Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Decibel Makes Up for Lost Time

This will have to be quick, because I have a doctor's appointment shortly.

Decibel the parrot hurt her wing a few weeks ago. I suspect it was a run-in with a squirrel, as my cats are justifiably afraid of Decibel.

Parrots are very stoic, so it wasn't until this morning, when she was practically falling off the perch, that I decided she needed a trip to the vet.

Part of the reason I held off on the vet trip is because, as generous as Governor Chris Christie is with my state health care (not), he draws the line at caged birds. Meanwhile, Spare starts college in two weeks.

Decibel is now in the hospital receiving multiple levels of care. She will live to earn her name. The bill is astronomical.

I decided not to turn Decibel over for adoption (meaning that someone else would foot the bill for her recovery) because the doggone bird has been with me since chickhood and is totally bonded to me. What's the use of her living if she's looking for me every day in someone else's house?

The vet assured me that Decibel can be completely cured. So, there you have it.

Over the years, Decibel has been a very cheap pet. All I had to do was buy bird food, which I supplemented with stuff from our table and the occasional treat. A lot less overhead than a cat. Decibel has been living in the same cage since 1990. It's getting a bit harder to dismantle for cleaning but is otherwise functional.

Alas, all pets come with a price tag. Time to ante up for Decibel.

6 comments:

BellaDonna said...

I can relate to this. One of our cats had a loose fang that got infected. Cost me $845 for everything, thank the gods for Care Credit! It was waaayyy too much... but how can you say no to one of your children? Doesn't matter whether they have hair, fur or feathers, they are still our children.

You're a good mom! May she recover quickly.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Poor Decibel! I hope she feels better soon. She's a lucky parrot to have someone so committed to her.

yellowdoggranny said...

she would be lost without you and you know it..and vise versa.

Hecate Demeters said...

Hope she is feeling better soon (and at not TOO great a cost).

Anonymous said...

Can we each send a small donation to Decibel's care bill?

Anne Johnson said...

Oh, Anon, how kind of you! If you wish, my address is 322 Windsor Ave., Haddonfield, NJ 08033