BirdChannel Forum / BirdChannel Community / Pet Loss Support

Stigmas on things!

Parrotz — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:51:34 GMT

I'm giving away a nice playstand today. It once belonged to my Blue & Gold Icarus. She passed away over two years ago and I stopped using the stand. It's like the playstand has a stigma attached to it. I didn't have this problem with her cage. I know it's silly, however, I think that this will help me feel better and one of the girls at the bird store needs a playstand. Her bird Ollie was visiting at the store yesterday and he came over to say hi to me. Usually Ollie is a mommy only bird so I was flattered. I'm a sucker for a sweet Blue & Gold.

Please RIP Squirt

dizzynscout — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:23:06 GMT

My DH and I had 6 zebra finches until 3 days ago, when we lost our Squirt. He was a near self-white zebra finch. We initially got him to add contrasting colors to the rest of that flock, and he took a liking to Gabby, a younger female zebra. So 2 weeks ago we moved the happy couple into their own little "honeymoon" cage and 3 days ago, my DH found Squirt dead in that honeymoon cage. Not sure what the cause of death was and no one else seems sick. Zebra finches are notoriously over-bred, so his life expectancy wasn't that great when we got him and had no idea how old he was to begin with. Rest in peace, Squirt, for one day you will be reunited with your girl Gabby.

I lost my 11 year old parakeet blue bell 7/16/10

cindy05 — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:15:49 GMT

My poor baby was diagnosed with testicle fumer that was cancer and instead of watching him suffer any longer, I decided to put him down and then I buried him in my garden with the rest of my babies that had passed on before him.

I miss him so much, we were together for 11 years and now his cage feels so empty. I do have 5 other parakeets who I am sure feel the loss as much as I do.

That was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but it was the right one and done in love. I am still crying for him and probably will for a long time to come. He was a character who lightened my life from the first day I brought him home from the pet store. He loved to eat carrots and there was always carrot juice on his face feathers.

Good Bye Blue bell. my love

cindy

My Dear Noel

Monica — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:24:31 GMT

My Dear Noel,

This is hard for me to say this, but I have to put it down in writing. So it shall be that I write this with tears in my eyes.

You came to me on December 23rd, 2001, when I was only 12 years old, bedraggled, mutilated and broken. It didn't help that several years before you had been attacked by a ferret. Your stomach was bare as well as a bare spot on the back of your head that you couldn't see unless you looked for it, your toenails deformed, slightly blind in one eye, you couldn't fly, and your grip was poor. It wasn't the fault of your previous (not first) owner that she didn't understand you.

I was quite thankful to Casey, a cockatiel, only 6 months old at the time, for being head over tails crazy for you, and befriending you. I recall how much she pestered you, and how much you just wanted her to go away before you finally gave in and accepted her. I'll never forget those nights the two of you were snuggled up together, or the few rare times I caught Casey preening your head.

You were never a normal bird, never 'right' but you were you. Both of us have gone through some rough times, even together. Although you were never the one to have fun playing with toys, or enjoy interaction, we did have a special understanding with each other. I knew that you enjoyed it when I took you outside to your apple tree, or out and about within the neighborhood. I always did love to see the happiness and joy in your eyes during those times. And for that, I wish I could have made you whole. Given you perfect eyesight, as many feathers as you'd need for a lifetime and then some, the ability of flight, a healthy, pure and strong body, and anything else of your desire. I wish for that, and so much more.

Tuesday, February 10th, 2010, sometime between the hours of 3am and 6am you left this world. I tried staying up with you as long as I could, but my tired body betrayed me to sleep. I always expected for you to pass on, but I hadn't expected it this early. By this time, you had cataracts and your health was failing you. All I know was that you were had kidney problems, among other things and I found out the results too late. I hope now that wherever you are, you are once again whole, in body and spirit. I hope that you have your wings back.

Fly free my friend,

Monica M.C.

