Sunday 15 May 2011

The Celestial or Pacific Parrotlet: An Adjectival Error.

An angelic nature, gentle and serene,
is promised in its name
and yet a bellicose and fearsome beast 
erupts incongruous from its tiny frame.




We have three Celestial Parrotlets, who looked very sweet in the pet shop window. We are easily fooled.  Although, we did go home and research them on the internet and, surprisingly, phrases like 'the pit bull terrier of the parrot family', 'do not let them loose in a room containing dogs or cats as the dogs or cats may get injured' and 'do not put them in aviaries with other species as they have a tendency to bite the feet off other birds' did not, at the time, alert us sufficiently to the nature of the challenge. They were, after all, only about four inches from top to tail. The smallest true parrot in the world. Green, with dear little pink beaks. The man in the pet shop was trying to sell them quickly as Christmas was coming up. Anyone might have bought them, and at least we are committed to giving our pets a very good home for life. Oh, and look how they all sit together so quietly on the little seesaw swing thing.
Reader, we purchased them. 
They are horrific creatures, and living with them is somewhat akin to living the reality of 'Alien versus Predator' in your own living room, every day. 
I am of course exaggerating. But only very slightly. 
It's also hilariously funny when Nigel- the worst by far of the three- threatens to bite our heads off, if only he could open his little beak wide enough. When he works out how to do so, we are doomed.


T#110

No comments:

Post a Comment