Hydration

Very occasionally, a water bottle on a cage may become empty before we've had a chance to top it up. This is usually because it has cracked or leaked whilst we've been out of the room, and so has emptied by the time we've returned. It's a rare occurrence and we provide multiple bottles to ensure that there is still a water source for the birds inside the cage.

Sometimes customers spot the empty bottle. And sometimes, they get things wrong.

"Excuse me."

- Yes?

"Some of your birds have no water at all."

- Oh, has a bottle emptied?

"They have no water!"

- Okay, I will fill it up now. It is probably broken and needs replacing. There will be another bottle there for them.

"No! They don't have any water at all. I think it's disgusting."

- Okay, well, there's also likely to be a water dish inside the cage as well as the bottles. We'd never leave them without water.

"Well, this time you have. They have no water at all."

I take a deep breath at this point. Then...

- Would you mind showing me the cage?

Off the customer marches into the bird-room, walks half way along the cage, turns to me, and points.

"That one!"

I look at it, do my very best not to roll my eyes, and then also point.

- That one there?

"Yes! That one. You see?!"

The customer is looking very smug at this point. Clearly, she's happy to be able to prove that I am wrong, and that she has caught me out for neglecting our birds.

"I told you! They have nothing at all. There are no bottles on the cage, no dish in the cage, no water in the cage."

- And no birds in the cage.

"What?"

- No birds. No birds in the cage. It's an empty cage. There are no water bottles because there's nothing to give water to.

She looks inside, searching the corners in desperation, probably in the hope that maybe I am wrong and she hasn't just made a stupid mistake.

"Oh."