A tribute to my "girl" - although DNA results (after death) said male. If Noel was indeed a male, I can't imagine how horrible she must have felt for all those years in order to not vocalize like a normal male conure should. I did not have a necropsy done, as I knew she was sick (had a raging fungal infection, to boot) and old. Her estimated age, at time of death, is about 18-20 years old, but for all I know, she could have been older than myself, which wouldn't surprise me in the least. After caring for her, and adopting Charlie, he was certainly far more conure than I ever expected him to be, and still, I've been told that he's not the typical conure either. After her passing, things just haven't felt right, and it took me a while to not tear up whenever I thought about her... until today, when I finally decided to post this... having a hard time not balling into hysterics. I did not opt for a crematory either, as I simply can't imagine having her with me for the rest of my life, if only in "body" and not life. In time, I hope to be able to have a picture painted to remember her by instead.

So this is for her. My special 'girl'. Fly free and rest peacefully.

I just found today

RedDragon1288 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:07:56 GMT

Yeah I just called my mom today to tell her about the potential ban on plastic bags in Grocery stores and found out that my dog Scooby was attacked and killed by a pack of coyotes. Scooby lived with my parents in San Bernardino County (inside the national forest) and I live in Butte County. I was going to go down later this year to take his uncle Torrito (my other dog) to live with me since they don't get along and leave Scooby with my parents because he is so attached to my mom. Well my family knew better to properly secure the fences to prevent the dogs from going out of the safety within property because they live in Bear and Coyote country. Hell, early this year they got a visit from a black bear twice. All I know is they have no excuses for his death. It's not fair.

BIRD TALK's Heart to Heart Columnist Chris Davis

Flock Moderator — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:05:46 GMT

Baby Doll, Chris Davis's blue-and-gold macaw of 35 years, passed away today. Chris Davis has written BIRD TALK’s Heart to Heart column for many years and often talked about her beloved macaw, who was like a daughter to her. Post your condolences here, or send an e-mail to birdtalk@bowtieinc.com and we’ll pass them on.

Rocky...

lilbirdiegirl — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:26:59 GMT

I haven't actually posted in a while... but I guess I want to now.

I slept late this morning, and when I got up to get some breakfast, I saw a dark gray shape in the food dish. My first thought: "Oh God, not Rocky!" and my second thought: "Oh God... Rocky..."

He was in the food dish. I don't know how he managed to do that, but he did. I'm not sure what he died from. He wasn't really acting like himself, so I knew he must have been sick. But he went back to being Rocky after a few days! He was interacting with the other birds, and eating, drinking, everything.

I knew we should have taken him to the vet, but we just didn't have the money. My mom just lost her job, and my dad's job is only temporary. Oh, this is my fault...

Sorry for long post. Just sad...

Missing Lucy

lucylu216 — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:31:09 GMT

It's been a little over 3 months since I lost my Lucy. I still feel a hole inside me. I miss coming home to the squawking and happy chirps. I feel lonely without her. I have nights like tonight where I miss her so much. It hurts so bad still. Lucy was there for the most difficult times of my life. Things are difficult now and she is not here to make me smile,everyday, like she always did. I miss the smiles she bought me, I miss the happiness she gave me, and I miss my beautiful bird that brightened up my life so much

Lost my Beulah Lynn Parakeet 2/22/10

parakeet..daughter — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:15:39 GMT

I new to this forum and relieved to find a place where I can talk my bird loss. We together for almost 12 years I got Beulah in 1998 at a trusted petstore in my area. I found my blue/black/white feathered baby girl gone at the bottom of her cage on 2-22/10. She'd been struggling for a couple months and. There were days when she was flying alot and singing and in between those days she would have less energy, and a hard time crawling up the side of her cage. I had two parakeets in the mid 90's and had them for several years Pd (male) and Tina (female) and Tina went first who died in my hands as I was sobbing. And my other bird Pd who was my only bird for a while until the tiny tot passed a few years after I brought Beulah home in 1998.

