Teddy came to my house when he was about 6 weeks old. His wings were clipped so he couldn't fly. As they grew back, he became a pretty good flyer, and I became more diligent about keeping doors and windows closed, not using ceiling fans, etc. I couldn't stand the thought of clipping his wings. First of all, his flight feathers are beautiful. Brightly colored Red, Green, Grey and Blue. Absolutely gorgeous!
Second, he's a bird and he's supposed to fly. It was cool when he flew from his cage to my shoulder and back. It seemed cruel to cut his wings and ground him. He's a bird, not a hamster.
But he got away from me last weekend when I let the dog in the house. I opened the door just a little wider because it was raining really hard when the weather guys said it would be completely dry. Out he went into the wild, stormy Blue Yonder (whatever that is). Haven't seen or heard from him since.
Part of me misses him. I also understand that he's not really equipped to be a wild bird in Oklahoma. It gets too hot, the food that he knows about doesn't grow here year round. etc. etc. I know I should have prevented his impromptu escape. He doesn't know to be afraid of cats (although Teddy is pretty much afraid of everything). And besides all of that, I miss him like crazy.
But another part of me is happy for him - maybe even a little jealous. I want to fly away like that! I want to soar through the treetops and play with the other birds. I want to leave a lot of crap behind and never look back. I can't help feeling a little proud of him for leaving the confines of his cage inside my house and embracing the wide, wonderful world.
I've had a bird before, but not like this one. I wanted to be a caretaker and enjoy him. But I never wanted to be a warden. I guess Teddy didn't want to be in a jail either.