head.

Robert actually stayed cuddled up with me after I opened the towel for about three minutes. Probably seemed like a lifetime to this still frightened bird. But he is learning to trust me. He is learning that he is loved. After his bath and his feathers were dried off, he preened a bit, again at the bottom of Screech's cage. He is not yet interested in Screech. He is aware of her, but she makes him nervous. She is curious, and looks as if she is trying to figure out how this new addition to our family looks so much like she does.
After drying off, major milestone #2 for today. Robert allowed me to pick him up and place him on the counter with me. I sat with my coffee, and gave him a treat of Rice Krispies. He ate a few, but also ket about one chair between us. He kept trying to come over to me, as if he wanted to cuddle, but was afraid to get too close. After he had enough, he allowed me once more to hold him, and stroke his adorable head, before flying back into his own safe haven, his cage. A happy day for our little bird! Small steps, surely, but the pet store should be ashamed. They told us he hated people, being touched and was antisocial. Imagine if they would have tried a little, not just left him alone in a little glass box. So glad he is home now.

Adjustment Period

So the past two weeks have been tough for Robert. He so desperately wants to play and be scratched behind his neck, but is too afraid to relax, he has come a long way however, from the scared trembling cockatiel I brought home in a dark cardboard box. The pet store really should be ashamed.
Ok, so progress. This week, Robert learned that we are not going to hurt him. He loves all the attention he is getting, loves when my husband sings Elvis tunes to him, likes the Gin Blossoms when I sing to him. His crowning feathers are in their happy, content position, and he doesn't fear us.
We have started leaving his cage door open, so that he will learn that he is free to come out and play every so often. He flew out on his own, quite by accident earlier this week. He found that he can still fly short distances, and settled himself on the bottom legs of our other cockatiel's cage - getting him back into his cage was a trick.
Yesterday, Robert came out, and he let me lie near him, about a half a tile away. He cocked his head, looked around, then back to the bottom of the birdcage.
 He had a rough night but seemed in a good mood this morning. And that's where the next chapter begins.

Meet Robert

How would you feel, if you were locked up, alone in a box? Nobody paid any attention to you, but you had food and water. Basic survival necessities. This is a story about heartbreak and love with hopes of a happy ending.

First, I must let you know that I am an animal magnet. I love them all, and they seem drawn to me. With a rescued maltipoo, who in her five years with us has become the true Lady of the house, two finches and a cockatiel, and a 75 gallon fish tank filled with beautiful fish, our home was quite complete. Then, we met Robert. A beautiful, shy grey cockatiel, who has been sadly neglected.

We shop the same three pet stores for all our needs, and one of the larger chain stores recently renovated their store. The small aviary that housed parakeets and the adjoining single "boxes" for fancier birds was removed from the front of the store. In the two years + that our family has been shopping there, we always stopped to see the pretty birds. For a short time we thought all the birds were gone. Imagine our shock at finding the four glass boxes set into a small side aisle facing the bird supplies. No birds eye view, so to speak, for the public or the birds. Two of the boxes remained empty, but for two years we visited biweekly Pat the Conure and Robert the cockatiel. Robert has the most beautiful feathers, and we were told he was "unsellable" because he bit someone and drew blood. He sat, sometimes with no toys, alone, next to Pat for two years. Neglected. Cockatiels by their very nature are social birds, and need human interaction. In fact, they can be more loyal and companionable than dogs.
At first, our visits were brief, and Robert would seem happy to see us, bobbling his sweet head for attention, showing us his beautiful plumage. After a while, we came to care about this bird and with each visit, we were saddened by the fact that he was not yet sold to a loving home. Well, last week I solved that issue. After breaking my heart with his pitiful squawk, I decided it was time to put up or shut up. The management had no issue reducing his price by more than half just to be rid of him. I arrived to find him already in a box, crying. I took him immediately to have his wings and nails clipped and to have him examined. I have a sweet, scared bird, who is desperate to play, but terrified at the same time.
This blog will record Robert's new life. A life where he has toys, love and attention. Hopefully, his happy ever after. Stay tuned for our journey.