Last year, a ferocious, fire-breathing, man-eating pterodactyl (I mean, Cockatiel) came to live with us. She was only six weeks old with pinfeathers all over her body. We named her Felix (at the time, we thought she was a male pterodactyl). Today, she doesn't weigh more than 85 grams, but I really believe that she thinks she is Rodan -- you remember -- the giant bird that tried to eat Tokyo!
She has changed our lives immensely. No more non-stick cookware for us! Oh, no! We now use the old "everything-sticks-to-it-no-matter-how-much-margarine-you-use" cookware. And, I've had to give up nail polish! The little darling hates it! If I try to get her to step up onto polished nails, she bites at my fingers and runs away. We almost had to redecorate the kitchen because she didn't like the new blinds we put up. She let us know by hissing, while on our shoulders, each time we walked by the blinds.
She has two favorite toys that she sings to. She has one toy that she fights with constantly (wings up, screaming, ready to attack) because every time she walks by the toy, she accidentally knocks into it and it swings back and hits her in the head. She's chosen my fiancé as her mate and gets very jealous if I come over to kiss his cheek while she's sitting on his shoulder. She yells and then pecks at me as if to say, "Go away! He's mine! Find your own man!"
All in all, I would say she's pretty fearless, but there are two things that frighten her: carrot pieces in her food bowl that are cut too large, and her own shadow on the wall behind the easy chair!
Well, we have grown to love our little monster. I worry about her health and happiness as though she were my own daughter (isn't she)? She's a feisty little bird that is never afraid to let me know when she doesn't like someone or something! If I ever have any human children, I will have Felix teach them all about her philosophy on life, which is: "Don't take any bird-poop from anyone! Stand up for your flights -- I mean rights!"
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