To have a parrot or not to have a parrot.

I love animals. Really. When I was growing up I wanted to take in every stray, but had parents who realized that was not possible and forbid it - when they found out; I was really good at hiding my forbidden pets.

One time I came home with someone's hamster that was no longer wanted. After he chewed his way out of the cage, made a home under my dad's desk and dug out the carpet to store his food, my dad made my mom take me out into the country where we let him go - probably to be killed since 1- hamsters aren't native to Georgia and 2- there was no way for him to survive.

A stray turned up and my wonderful grandmother, of blessed memory, let me keep him at her house. I named him Kamir and loved him but he disappeared after a few weeks - I still wonder. Another stray turned up and I named him Raccoon. After a couple of months my dad decided to give him to someone in the country because he was afraid Raccoon would get hit by a car. It only took two weeks of him living in the country to be squashed in the road - yep, sure was safer.

This was how it went. I found the animals and cared for them and somehow they had to go with the exception of a few cats and a dachsund which was given to me when I was about ten. I also found a cockatiel in the backyard that my grandmother still has.

I loved animals so much that I decided to be a Vet. Only problem was the pesky Math that was required. I've always said IQ means nothing if one can't succeed in the world. It doesn't matter that I am highly intelligent when my brain isn't wired for Algebra - seriously - so I decided against being a vet and chose Spanish as my major instead.

When I was in college I bought, wait for it, a ball python. My mother told me if I brought it in her house she would chop its head off with her butcher knife. Luckily I had a boyfriend who let me keep her at his apartment until I could return her to the pet store.

So I got married and guess what - my husband never says anything about what I drag home! Once I drug home $150 worth of turtle supplies and a turtle, I said it was for school since we were learning the letter T, that was when my oldest was in kindergarten, seven years ago. Yesterday I drug home $75 worth of turtle supplies for the two new turtles that were given to my daughter. We have had dogs, cats, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and a parrot. He almost bought me a snake once but it was mean, of course we did catch a couple of them and observed them for a few days (I homeschool so I'm always looking for learning opportunities). We can't have a ferret because we have the parrot or there would be one of those too.

I have learned that we can't feed every stray that comes along so a lot of times I let them go without feeding them (or feed 'em in the neighbor's yard, shhhh.) And my husband, although very patient, doesn't really care for all the animals so I was surprised when he called me and said that a guy at work is looking for a good home for his parrot and is actually considering it - this said after I was told that there was no room for the five cockatiels my friend would like gone from her house. I do agree with him about the cockatiels but another parrot? That's like having another child and it's my decision. All mine. Guess what's coming home.