The pet I’ll never forget: Bud, the parrot with a crisp addiction who was too fat to fly

Bud came into my life at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020. I work at RSPCA Norwich as head of animal welfare and, when we all had to work from home, I offered to foster Bud, a blue-fronted amazon parrot. My husband and I thought it would be a short-term thing, but by the time the pandemic had settled down we had really bonded with her, so she never left.

Back then, Bud had a crisp addiction and was too overweight to fly. She was about 200g heavier than a parrot should be. We had to put her on a strict diet because she had some health concerns – we found a lipoma, a fatty lump, on her keel bone (which runs down from the breast); it doesn’t bother her, but we still have to monitor it. Thankfully, she has lost weight; her feathers are all better quality and she loves her life.

Some parrots like constant human interaction, but Bud enjoys her own space. She has just turned 28 (parrots can live for 50 to 60 years) and is a bit of a diva. Bud knows what she wants and when she wants it. She can be the most endearing creature in the world, and then suddenly have a tantrum like a toddler. She can be quite challenging, but she is really lovely.

She has a great sense of comedic timing. When I’m speaking to my neighbours, she will sometimes shout “Bye!” in the middle of a conversation and they think someone is asking them to leave. There are also hilarious but embarrassing moments, such as when she starts whistling at builders. She just has a way of making you laugh, and she always brightens up my life in some way.

Bud also surprises me with what she knows from her youth. Earlier this summer, we were watching the World Cup and she started tweeting along to the German national anthem. And she loves rock music, especially the piano part of Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance.

Bud has definitely made me more patient. It took my husband, Jason, and I two years to find a cage that she liked; before that, she kept having meltdowns. Parrots don’t like change, but she has been very resilient. It has been brilliant to see her transformation.

Bud is a big part of our life now. I am more tolerant, because I don’t give up when she is having a tantrum – I know she’s worth the effort in the end. We are constantly looking for new ways to make her happy. She’s our naughty little green chicken, and we wouldn’t change her for the world.