Buschi and my other Parakeets

I guess my first encounter with parakeets was in San Francisco, at my aunt's house with Budgie. At the time I was 8 yrs. old.
Here I learned, that a parakeet can be tame and can talk.
A few years later I got two of the of them, but I was too busy as a child, to spend enough time with them. To top it, I got pneumonia one summer, which led to a feather allergie, resulting in giving up the two pets.
Years later, when my son was about 5 yrs. old, he wanted a pet, and I decided its time for a bird again.
We were lucky to get the adress of a breeder, where you got the birds when they were only 6-8 weeks old. This way a bird can be tamed much easier than a bird from a store, where they can be much older.

Benny moved in with us. A cute little green parakeet, that still had the short tail and brown beak. It took a few weeks, but we got him to where he sat on our finger or shoulder and didn't make a fuss when he had to go back into the cage.
After about 6 months he said his name and made kissing sounds! He was truely a charming little fellow. Ofcourse he spent a lot of time alone, mom and dad were at work and my son, René, was in Kindergarden and later at school.
Later in life Benny developed the habit of walking on the floor...following me around. The habit was cute, but we sure had to watch our steps!
A normal parakeet lives an average of about 12 years....Benny died just after his 16th birthday.

It took me a year to get over Benny, but then I decided to go back to the breeder and get myself a "new friend". By this time my son was out of the house and I was living alone. It was time for some company.
I chose a little yellow fellow, with light green across his chest. I kind of thought, you look like you have a bikini on.
The little feather ball was named Mecki. I noticed he was missing feathers around the eyes and part of his lower beak was also missing. I called the breeder, who said I can bring him back, the bird had been nibbled on by a strange female that got into the nest.
By this time I was already attached to the cuddly little fellow and I sure didn't want to give him back. After 3 months there was nothing to be seen from the nest attack and Mecki turned into a beautiful huge parakeet!
He was extreemly tame...had no problems with me taking him in my hand, kissing him and crawling his neck. As a matter of fact he would lay on his back in my hand, without me holding him down.
He started to speak a lot.
Once I made a bet with a friend, that I would teach Mecki his name. With in 3 months I won the bet.
I had friends, that came to visit...before greeting me, they were in the living room talking to Mecki first! He was loved by ALL.
Mecki grew weak at age 10. And a few days before the end of the year 2007 he couldn't sit on his stick any more.
I made a pouch and carried him infront of my stomache for 3 days. He slept in my arm on the couch with me in the afternoons. He needed the closeness.
I cancelled out on a New Year's Party....I didn't want my little friend to die alone.
New Year's Eve I was talking to Mecki, wrapped in a shawl, infront of my face.
He took all the strength he could bring up and kissed my face for a few seconds.
I knew it was his way of saying goodbye.
Jan. 1st I found him dead in the little nest I had made for him in is cage. I was heart broken!

Although it was a holiday, I dared to call the breeder. He said to come over right away.
I found a little green fellow, that I chose to buy. I had to wait a week to pick him up, cause he was still taking food from the parents.
A week later I brought home "Buschi".
Talk about a strong personality!!! This little booger knew what he wanted! When I put my hand in the cage, I got bit or he managed to go hide in the small food dispenser, where I had to pull him back out by the tail!
In a way I was really down, not getting the little booger tame, like Mecki had been.
By now I was retired, and wasn't gone all day. This way I was able to spend lots of hours with Buschi.
I finally got HER (YES!!!! It turned out that Buschi was not the HE I wanted, but a female) to get on my hand and shoulder.
She loves to come out and walk all over me on the couch. She "tests" the sweaters I wear before she jumps on my shoulder....designs and colors make her suspicious.
She drinks water when I tell her to (I do that cause I give her vitamin drops) and gives a paw like a dog on command. Sometimes when she feels like it, she rings a bell on command.
Females normally don't talk...but she has said her name and when I kiss her she comes back at me with the sound of the kiss.
I can't hold her (unless I want to loose a finger), but she is cuddly enough to say we have a great relationship.
When she wants to come out of the cage and play with me, she will call until I come get her.
Even though she is afraid of hands, she takes a bath under running water IN MY HANDS.
She is smart, nosey and just the perfect bird in my eyes.
I love her to pieces and hope she will live forever.