The world of David & Lisa: November 2024

The Day the Music Stopped

The Life of Baby

Dec 2017 - 11/2/2024

Lisa had taken Baby to get his beak trimmed this morning. The upper beak had grown really long and was interfering with his ability to eat. Normally, he would use his cuttlebone and keep the beak in check, but for some reason he’s gotten lazy and neglected this. In the wild, they chew on rocks or gravel to keep the beak trimmed. Lisa said he died in the groomer’s hands while getting the trim, but the groomer was able to revive him through chest massage.

When I got home from my dental appointment, Baby was on his bar, behind his mirror, and appeared to be having difficulty keeping his balance. I talked to him, opened his cage door, and petted his breast. He didn’t rise up and extend is legs as he normally would.

Lisa was at our neighbor Angel’s house when I got home.

I went and sat down on the loveseat, and watched him for a little bit while I played on the internet.

I heard a familiar thud, and when I looked up, Baby was on the floor of the cage. Normally, if he fell, or misjudged a jump, he would get right up and return to the bar, but not this time. This time, he was having difficulty getting up on his feet. I went to him, took him out of his cage and held him in my left hand as I stroked his back with my right index finger. I could feel his little heart racing against my hand. I didn’t feel like he was steady enough to put him back in the cage, so I decided to put him in the carrier we take him to the groomer in. As I walked around the house looking for the carrier, he made no attempt to flee my hand or move. I noticed his longest wing feathers had lost their blue color and had turned gray.

I found the carrier, and put him in there. Normally he would chirp in disapproval when placed in his carrier, but not this time – he quietly, submissively, remained quiet. I knew he wasn’t well, set him on the counter, and went to Angel’s to get Lisa. When we got home around 11:45 or noon, we found Baby dead in his carrier.

I removed him from his carrier and his limp body lay in my hand. We each teared up and cried for a moment, then held and comforted each other. Lisa got a bandana to wrap him in and we’ll bury him next to the lemon tree in our back yard.

Baby came into our lives on December, 6, 2017 after landing in Lisa's hair while she was at ________________. He found the one he knew would keep him safe and well cared for. Lisa brought him into __________, where she was given a (small)__________ box to bring him home. Unknowingly, she would be brining home 7 years of companionship. The name "Baby" came naturally, as this was what Lisa called him before deciding on a name.

Baby loved his cage and didn’t like being out of it. We took him out on day and set him on the floor, and he immediately jumped on top of the cage, like he was saying, “This is my house, and it’s where I belong”.

He loved his toys and played with them all. He would throw his bell in his swing, then jump up there and toss it out, followed by another round of throw and toss, and another. He would be in his swing and if I reached into the cage to put his bell on the swing next to him, he scooted over to make room for it, and then would immediately toss it off the swing. We clapped or cheered him on with the bell throw game and he would get excited and start joyfully chirping.

His swing was his safe place, where he slept and spent most of his day, often picking at the yellow and green beads that wrapped the sides.

Baby liked to make noise and was inquisitive, and he used his foot like we use our hands. He liked to grab his mirror with his beak and toss it against the side of his cage, just for the sake of the noise. He liked throwing his bell on the plastic chain too. He was very curious. As mentioned above he used his foot to hold his bell, looking under it to figure out where the noise was coming from, or to stop it from moving. He would stop the bell with his foot, then steady it with his beak, by resting his face against the bell, and at just the right moment, give the bell a good head butt to get it swinging again. If his swing was moving and he didn’t like it, he would stop I from moving with his foot. He found entertainment in everything.

Baby liked to be part of the family. In the mornings, if I got up and started making coffee before taking the cover off of his cage, he was sure to remind me he was there. When Lisa and I left the living room, leaving him alone, his chirping got louder and more persistent, as he called out to us. Once we returned to the living room, he calmed down.

When he was quiet or chirping softly, I would squat down next to his cage and whistle softly to him, and and he would respond with quiet chirping. Anyone who talked to us on the phone could hear him in the background, and many commented on how loud he was. Baby was a joyful bird and even chattered in his sleep. Baby liked his chest petted and would stand tall and extend his body to receive the attention.

He liked his TV, Parakeet YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_9LIucbS8U&pp=ygUScGFyYWtlZXRzIGNoaXJwaW5n), and music, chirping more loudly when any was on.

We’ll miss him and his constant, comforting chatter. Rest in peace my little friend.