BELLA'S STORY

I MEET BELLA

Bella is my special bird.  She has joined us in our home a little over a week ago, but she has stolen all of our hearts in no time!

I first met Bella in October of 2006.  She was about two months old, a beautiful and healthy blue girl.  I asked her owner if she was a girl or a boy.  He said she was a girl, so I thought to myself, "Good, if I ever get another parrotlet it's going to be a boy, since I already have a boy and don't want hormonal problems or babies."

I left the store and tried to forget about her.  For the next week or two I kept scheduling a day to go back and just "visit" her.  I knew that just "visiting" would not work, so I decided not to go back there so I wouldn't be tempted to bring her home.  Time passed and I "almost" forgot about her.

WE MEET AGAIN

I went back to the store to get some presents for a few special birdies as Christmas gifts and once at the store I went straight to Bella's cage.  She was still there after two months, which was unusual.

Her top beak was missing.  I was so surprised!  I did not expect to see that.  I asked the owner what had happened to her and I was told their macaw flew onto her cage and I believe, as friendly as Bella is, she came close to the bars to say hello and got her beak broken by the macaw.

I went back home and couldn't stop thinking about her.  I felt guilty.  I thought, "If I had gotten her when I first saw her, that wouldn't have happened."

BELLA!

At home I researched the subject, asked some friends about broken beaks and emailed the owner a few questions.  I was still not convinced I should bring a girl parrotlet home and I knew my husband wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of one more bird.  I had decided not to think about it, at least not until I received an email back from the owner.  I did get the email back and decided to finally ask my husband if I could bring her home.

My husband was out of town and called me to chat.  At the end of the conversation, when he was about to hang up, I asked if I could have a blue bird.  He was caught off guard, but said no.

For the next three or four days, in every email or phone call I'd end up the conversation with the same question: "Can I have a blue bird?" until I got "Maybe".  I answered saying that a "maybe" was better than a "no".  The next email I got was a "yes".  I answered, "Yes, what?  Yes, a blue bird?".  He said, "Yes, a blue bird!"  I just dropped everything I was doing and drove to the store during a storm!  I was just going to see if she liked me, if I liked her and if she was tame after not being handled for two months.

At the store, the owner got her out of the cage, clipped her wings and her lower beak that was really very long.  She was very skittish, trying to escape the whole time.  I asked to hold her.  I held her against my chest, cupped in my hand.  She settled down and just enjoyed being there.  She was really quiet, really cozy.  I couldn't leave her there after that.  My heart was taken by then!  I told him I'd take her (even though she was not for sale), but he knew me and said he'd sell her to me.

He asked me how much I thought she was worth!  What kind of question was that!?  I was in love!  I wanted to scream, "A million dollars!  That is an easy question!!!" but I couldn't.  After all, he was a business man and that was negotiation time.  I had the million dollar answer in my head, but I couldn't afford to pay a million dollars for her (or for anything else in this world), so I thought, and I thought, then answered, "Half of her price".  He was happy, I was happy.  Bella and I could finally go home!

BELLA COMES HOME

On the drive back home I kept thinking about a name for my blue girl.  After much thought I settled for Bella, which means "beauty", since for me she IS a beauty.  My Bella!

While I was putting her cage together, Bella broke her lower beak and I had to trim it some more.  So now she has a very short lower beak.  I was so afraid she wouldn't be able to eat since earlier that day her beak was much longer.  I could barely sleep that night, worried about her.

The next day she proved me wrong.  She's the best eater in my house and anything I feed her she'll chomp on it!

BELLA EATS...

She's just the most friendly little bird.  So energetic, so full of life!  The last thing she wants to do is stay inside of her cage!

She'll eat Beak Appetit, Pro Grow, vegetables, ground hulled seeds, rice, pasta, cooked ten-grain cereal and about anything that her condition allows, and if there's something she can't eat (like regular parrotlet seeds) she will try it anyway, since nobody told her she is a special needs birdie.

In the morning she does her routine, jumping all over the cage until I get her out.  When on my shoulder, if she sees her bowls or anything that looks like food, she'll just hunt it down with all her will.  Once eating, she won't stop until all the food is gone!  I can make noise, take pictures, do anything around her.  If she's eating, she won't get off of her bowl!

AND EATS AND EATS...!

OH, THE CHANGES!

When I first saw her, I remember Bella being much bigger than Loro, my green parrotlet.  Now she weighs the same as Loro.  Since she arrived home she's gained at least two grams chomping on all the good food I've been cooking for her.  I'm working on her nutrition and weight gain.  Her beak might never grow back and she may have to be fed other things than regular seeds forever, but it doesn't matter.  Whether her beak grows back or not, she'll be the most spoiled and loved blue bird in the neighborhood!

Bella is my special bird, not because of her different needs, but because of the lesson she teaches me every day - how life goes on and even when something so traumatic happens in your life, you can choose to make the best with what you have and be happy.  Bella is my inspiration!

BELLA, MY INSPIRATION.

Story and photographs contributed by Bella's enchanted Mom, Luciana Lieff.
Copyright © 2006, Luciana Lieff