This morning, shortly after 9 o'clock, after dropping my 8 year old daughter at school, I went into Street Farm Shop in Hoo to buy some worm tablets for one of my cats.
I have MS and need to use one of my crutches to walk. Anyway, I opened the door to the shop and was met by an ear piercing squawk from a white parrot who was sitting on top of his cage, to the left and just in front of the door way. To say it frightened the daylights out of me would be putting it mildly!! One of the women who work there was standing next to me and I commented to her that it had made me jump, but got no response from her, so I started talking to the parrot instead!! - You know.... like you DO :o) I told it that it had made me jump with that horrible noise and that it really wasn't necessary first thing in the morning - and as I was speaking to it, it put its head down in the way they do when they want to be stroked. I began to scratch it gently on the back of its head and neck (I'm always a LITTLE wary of birds) It seemed to really enjoy the attention and pushed itself harder against my hand to the extent that had I have taken my hand away, it would have fallen over!!
I was beginning to relax a little as the bird went into raptures at the fuss and attention it was getting, when the next thing I knew, the damn thing was hanging onto a large part of my hand by its BEAK!! At first I thought that if I stayed calm and didn't try and pull my hand away, that it would let go - WRONG!!!! - It tightened its grip on my skin and gripped the bars of its cage tightly with its feet. with the shock and the pain, my MS kicked in and my legs started to give way, forcing me to hold onto the crutch I was using in a desperate attempt to remain standing.
By this time I would have thought it should be apparent to both shop assistants that I was in some difficulty - as they were BOTH within about 3 feet of me and I was telling the bird to LET GO OF MY HAND!! I literally had to have a tug of war with it to drag my hand from its beak.
Scared that the bird would attack me again, I moved as quickly as I was able, away from it, still nursing the cut on my hand where it had bitten me. The minute I moved away, one of the shop assistants went over to the bird, scratched its head and said "Are you a bad tempered bird today?" Not a WORD of apology or concern to ME whatsoever! I said they should warn people that bird bites, but I got no response.
I hobbled round the shop and eventually found the worm tablets. Even when I was paying for them, I was not apologized to or shown any remorse or concern.
On my way OUT of the shop, I noticed another cage on the opposite side of the door to the offending parrot, with signs warning people not to let their children poke their fingers near the parrot as it may bite. But there were NO warning signs on the other side of the shop relating to the parrot that had attacked me!
I went into my GP's and asked if I should have a tetanus and the receptionist told me I should see the nurse and made me an appointment for about an hour later.
The bird MAY not have caused me serious injury - but if it had attacked a child, then things could well have been a lot worse.
I HAVE filed a complaint with the local police, and it will be treated in the same way as if a DOG had attacked me. The staff in the shop are legally responsible for controlling the parrot apparently - I don't wish the bird any harm, but I am damn sure I am NOT going to let the shop "assistants" get away with their appalling behaviour and negligence.
