Woman spends over $700 a month feeding and CLOTHING rescue pigeons
23-year-old Lincolnshire, UK, resident Meggy Johnson rescued her beloved pigeons Sky and Moose when they were chicks (also known as squabs), and has given them a life few pigeons dare to dream of.
Johnson found each pigeon after it had been abandoned, and hand-fed them with a tube around the clock for six weeks, caring for them until they became as tame as any other pet. She found Sky in September 2019, when a workman brought the chick to her pet supply store in a plastic bag.
“A gentleman came into my shop swinging a Tesco carrier bag around with Sky in and said ‘I’ve brought you a pigeon’,” Meggy told Metro.co.uk. “It’s funny to look back now, and she’s nicknamed ‘Carrier Bag’ because of it. I said, ‘Be careful if you’ve got a baby pigeon in there!’ She was only two weeks old at the time and so small. She had to be hand-fed around round the clock like a mummy pigeon would do.”
Meanwhile, Moose came into her care in May of this year, when someone called to let her know a one-eyed baby bird had been born. “He was born with a gentleman in Middlesbrough who contacted me and I said, ‘Yes please, I’d love to rescue him and give him a chance.”
Now both pigeons are fully grown, and completely spoiled. Johnson estimates that she spends as much as $755 a month on the birds, adding up to over $7500 a year. This includes typical pet supplies, plus extra creature comforts like teepees and teddies, as well as an extensive wardrobe of 17 outfits that cost around $50 each.
The outfits aren’t just a fashion statement – they’re also practical. “They do look super cool, but the outfits are also really practical because they catch their poo and help keep the house clean. You can also attach a little flight leash to take them into the garden for some fresh air – Sky likes to sit on my shoulder and sunbathe, and she’s never even attempted to fly off.”
Johnson also cares for two other birds – Clee the pigeon and Snowy the domesticated dove – but unlike Sky and Moose, who occupy a room in Johnson’s home, they live in her pet supply store. Both birds are disabled and cannot fly, so they wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild.
Johnson rescued Clee in April when a member of the public found him wedged between a wall of their home and their garage, and Snowy was added to the brood after being found in a hospital car park in October 2020.
Wild pigeons usually only live for two years, but domesticated birds can live for up to 15 years, so Johnson expects her birds to live long and comfortable lives under her care. Johnson said that while some people have said rude things about the birds, most are surprised to see how friendly and smart they are. She hopes to change the negative attitudes people have towards pigeons, and help show people that they’re clever, sweet animals.
“Some people say, ‘Ew pigeon’ and call them ‘flying rats’, which is something as a pigeon-lover that really upsets me, but most people are more open-minded. The bond that you can get with them is amazing – Clee comes running to his name and follows you like a dog. They make the best pets, they’re so funny. When you hand feed them they get so trusting. You can sit with them, and they’ll come and jump on you and sit on your shoulder.
“They’re very special little birds.”
Images: Meggy Johnson/Facebook