Every Little Bird in the Old Oak Tree...

Pets! Eh? Gotta love em.

When I was 10, I got a budgie.

My dog was almost suicidal with jealously. Didn't eat for about 3 days.

I loved that wee budgie. Cheeky. That's orginal eh?

Cheeky lived with us for several years, giving us loads of fun. Dive Bombing the dog. Getting lost down the back of the curtains, and trying to remove your top lip while "giving a kiss".

One morning I came down stairs, and took her cover off the cage and was horrified to discover Cheeky with her little beak covered in blood, sitting looking a bit sorry for herself on her perch. As I looked over the rest of her, I could see blood at her wing pit (like arm pit, but for a wing).

Dad had already left for work, and neither mum nor I were going to do anything with bleeding budgies. So we gave her some fresh water and seed, and left for School / Work, and made an appointment for the Vets later on.

When I got home from school, and my Dad arrived home, Dad decided we should clean her before we took her to the Vets. He got a basin of luke warm water, and holding Cheeky gently in his hands, dunked her in. Yes, Dunked the budgie into the basin.

No you might consider that this was sufficient to kill the bird, but no, it actually did the required - the blood washed away from her feathers and she looked quite nice and clean again.

Then, much to my horror, Dad picked up the hairdryer and BLOW DRIED THE BUDGIE!. He said it was important that she was dry and warm, and her feathers weren't wet.

We popped her into a holey shoebox and took her down to the Vet. Miss Murphy kindly examined her, rubbed some cream on the wound, and gave Cheeky a wee drip of antibiotic down her little beak.

I went home. Concerned, but happier that we had done our best by her.

Next morning I came downstairs, ran to the Cage, and wheeked the Cover off, and Wee Cheeky, was cheeky no more. Cheeky was deid. On the bottom of the cage.

Possibly, and I'm not say for sure, but I think perhaps the trauma of being dunked, and then blow dried was just too much for her wee budgie heart!


I've just edited this, because on publishing I've just seen last years picture.... and am gobsmacked that it's a year since I took this shot of Nunk, - a mere 3 weeks before he died! I love this photo of him because we captured him in all his fun, and had such a lovely visit with him, it left us with lovely memories, to all to sad a tale. Thanks to everyone who dropped in on us that day - Everyone who commented on his picture gave him such a lift! Thank you All!