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Dreadful confession

Vmax

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I have heard the warnings about taking a bird outside with no tether or harness. I have also seen many videos of folks sitting with what appears to be a fully flighted bird with no flight suit or anything outside in open areas. ⚠: Don’t read any further if you have a weak heart.... Lemme start with Gus. Two times he has slipped through an open door to the outside, once when it was rather dark. Both times, he would land on the ground and call to me. Both times, I would go to him, allow him to step up and try to calmly return to the house all the while I’d have this overwhelming urge to surround him with both hands and run to the house as quickly as possible. Good fortune or luck? Dunno but I was grateful beyond measure both times.

Now, to Max. Yesterday, I was heading out to check the mail and Max Velcro-ed onto my shoulder. So, like an idiot I opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. He tightened his grip so I talked quietly to him, trying to calm him.....see where this is going? As soon as I had closed the door, he took flight, tried to get in through the door, and failing that, he flew up over the roof and was gone. I started calling him like I call him to me in the house and I could hear very quiet responses...little unsure coos, I’d call them. We continued this back and forth until I found him in a tree behind our home. I kept calling him, and briefly stepped in to alert my spousal unit to my current whereabouts and the reason I was there. I stayed on the back porch calling and he saw me from high up in the tree. I was sick inside for my poor judgement but I had eyes on him, so no surrender. I’m on the back porch talking to him and my spouse comes out to assess the scenario. He leaves and returns shortly with the Tupperware dish containing their pellets and seed mix. I shake it to call them to dinner each evening. So, he starts shaking the dish. Max LOVES his groceries and finally flew down to Jeff’s shoulder. In we went.

Again how fortunate am I? I can’t begin to express that. I’ve been harness training so I could take them both out safely. But, on a whim, all good sense left me and I risked his life/safety on a bad decision. We live in a very wooded area near a steam that feeds a nearby lake. We enjoy the company of red-tailed hawks, crows, owls, and eagles, not to mention the coyotes, foxes, bob cats, and neighboring pet cats and dogs. I couldn’t take him out of his cage today. I am torn. Max seems no worse for the wear, but I don’t trust myself. Just needed to get this harrowing tale off my shoulders so maybe there’s room for the birds there again.:wideyed:
 

webchirp

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Whew...thank goodness you got him back
 

Mizzely

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As someone who has lost a bird to the great outdoors through a small tear in a screen door, I will never wish the pain of losing a bird that way with no closure on anyone.
 

Zara

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Wow, you are so lucky!
You and Jeff did great getting back in the house :)

Thankyou for sharing. It is important to educate others.
 

Hankmacaw

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Thanks for posting and I'm glad you got your bird back.

There are so many dangers that owners are warned about time after time, but some owners just don't believe what the are told. Therefore, parrots are killed by cats, dogs, ferrets, snakes.... and birds fly into space and never seen again and birds get into poisonous items or are killed by household goods and are squashed by an owner rolling over on the bird while sleeping with them. I guess these folks think that the rules are for others, not for them.
 

Teckechick

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Thank goodness you were able to get Gus back in safely. Give the little guy lots of cuddles. :mykid:

This is a great reminder to always be mindful of where are babies are at, at all times. I almost walked out into our living room with Jenks on my shoulder one day. Luckily we have a double door system so I realized what I was doing in time to return him to the safe fur baby free zone. Hopefully it will be our last oh s@*% moment as well.
 

Lodah

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So glad Max is safe again! Count your blessings and give him a nice treat! :fairy2:

Digressing, Yesterday... I made a terrible mistake also! I accidentally left my wallet behind on top of the dressing table when I went to work... you can only guess what happened next... :eek:


Yes... The wife found it, but alas, she told me that all the money inside my wallet flew out the door! Ah well... not always so lucky! :facepalm:
 

fashionfobie

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Thank you for sharing your story.

I lost my Petrie from a stupid open door accident as well. It was the most horrific thing ever. We made eye contact. He called to me.. he was so excited to see me.. he flew.. missed his target and was never seen again.

We need to always check, double check and triple check. We can fall into dangerous routines when life is going smoothly.

Give Max some extra nom noms~!
 

Dartman

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Your lucky as most pet birds never learn to fly down and are scared to death to try. Lurch bolted out the door when my sister walked in with Groceries after checking to make sure he was at least far away and asleep as he'd been left out I guess. We tracked him and hung out under the tree he picked for two days after I claimed two trees trying to get him. He refused to fly down to me even when I was under him eating his favorite junk food and he was screaming because he wanted it. He was finally scared away by crows and haven't seen him since:sad13:.
I'm so glad you were lucky and your guy was brave and knew how to fly down to his chosen one and treats. Thank you for posting it as it might save some other family bird from escaping.
 

Vmax

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Thanks for not kicking me off the forum:yah:. I do love these two little birds....sometimes inexplicably :blink:. Max was cuddled up under my chin earlier before bedtime, his typical spot, and I could smell the fruit from his meal. It was a very reassuring fragrance...as were his chortles and coos.
 

Shezbug

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So good to hear you Gus and Max were lucky.
Hopefully others who read this may think twice about where their birds are before opening doors and windows.......it is an awful place out there for our companion birds.
 

TikkiTembo

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We all have horrible "oh crap!" moments!! I always check each room for our two cats before I open the bird cage, and lock them in a room or kick them outside. The other day, Tikki was walking on the floor, and I turned and saw our orange cat stalking him :darkcloud: I threw myself on top of the cat and smushed him out of the cat door (which is always locked when Tikki is out to prevent him going out or cats going in!) My heart was racing a million miles an hour, and Tikki definitely knew something was up, since he flew some laps around the house for a minute, like he was startled. Later in the evening, I found the cat was sleeping IN the recliner chair, so that must be where he was hiding. I got lucky this time!!
Thank you for sharing your story, it is a reminder to be SO careful! I'm so glad your baby is safe!!
 

Fuzzy

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OMG - extremely fortunate!! Thank you so much for sharing - it probably makes a lot of us think twice. :hug8:
 

Dartman

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All our sad stories might help a new owner who hasn't thought of anything like this yet and save a bird. We all miss the ones we've lost, or have left this earth and try to help the new owners with the stories and examples of what can happen even when you do everything right.
 
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