A View from the Rescued by Bob Kaegi

I entered the world blind today. In a few days my eyes will open and I will see the wonders of the world, that now I can only hear. As I grow there are feathers growing, and I can see the world and the kind person who keeps me warm and gives me my nourishment. There are a bunch of us called clutchmates.

It’s been 12 weeks now and the feeding has stopped, I’m expected to eat and drink stuff out of a bowl. I’m now in a thing with bars. Everyday people come and look at me, and hold me. But it’s not the person who raised me. All but me and my brother is gone. I don’t understand. I thought this person loved us.

At 15 weeks someone came and took me away from my family and my brother was left behind. These people that took me seem nice, but I am scared. We got to this place called a new home. It’s different from where I was. But the people play with me and call me by a name. I still get good food. But during the day I am alone.

At a year I don’t see the people who brought me here except to feed me, water me and clean my cage. I am left alone a lot. When they get home I get excited to see them and call to them. Then they get mad at me and yell at me, and throw things at my cage, you know the thing with the bars. Today someone let me out of the cage, and I got so excited, and I went to grab on with my beak, I guess I held on to hard. I was put back in the cage. My cage was put in another room, where it is dark all the time, and I only get food and water. I am not as pretty as I used to be, I have pulled some of my feathers out because I am bored. I have nothing to do, and I don’t see the people that used to love me but once a day. I guess they don’t love me anymore.

Time has gone on, and it has been 8 years now, and today a new person I have never seen before has come to see me. They seem nice. They talked to me gently. They told me what a good bird I am. They told me I was pretty, but I don’t feel pretty. In a few minutes they put me in a box with a towel, and a cage front. We got into this thing called a car. We went for a long ride. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I heard all these noises, just like mine. I was placed in another cage, but this had things called toys. I was told they were mine. When I chewed them up, I thought they’d be mad at me. But no, they gave me more. They let me out of the cage every day, and they feed me several times a day. I get things called treats, and nuts. They come and talk to me, and they rub my head.

A few days later I go on another trip to a thing called a vet. I’m not sure I like him much, but I am told it’s for my own good. I wonder if I’ll be left here. But after a little time, I go back in my box called a carrier, and we arrive back at what is now called my foster home. I like my foster home, I feel safe here.

A few weeks later I am moved with my cage into another room. And there are a whole lot of other things who look a lot like me but not. There are a few who do look like me. It’s noisy but fun. My door is opened, and I come out and get greeted by the others. I am watched to see if I will get along. We make noise, and get into trouble, but no one is yelling at us. We see this person smile, and laugh at us.

One day I got up on the person and they rubbed my head it felt good. They kissed my forehead, and made me feel good just like I was very young. I felt a feeling that I had only felt for a short time in my life. The other day I was listening to the person talking on this thing called a phone and I heard them say that we were all rescued. I don’t know what it means, but I think it’s a good thing to be rescued.

Everyday another arrives, and another leaves. But I’m still here. People come in and see us, and once in awhile one of my kind leaves with a new person, but only after they have made visits several times. I hear things like forever homes, and how important it is to go to the vet, where I don’t like to go, but it’s for my own good. I come back here, so I guess its okay. I hear the words like commitment, proper diet, and enrichment. I don’t know what they mean, but it must be good.

After a time someone comes to visit who really makes me happy they have come to play with me, and then they leave. A few days later they come back, and I can’t wait to see them. It’s a man and a woman. They call me sweetie and tell me I’m pretty. I know I’m not perfect, but they tell me I am. One day they asked me if I want to come live with them. They hold me and love me and keep me warm and no matter how loud I get, they just laugh and smile, and hold me close. But then they leave again. I thought they loved me.

Today those people, who have been coming to visit me, came to get me. They put me in my carrier. I’m scared but excited at the same time. I leave this world I have known for several years, I leave the person who cared for me. I leave the place where I got all those good things like fresh food, treats and toys. I see water drop from their eyes, but yet there is still smile on their face. They say “good luck in your forever home”.

Today I have a great life in my forever home. I get all the good things that I got in my foster home. There is another like me here, and we play together, but today I enjoy the hugs, scratches, and time with my humans. I’m still not perfect, but they think I am. Every day I am glad to be rescued. Today I am loved. I hope it lasts forever.

(Not every bird is this fortunate to be raised by kind breeders or lucky enough to be “Rescued”. Not every bird gets to live in a loving home. Sometimes they are sent from one home to another, to another.

Sometimes they die unloved, and uncared for by those who once loved them. This story could be any bird’s story. But just as easy it could be the opposite. But this story is dedicated to those who do what is right.

Those who do the “Good Work”. Those unselfish groups, and individuals who take on yet another bird, that needs to be rescued. Those called Advocates, Heroes, and Voices, those simply called Rescuers.)

Bob Kaegi