# Shadow has found his wings



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I know this is a rat forum, but I needed to put this up.

A year ago, i lost my best and only friend.
I was a loner in school, everyone laughed at me, and I never once had a guy like me. I was depressed, lonely, and wanted to die.

One day I was walking into my yard to go in the house through the back door, and a little bird hopped acrost my path. He held his wing up and sideways, and was in a lot of pain.
I spent that entire afternoon trying to capture him, but he was smart and fast, and evaded me, the dog, the neigbor's bibi gun, and foxes. How long he had been that way I had no way of knowing.

A week later I saw him again, and, managed to corner him against the house. I threw a towel over him and put him Carefully into a box. He managed again to escape. I again spent two hours catching him again. I put him in a small canary cage that was in our garage for some reason, even though I never had birds. I covered the cage and the panicked, shrieking bird inside and carried it to my bedroom, where I stuck it on my desk and sat there singing to him.
He calmed down somewhat.
For the next days I went to school, came home, Cleaned out his wing, which had bones jutting out of it, and sang to him while doing homework.
I tamed him to the point where I could handle him, and he soon figured out how to open his cage, which was too small anyway, and run around the room. He always came back though.

His wing healed very, very slowly. even when it was mended, he carried it high on his back, and could not fly.

I taught him to wear a harness, which I saved my money and bought for him, and the little starling became my constant companion. I went to school, I came home, I harnessed up Shadow. I went to the dollar store, I went to my friend's houses for dinner, always with him on my shoulder.

he learned to whistle, to imitate the phone, a rooster, a quail, and a cat. i could swear he laughed when I ran into the room thinking a cat had got into there. Or to answer the 'phone'.


Everyone I met knew me for my bird, and all of my brother's friends called me bird woman.

My mother invested in a huge iron cage, which we put on our porch.
But one day, the inevitable happened.
I walked out to feed him and say goodbye to him on the morning of a trip to yellowstone park, and found him lying on the bottom of his cage, not moving.

I picked him up, and he sighed and rubbed on my hand. His head was on almost backwords. It was clear he had taken a fall and had only a short time left to live. In the time I held him, which lasted maybe 20 minutes, he changed me. He loved me, and I knew it. As strange as it is that a little 13 year old girl could understand him like I did, in only 5 months, We had something amazing.

As his time ticked closer, I surfed the internet as fast as I could to try and figure out a way to save him. I found nothing, but I held him warm in my arms.

His time came, much faster than it should have. He screamed and covulsed in my hands, He thrashed and shrieked in agony, he wrapped his claws around my fingers, and then he let out his last breath and left me.
I cried then like none other, as I am crying now, a year later.

But life had to go on, we had a trip planned. So I put him into a box and sat it in our garage, and climbed into the car.
That entire trip was ****. I spent the whole thing vomiting up my food and crying. I cut..I screamed...I swore...


And for a year it was like that, multiple suicide attempts...and so my dad got me Romeo. And he brought me back, the little beast that he is. I still miss shadow, I always will, he was a gift from the heavens. He was just like me, hated for who he was, a Starling. People tried to kill him. People shunned me. But we always had eachother. And I will Always, Always miss that silly little beast of a bird.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

What a sweet story. You have done a tremendous job, caring and protecting this little bird. You must be proud of yourself.
I work at a wild life rehab center and starlings and house sparrows are banned. I have taken home a House Sparrow and set it free after it was old enough. Bless you for rescuing Shadow. Imagine him as an Angel with two healthy wings, following you everywhere. True friends never leave you. 
Maybe you would enjoy working in a wild life rehab center, although there are not always happy endings but the ones that make it back into the wild make up for everything else.
When I was young I have found numerous animals that needed help and I am sure they know how to find you too. 
I hope you love life again.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

yes, I do feel a lot better now. It was Romeo, my ratty, that pulled me through.


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

That's such a sweet story. It really brought a tear to my eye. RIP Shadow.


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## maddy (Jul 27, 2009)

wow...that ws really beautiful!
have u ever considered songwriting or poetry??
i think you'd be really good at both if u gave them a go
u could write the words and i could write the music 
then atatch them to email to u nd let u have them
so it would be a colaboration over the net..


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## kokosammy7 (Aug 3, 2009)

Wow, I'm crying now...lol....that was a beautiful and touching story, and I'm glad that you and shadow found each other, even if for such a short time. he will always be in your heart. RIP beautiful shadow!!!


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## teresaisaacs (Jul 31, 2009)

a beautiful story hun... it touched me in ways many haven't...


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

thanks guys... :] I just hope romeo hangs around. <33 he's fine now.


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