I had started a birdy memorial for Tina Parakeet years ago made out of a 8by10 bulletin board covered with colored paper and drew her name use glitter attached with glue covered in plastic. I still have it sitting next to my computer and will update it with all three of my beloved parakeets names on it.

Lost my Sweet Girl!

Kito&TupisMom&Dad — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:31:32 GMT

K&T Dad... It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I have to say we lost Miah our Cockatiel today. This is the first Parrot I have ever lost and do not want to feel this pain again! The flock seems quieter and then there's Miah's EMPTY cage. Some of you know about a year and a half ago Miah had the biggest episode of chronic egg laying my experienced avian vet had ever seen. 14 eggs in 27 days. She was brought in and had 2 lupron shots in two months. After that she would only lay 1 egg every 2-4 months. About 6 days ago I noticed her behavior was what she does when she lays an egg and fully expected to see one the next day. Nothing. Then this Sunday we noticed she was very lethargic, would not eat or drink and was sleepy. We hoped she would pass the egg that day but I feared she was egg bound. We rushed her into the vets Monday first thing and she was indeed egg bound. They said the egg was almost twice the normal size and were a little surprised by that. She was given fluids, antibiotics, and Calcium, and then placed in an incubator with high temperature and humidity. They hoped that within 24 hours this would help her pass it on her own. She was doing fine otherwise and stable. If that did not work they would try to manipulate the egg out and if not..Surgery. All failed and she died during the surgery. She is not in pain anymore and is with us now. I will miss her dearly as even though she was my Wife's Parrot out of all our 15 she was bonded with me the most. I will miss her calls for me every time I woke up. She was the sweetest girl and cherish the 2 1/2 years I had with her. Say a prayer for my little Miah...

Memorial Gift and support

featherfanatic4749 — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:06:40 GMT

I just wanted to share this with you guys if you need a way to remember your lost fid as they were. really touching portraits from photos from memory lane. If you want to get one you can get one here: www.ParrotPortraits.webs.com

I hope this helps some people! Sorry about all of your loses! I lost my budgie 2 years ago from a cat incident but all will heal as time goes on. I'm sure rainbow bridge is great! I hear they have all-you-can eat millet and papaya buffets there. Your birds would love to see you happy again.

Lost African Grey

loiseliese — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:49:58 GMT

My CAG Cheeka flew out the door 3-14-10 in Monroe, La. Please call me if you spot Cheeka Thank You Lois 318-323-7150

Louie is flying high

LouieLover_mybaby — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:01:47 GMT

My friend of 4 years flew away yesterday. I'm not sayin he dies, but he literally flew away. When my best friend came rnning in the door really fast, it scared him and he flew away past her and about 7 houses. I am still crying from last night's devestating blow. I'm doing everything i can to find him. Poster's ,flyers, i even put an add on Craig's list. Its warm here so i know he is still alive, and out there.

If this has happened to anyone, please help me understand, 1 why do they fly out on the first place?, and 2 how do you stop crying when you have lost your best friend?

Any help here?

requiem for Rio

artmeyer — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:43:28 GMT

You came into our lives when needed.

You came as a pet, but quickly became so much more.

We read and followed the Parrot 10 Commandments

and watched as you changed our lives.

you were the first in my thoughts in the morning and last at night. Seeing you wait patiently (and some times not) for me to snuggle with you, strengthen the bond we shared to the point where you became a part of our lives. You were always there for us and never judged.

You comforted us when sick, hurt, or depressed and never demanded anything in return.

Our lives are empty without you, You were so much more than MY BIRDY, WE MISS YOU!

Parakeet Deaths

Meeko Freak — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:14:04 GMT

As the title says, these losses did not happen recently, in fact, they happened years ago. At the time they happened, however, I didn't have a place to share my stories or people to share them with. Thinking about the loss of my two parakeets still makes me sad, so I want to share the stories now.

