Story Bird: Lucy
I want to relate a story about how important it is to check toys on a daily
basis. My male tiel Lucy has a toy called a "Rod Man". It is a square piece of
wood with eyes, etc. and has a straw hat. The birds love to chew the straw up
and Lucy had chewed his to the point that there wasn't much of the hat left, but
the string that had held the hat together was hanging loose. I was watching TV
and heard a strange sound. I looked up and he had that string wrapped around his
neck and in trying to free himself, he had gotten his foot caught in the string
that was wound around his neck. He was flailing madly and when I got to him, I
had to hold his little body up with one hand and try to break the string with my
other. It was such a strong string and I really needed some scissors but I was
afraid to let his body go for fear he would hang. So I kept trying to break the
string and finally did - AFTER it cut my hand from pulling on it. I was
terrified and so was he. If I had not been right here, he undoubtedly would have
been hung to death. I'm here with them almost 24/7 due to my disability. Most
people have to work and are not able to be "right there" most of the time. Thus,
the extreme importance of checking our birds cage, toys, etc.. every day for
potential hazards. Thank God, Lucy is ok. But he might not have been had I not
been here.
