The residents at Blackwater Mill Care Home have been thrilled to welcome their newest residents, Phillip and Lillibet, the cockatiels.
The birds were kindly donated to the home by Key’s Little Birds. They were hatched on the 10 August, and have been hand reared by Keely Woodberry, who works at the home. They reside in a large cage in the resident’s lobby and like all children, they enjoy playing with their toys. They are very curious about the residents and staff and will come up to the edge of the cage to see them.
Cockatiels are in fact from the parrot family. They can sense emotions in humans and can tell if you are happy or sad based on your behavioural patterns and facial expressions. Cockatiels don’t mimic words as well as other parrot species, however, they do love to sing, and they enjoy physical interaction with humans.
At Blackwater Mill, there has been a fabulous visit from Smudgie the donkey, from the Donkey Sanctuary, whom residents enjoyed stroking and feeding.
There are regular visits from Therapy dogs and Baldrick the Therapy cat. In fact, there are also 2 resident cats, and 2 cockerels, a chicken and a duck who live in the enclosed courtyard garden.
There are a multitude of wild animals in the grounds, and residents often watch the red squirrels running around. The lake plays home to many ducks, herons and moorhens and the large carp who live within it, some have even been lucky enough to spot a kingfisher.
General Manager, Penny T’yau, said:
“Animals are so important for the well being of our residents. Most of them had pets in their own home, and it is something that we know they miss when moving into a care home. By having these animals in our home, we are able to offer the residents fulfilling interactions. We are a very pet friendly home.”
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Moving forward, staff are currently setting up a fish tank to house some tropical fish for the residents to watch and are also preparing part of the grounds to welcome 20 ex-battery hens.
Cockatiels are in fact from the parrot family.
which are social birds that need to live their lives in their natural habitats, free to fly wherever they wish – not spending their lives incarcerated in a cage, against their wishes, deprived of the right to fly freely and determine their own lives, as nature intended.
since when did it become acceptable for humans to lock up other lifeforms, simply because they look and communicate differently to us. These and all other birds should be free and with their own kind, in their natural habitats – not in some cage to be poked about by humans.
bird cages are just avian prisons.
Time to stop thinking caged birds are fine, it is cruel and miserable to have them and I despise the practice which should have died out by now as those poor birds will soon enough. The only way they will be free of that cage, disgusting in this age or any age.