I think it makes me so sad because both of my birds died in my hands, which is something you just don't forget. I'm 21 years old now, but my first bird, Meeko, died when I was in eighth grade. He was a green and yellow budgie, and I got him when I was in second grade and named him after the raccoon in the Disney movie, Pocahontas. He was such a love of a bird and put up with way too much of my antics as a little girl, but he always made me feel better when I was sad, and readily came to my hand and let me pet and feed him. Toward his last days, he got very sick. He wouldn't eat or drink and had runny stool. His tummy was also largely swollen and purple. The only thing that seemed to brighten him at all was when I took him out of his cage and sat and talked with him. We took him to the vet where it was discovered that he had a large tumor, and there was really nothing that could be done for him. My mom and I decided it would be best to put Meeko down, and so the doctor came back in and gave him the shot. As he put Meeko back in my hands he just kind of laid his head down in my palm, and I kept petting him and telling him what a pretty bird he was. Then he just closed his eyes, relaxed and went limp, and was gone.

My second bird actually wasn't MY bird. He belonged to my older brother, but he never paid any attention him, so I basically adopted him as my own! This bird, christened "Freak" by my brother, was blue, white, and black, and started out as a very mean, untrusting bird. He bit HARD and didn't like anyone. I would say about halfway through his life he actually started to like people. He just talked and talked all the time! Nothing made him happier than to have people around. He would also do a dance that my dad called, "The Ali" after Mohammed Ali, where he would bob his head and walk back and forth on his perch. It was so cute when he would do that! A couple of summers ago, he suddenly stopped talking about mid-July. We didn't know why, but he just sat in his cage all fluffed up and didn't move a whole lot. He was still eating and drinking, but seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. We knew he was an old bird, even older than Meeko, and just kind of figured it was nearing "his time." It got to the point where he couldn't even stand on his perch anymore, and I would spend my summer evenings laying next to him on the floor, with him sitting in the lid of a shoebox lined with paper towel. I think he started to go a little loopy, because his eyes would go wide and he would try to stand up and stretch his wings, but would fall over again. I couldn't hold him, because if I did he would just flop out of my hands onto the floor, and that scared me. One night as we were laying watching T.V., he had something of a fit. I knew it was the end because it was the most frantic and active I had seen him for weeks. He jumped up and down, flapping and squawking for about 15 seconds, and then stopped and laid down. I carefully picked him up and just said, "Sssssshhhh...ssssshhhhh...it's okay...you can go"...and he closed his little eyes and went.

Again, it's been years, but typing these stories made me cry. My whole world would stop when my birds weren't feeling well, and I guess I just feel glad that I was there for them, hopefully as a comfort in their final moments. I'm happy to have two, healthy and happy parakeets now, one resembling Meeko, and the other resembling Freak in coloring. I feel a strong connection to birds, and can relate to them well. I hope I have these two for a very long time.

Thank you for reading my stories. It made me feel better to share them with you and remember my old friends.

Good-Bye Zoey

baby_geek — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:42:27 GMT

Oct 10/03 - Feb 23/10
You became a part of my life when you were a tiny little egg. I watched you grow until you were a whole 10 days old. I raised you with my own 2 hands from then on while mom and dad watched over to make sure I was doing it right.
You led a great life of travel to and from Vancouver to Kamloops BC when you came with me to university. You were hated by most for you loved to talk as they walked past you but you loved me to your hearts content.

I miss you so much already and you have only been gone an hour, an hour that has felt like eternity! I feel as tho' it is my duty to find out what went wrong in your little body. I will try my best!

