The Search for a Goal

By Northlight Hermary

I haven't actually brought Moonbase One, my five week old peach front conure, home yet. I feel like I've had him for ages. I haven't any stories to share about the fellow, as he is so young, but I do have my hopes and fears and the growing excitement that once Moonbase is old enough, we will be sharing our lives together in close companionship.

I remember the day I was told peach front conures made good apartment birds by the pet shop owner. I originally wanted a green cheek, but the shop owner said he wasn't sure if his pair would breed this year. I was downhearted at the news, but I immediately became excited at the prospect of owning such a gorgeous bird.

It was as if there was a ray of hope shining on me that day and I eagerly researched the species when I got home. I always wanted a dog ...either a Whippet or an Italian greyhound, but my landlord only allowed birds and fish. I tested my wings and got two budgies. They were my first birds. I was thrilled to have such playful companions.

When they died three months later of some unknown cause, I became depressed. I missed their cheery calls and goofy dispositions. When I got into cockatiels, I immediately fell in love. I adore birds. I love nuzzling into their feathers. I enjoy being greeted when I come home at night with zealous calls. I went into a period of numbness when my first cockatiel, Air Raid and my third budgie, Rh'ota, were attacked and killed by one of my pet rats. It was my fault. I was away during the weekend and I didn't lock up Slick as well as I should have. When I came home to two missing birds, I was devastated and a terror trembled through me. I didn't find their bodies until five months later. I was grateful that my other three cockatiels were unharmed!

Several months went by, when a thought occurred to me. Since I was in the process of looking for a new apartment, and I was finally recovered from the death of Rho'ta and Air Raid, I figured why didn't I look for a new bird?

Thus the great conure search began. I wanted something different. Something more exotic. Some that could talk decently. I have schizophrenia, depression and an anxiety disorder, so setting this goal of getting a bird I REALLY REALLY wanted was superbly important to me. My heart was shredded when I tried getting my landlord to accept a dog and they refused, even with a doctor's note stating I needed one for medical reasons. To put it bluntly, I was suicidal. No dog, no me. I couldn't stand the thought of living another year, never mind forty, when I couldn't meet a goal as simple as owning a dog. I needed something that would fill a need to interact with something remotely pet-like. My rats didn't fill that need, as much as I loved them. Neither did my fish. My medication helped curb my depression, but there was still a huge hole in my heart. It was the birds, as I was pleased to discover, that filled it.

My first choice for a conure was a sun, but when I asked about apartment suitability, most everyone I asked screamed a resounding "NO!". Green cheeks were often suggested as a substitute, so I did more research and decided that they were probably the best bet for lifestyle. Unfortunately there were no chicks available through the breeders I consulted. If there were chicks, there wouldn¹t be any available until 2003 and I didn't want to wait that long. So I tried the pet shops.

The prices the pet shops were asking were insane compared to the breeders . In most cases, they were overcharging the birds by six hundred dollars! I was not amused, as I¹m sure you can imagine. There was a ray of light when I checked out one of my local hang outs. The shop was called The Bird and Aquarium Shop and I usually went there to admire the budgies and koi. But that day I had a different plan of action. I wanted to see if they had green cheeks. Plus they were selling their babies at reasonable prices, and they were excellent bird people!

Alas, they did not have any green cheeks, but they said they had peach fronts. As I stated earlier, I was thrilled to hear they made ok apartment pets. I spent two weeks humming and hawing over my money situation, and whether I could afford such an expensive bird. Then, on October 15, 2002, I put my first deposit of many on my new baby.

Next week I will be putting my third deposit on Moonbase One. I absolutely loath not being able to bring baby home NOW, but I can't afford the full five hundred. There's just another two hundred dollars to go after this next payment, and then I'm in paradise !! I still have to set up baby's cage, but I have his food and water dishes, plus some home made toys that I'm sure baby will enjoy tearing apart. I feel as though I am finally meeting a goal that I people told me I shouldn't and wouldn't be able to achieve. Overall I'm thankful to my birds for proving them that I can care for them all!