Before I had Cash, I was terrified of birds. Big and small. I never really considered them a 'pet', but more of a dangerous, dive-bombing, hair-snatching, poop-shooting annoyance. At my first clinic, that began to change as I dealt with one set of conures. They opened the door for me. Five years later, I took the plunge, and was chosen by Cash. It was love at first sight for both of us.
She turned my fear into a blatant passion--it doesn't matter if they're big, small, or ugly. I just see the echoes of her in all of them; that, with patience, they have an infinite amount of love to share.
And I'm not going to waste what she's given me. I begin veterinary school in the next year or so-- I'm going to specialize in avian medicine.