I miss you
Love,
Kari

A Loss

Raine — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:25:14 GMT

I didn't ever want to post anything here, but now I find myself in tears over the loss of one of my rescue birds, Coco. He has been at my home for over a year now, adopted with Lacey and Augestine. Coco really took to Lacey and were inseperable, so much so that they had to be moved into the same cage. Today I got a phone call from my dad saying that he found one of the birds pass away on the cage floor, so I made my way over in tears. It wasn't until I got to the house that I found out it was Coco. Poor Lacey looked so shocked at what was going on, and I really hope she'll be okay. Coco had a nice time here, lots of toys to play with, a stay at home dad who loved to talk to him, and an other bird who loved him. He'll always be remembered.

why my flock?

brilliantfids — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:00:37 GMT

well sadly we had another freak accident, maliki, got stuck in the spot where a food bowls goes. im not going to describe the scene but he was still alive so itook him with too the vet and found out he had 2 broken wing and legs and cracked his keel bone. so i choose to send him to the rainbow bridge instead of suffer besides maliki we are most likely going to lose truman too. hes been at the vet since 5 am, and though in great health hes not doing good ... he has not been eating well since we lost titus. the vet has him on fluids and is hanfeeding him, but he thinks truman has given up.... he also thinks truman is at least 20 years old not 7 as we were told when we adopted him. he feels it might best to have truman put down.

^cheeky^

kimiko — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:48:14 GMT

my cockatiel cheeky passed away tue-wed night.

she went to the vet tues because she wasnt eating or drinking, and just wasnt herself. and what baffled the vet was the fact cheeky was just there friday (4 days earlier!) and had no problems. (and she was only 2 yrs old or so)

cheeky had lost 10 grams & was dehydrated. she was put in an incubator, given fluids and an antibiotic because a fecal test had shown bacteria present. the vet took her home overnight to keep an eye on her, but she didnt make it. i was afraid thats what the vet was going to tell me when i got her call wed morning.

an initial autopsy revealed her liver & intestinal tract to be enlarged & discolored. tissues have been sent out for more testing, which i'm waiting to hear on.

cheeky was my best birdie friend and from all my birds, the most spoiled. we'd nap together, eat together... she'd drink 'water shots' & forage in the rug for food... and i called her my 'cheeky alarm' because whenever i came home, she'd always "woo", "woo", "woo" for me.

I've lost my Precious

lovemyparrots — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:13:06 GMT

My beautiful Panama yellow-crowned Amazon, Precious, died Saturday morning of unknown causes at the tender age of 15. I raised her from a baby, hand-feeding her at all hours of the day and night. She would run across the kitchen floor at feeding time, so excited that it was time to eat! She was my first parrot -- my special little girl and now her beautiful and loving light is gone from my life. I am absolutely devastated by her loss. I will miss her kisses every morning and her snuggles. I look at the bananas in the kitchen and think how much she loved them. I remember her as a tiny baby snuggling up in my hair and making little baby sounds, and she continued to do this even when she was all grown up. She laughed with me and cried with me -- literally! She was so smart and lively. I literally cannot breathe sometimes because it hurts so much that she is gone. I sob uncontrollably for about ten minutes and then I'm just numb for about a half hour after that. How do we get through this pain? I'm worried about her life-long cagemate, Coby, who was at the bottom of the cage crying and crying saying "oh my God! oh my God!" over and over. We are just devastated. I know that time will help with this loss, but I just wanted the world to know that my Precious little girl was so very special and loving. I read somewhere about the Rainbow Bridge and that she will be waiting for me there. I'll be sure to have a banana with me for her. Thank you, friends, for letting me share about my Precious little girl.

Lucy, my beloved dusky conure

lucylu216 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:20:53 GMT

Last Monday, Dec 28, I lost my girl Lucy. She was a beautiful dusky conure who I loved with all my heart. I miss her so much and I am still having a hard time going about normal functions in my house without her. She was always with me when I was home. She was my baby girl and I loved her so much. I took her to the vet on Sunday, they said she had a large egg and were worried about her becoming egg bound. They kept her and removed the egg the next morning. That evening they lost her. The necropsy told the doc she had visceral gout. I can't believe she was sick and I didn't know. It is so hard. I feel like there is a hole in my heart and I am lost without my best friend to make me smile.

