Budgerigars have long been a favourite pet, particularly amongst the elderly. They require little maintenance, and exercise themselves if you leave the cage door open.
However, a little known fact is that many elderly people often forget to lock the birds in their cages at night and forget to shut the door of the room, thus giving the birds freedom of the house. This can result in carnage when the owner has to answer a call of nature in the night. A distressed bird lover told us that to date he has flattened nine beloved pets by inadvertently stepping on them in the dark on his way to the bathroom.
However, help is at hand. The Budgerigar Club of Tyne and Wear has developed a remarkable machine that works by emitting a type of x-ray. They claim that after only three dozen exposures a budgie will glow in the dark. Exact details of how the machine works are being kept secret for fear of reprisals from the RSPCA. BCTW agrees that the birds' lives are probably being shortened by exposure to the x-rays, but not as rapidly as being stepped on shortens them.
BCTW hopes to eventually develop similar machines to accommodate cockatoos and parrots. However, since the budgie machines are the size of a large microwave, developers fear that a machine large enough to process an adult parrot would be the size of a washing machine and hence not practical as a home appliance.
Three budgie-processors are currently being beta-tested with remarkable results. Mrs. Birdie Love, 93, told us: "I've lost four of my little Billies by stepping on them. I put Billie number five in the machine every night. It's a godsend really; he doesn't seem to be able to fly very well since I started using the machine but at least I can see him on the floor now."
BCTW have applied for a patent for what is affectionately being called the 'budgie zapper' and expect it to be generally available by the end of the year, priced at around £875.
