A woman has revealed how she potty trained her pigeon so she can take the bird everywhere – carry it around in a special bag and take it to parties and restaurants.
Abby Jardine, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has built a fanbase of more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok, with viewers flocking to see her adventures with her unusual companion.
The 26-year-old rescued the bird – which she has named Pidge – from a pile of rubbish in May 2023 and has since formed an incredibly close bond with her, transforming the orphaned animal into what she calls a ‘purse pigeon’. .
Now Abby takes her pet to New York’s best hotspots, including the best restaurants, intimate soirees and crazy costume parties.
Brooklyn resident Abby Jardine has revealed how she potty trained her pet pigeon to treat him to a luxurious lifestyle
She built a fanbase of more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok as viewers flocked to see her adventures with her unusual companion
The 26-year-old’s unlikely sidekick is a ‘purse pigeon’, creatively named Pidge, which she rescued from a rubbish dump in May 2023
The duo have since become fast friends and now Abby takes her pet to New York’s best hotspots, including the best restaurants, intimate soirees and costume parties.
Animal lover Abby talked about her very unique bond with the pigeon New York Post: ‘I found her scared and alone near a garbage can near my apartment when she was three weeks old.
“She was just a baby, couldn’t fly and shouldn’t have left the nest.”
The batch product developer contacted the Wild Bird Fund wildlife rehabilitation center before scooping up the chick and taking it for treatment.
Abby ultimately decided to adopt the unfortunate youngster, despite knowing very little about bird care.
“I’ve never had a pigeon as a pet, I’m not even a bird person,” she admitted.
‘But I knew that pigeons could be domesticated. When I saw how cute and friendly she was, I knew she was my forever baby.”
Abby started teaching Pidge how to bathe, feed and use the toilet – and now transports her feathered friend around the Big Apple in a cream-colored leather tote.
“If I want to go out with friends for drinks or dinner, I just put her in my bag and she goes to work,” she said.
Abby started teaching Pidge how to bathe, feed and use the toilet – and now transports her feathered friend around the Big Apple in a cream leather tote
In one of Abby’s many videos documenting Pidge’s improved lifestyle, the pet pigeon is shown in a slew of unusual situations: riding in an Uber, on a plane, and attending lunch outings
Animal-loving Abby said of how the pair’s friendship first took off: ‘I found her scared and alone near a rubbish bin near my apartment when she was three weeks old’
And while pigeons are essentially considered pests — and often referred to as “flying rats” — Abby says she’s never had a problem transporting Pidge to different dining and social spots.
“She’s super social and super chill, so we’ve never been kicked out of bars or restaurants,” she said.
Abby added, “If we’re out somewhere, every 30 to 40 minutes I take her to the bathroom, hold her over the toilet and she goes.
‘I’ve tried to get her to go over rubbish bins, and she’s absolutely wary of that. She prefers a real bathroom.”
In one of the content creator’s many videos documenting Pidge’s improved lifestyle, the pet pigeon is shown in a slew of unusual situations: driving an Uber, on the plane and attending lunch outings.
According to Animal travel centerSome U.S. airlines do allow domestic birds to travel with their owners in the cabin, provided they are transported in a kennel that fits securely under the seat.
The Pet Travel Center website states that Frontier, Spirit Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United all allow birds in the cabin, but American, Southwest and Jet Blue all require the animals to be transported in the cargo hold.
She said Pidge is “super social and super chill, so we’ve never been kicked out of bars or restaurants.”
The content creator added: ‘If we’re out and about somewhere, I take her to the bathroom every 30 to 40 minutes, hold her over the toilet and she goes’
The clip was viewed over 2.2 million times and was flooded with comments from followers who loved their inseparable bond
Unsurprisingly, Abby’s video detailing her bird’s lavish lifestyle quickly went viral, with more than 2.2 million views – and plenty of comments from stunned viewers.
One person wrote humorously: “It’s a Birdkin bag!”
A second person added: ‘My Roman empire is made of pigeons. I would really like to meet a domestic pigeon.’
Another commented: ‘It’s hard to watch other people make your dream come true.’
“He survived the hood,” someone else wrote comically.
One person wrote: ‘I would also like a New York emotional support chicken.’
Another added: “Making all the other pigeons on the street jealous.”
Another commented: ‘DUDE his little domesticated heart is probably SO HAPPY.’
One person commented: ‘Can you imagine his pigeon friends learning he now lives in a fancy bag??’
Another person jokingly added: “Forget passenger princess, I want to be a purse pigeon!”
“When she first sticks her head out of the bag and opens her mouth, I imagine her saying ‘material gwuuuul,'” one person wrote.