petland

kiwiconure98 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:48:45 GMT

it isnt really a loss but i want to talk about petland my sis recently got a tiel from petland it was doing fine but since it was in so much stress at petland it plucked off its tail (this happend at petland we bought her with no tail) and it turned out it was sick and my mom didn't want to spend the money on going to the vet (i was upset but we just dont have the money) so we just returned her but when we returned her we told the manager she was sick but all he did was throw her back in the cage with the other birds also i have some other stories one time there was a bird at petland and he was so depressed that he was screaming and me and my mom tried to calm him but we just couldnt its so sad they never take care of their birds 1 more story i was getting kiwis wings clipped (my bird) and when we got him back he was so scared and it turned out they hurt his leg but it healed in a couple of days so i just wanted to talk about how cruel petland is to their birds and if it happens that you work at petland idk if all the petlands are cruel to their animals their just so mean to the birds

cage plans

bobandcarrie — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:10:59 GMT

I would be very appreciative if anyone could head me in the right direction for some cage plans or designs

A moral dilema...

farmbird — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:16:34 GMT

I am asking for your help.

My brother has a 12 year old parakeet that has had some mini strokes and is now a paraplegic. The bird has lost the ability to perch and has become a bottom dweller. The poor thing can still eat and drink and my brother does his best to keep the bottom wire mesh clean for the bird.

He asked me my opinion. I told him how sorry I was that this happened to the bird, and that the bottom line was, if he loved the bird it was time to put the poor thing out of its' misery.

He said he knew that was probably going to be my answer but that would entail a veterinarian visit and that costs money which he does not have.

So now, before you judge him or myself, please take a moment to put yourselves in the situation and ask yourselves, what YOU would do.

I have 6 birds myself and have had them for over 17 years, so I know what My answer is.

He was the Best Damn Bird

Heather Rae — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:53:58 GMT

Hello Everyone...I'm new to the forum. I don't know how to add pictures to my email like all of you. I just want to tell you about my best friend. I am having a really hard time dealing with his loss. He was just a little bird but the empty place in my heart & my home is so overwhelming I don't know how to cope with it. It has been two weeks since I came home from work & found him dead. His name was Louie. He was a beautiful Red Lored Amazon. He was a year old when he came to live with me. He was scared & afraid of people & would cower & bite if you came near. It took years, almost 3 or 4 years, before he trusted me, & bonded with me, to come out of his cage to sit on my shoulder to be scratched. He was my best buddy bird for 23 years. 23 years! He was curious & interested in everything. He loved to sit on my shoulder to cook dinner, of course he had his own little bowl, & he loved to supervise washing dishes, he always wanted to eat the wooden spoons. He spent every evening getting scratches while watching TV. He loved to walk along the top of the bedboard & rearrange the pictures hanging there. Every morning we would put that program on TV called Good Morning Earth, I think it is called, & he would listen to the birds & sing back to them. He didn't "talk" but he sure knew a lot of different bird sounds & calls & his "wolf whistle" was first class. He loved the sound of latin music & he loved the squeaky sound of sport shoes on a basketball court. I could write stories about Lou & all the special things he did. I don't really know what he died from. I could be wrong about this & I hope maybe some of you might tell me this is something you have heard of before. You see Louie had two cages. A night cage & a daytime cage. His night cage wasn't very big, maybe 2 1/2 feet square. He would be sound asleep in his covered cage & we would hear him fall. It happened maybe once, maybe twice, a year in the last 4 years. He didn't fall far in his night cage & he was always okay. But when we moved to Wisconsin 3 years ago we had to leave his old cage behind & were given a new cage for him when we got here. The cage was brand new & it was built for a Macaw. Very tall. I worried at first that maybe it was too tall for an Amazon. But we filled it with perches & toys & Louie liked it just fine & he lived in it for almost 3 years with no problems. What I think happened though, was that Louie fell asleep in the afternoon & fell off his perch, a fall that was much farther than his night cage-maybe almost 2 feet- and broke his neck when he hit the bottom. I could tell that his neck was broken. Maybe he had a heart attack & fell. I don't know for sure but my gut tells me he just fell asleep, like he did at night sometimes, & the distance was so far. I just wonder if any of you have had something like this happen or have heard of birds falling asleep & falling off their perches?? I just wanted to tell you my story. It would take many pages to tell you all the many wonderful things about Louie. Somebody please tell me that someday I will see him again. Nobody seems to understand how much that little warm body, with those big bright eyes meant to me. Somebody tell me that I won't feel so empty everyday. He was the first & only bird I ever owned. He was so much of everyday for 23 years. How can such a little creature mean so much ? I miss his little warm body on my shoulder. I miss his kisses. I miss his pooping all over me. I miss him so. so, very, very much. Thanks for listening.

