David Wessells, 65, lives in Lebanon with his parrot, Zeus, and his wife Lynnett. The following is an edited interview.

Every time I went into the pet shop I was impressed. His love drew me to him. I’d put my finger in his cage and he wouldn’t pull back like he did with other customers, he’d look at me with such curiosity. I’d always say, "Someday I’m going to get him. Someday he’s going to be mine." But $1,700 is a lot of money.

Then my wife came home from work one day and she said, "they have a half-off-all-birds sale. You want Zeus?" So we went down and got him. When I first saw him he was only a few months old. When I finally bought him he was 4 years old.

Now he’s bonded with me. A lot of tropical birds, they mate for life, and I’m his mate. My wife went to pet him one day and he got ahold of her finger and wouldn’t let go. She won’t touch him now, I’m the only one that can really hold him.

He loves it when I take him in the shower, as long as I adjust the temperature right. When I stroke him down his back he makes groaning noises and nestles his head into my chest. I have to be careful because some mornings I won’t have a shirt on and he’ll try to nip at some places you don’t want him to. If I sit and talk to my wife, Zeus will start talking, trying to butt in because I’m his. He’s a good bird.

He could live to be a hundred, so I’ve got to find somebody to take him when I’m gone, someone young.

I have to find somebody that he would really take to. It’s something I’ve given some thought to, but I haven’t had any luck so far.

He knew how to say a lot of things when I got him, but it took a few days before he opened up to me. We were sitting in the living room and all of a sudden everything he knew came pouring out, one thing after another, like he was saying it all to impress me.

I taught him to sing opera, Puccini arias, and he knows a lot of words. He says, "I’m a good boy, I’m a pretty bird, let me out." Right now he’s moulting, that’s a rough time for a bird, so thank God he doesn’t swear.