Heather Rae

Easter

BirdLadyjunior — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 18:44:04 GMT

I got Easter, my budgie, and immediately started the 'step up step down' training. We were doing pretty good. I started to notice that he would hop from the ceiling to the side to the floor to the opposite...over and over again. He rarely stopped to eat or drink. His cage wasn't small really, I thought he wasn't getting enough activity, but plenty of time outside his cage with the other budgies didn't seem to help. Finally, after nine days with him, he died. Does anyone have any idea how it might have happened?

My friend died

kITTY — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:54:14 GMT

My cinnamon cockatiel, Cuddles, died of cancer in 2006. He was my best friend. He was 18 years old. I love him!

Missing Congo African Grey :[

hdelavega — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:43:35 GMT

Domingo was last seen on USF's Tampa Campus, his wings had been clipped the day before by the vet, but she only removed four feathers and I guess it wasn't enough. Someone unfamiliar tried to pick him up and he flew, started to come back but then was chased by a seagull and flew away screaming. :[

If anyone's in the area and has him or has seen him, please let us know.

sadness over death of birds

maltesegirl — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:44:01 GMT

let me know how others feel about loosing a bird. i feel bad over my rosey loss

In Loving Memory

Bilbo_Misty — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:38:16 GMT

Cooper. My pied Cockatiel. Friendliest boy EVER! Flew away August 10, 2009. He was fully clipped, it just so happened he went out the door at just the right time. i dunno how many hours and days and weeks I spent looking for my baby boy. He was special, because he was a rescue. He loved everyone he met, and let them know with a wolf whistle. The nights I spent wondering, crying....will never pass. I still shed tears sometimes.

Cooper, if you're out there somewhere, just know I miss you. And I love you. You will always have a place in my heart.

One of my Fids passed away!

I am my birds Mom — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:34:06 GMT

Stirup, our parakeet, passed away a few days ago!! We know that he is an old man, but do not know the age, he was my cousin's bird until she passed away and then we took him in..he was not feeling well for a few weeks, and we did everything we could for him..to make him as happy and warm as possible!! We love you Stirup!! Be with Liz now, she was missing you!!

My dear Rio

Green_Cheek — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:40:55 GMT

I came home this evening to find my beloved Rio dead. He was young, very healthy, and had not been acting strange at all. Rio had food and water, and could not have gotten into anything. My boy was gripping the cage bars with his wings forward, looking like he was scared by something or had some sort of heart attack. All of us are very upset, other birds included.

In Loving Memory Of Ginger

Tomsde — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:57:35 GMT

It's been about 10 days since I had to put Ginger, my pet cockatiel to sleep. It's been a very difficult period for me. I had Ginger for 10 1/2 years and she was a sweet and good bird who was always loving and loved to cuddle. I got Ginger from a breeder when she was only 6 weeks old.

She hadn't been acting right and I thought she was egg bound. Upon bringing her to a avian vet I discovered that she most likely had a cancerous tumor in her abdomen and was showing signs of having lost weight. The vet felt that her prospects for surival were non-existant and that surgery was likely to kill her.The vetsuggested I consider euthanasia, so I decided not to let my baby suffer anymore. It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life.

We burried her in the back yard and I put some fresh flowers on her grave on Sunday. I feel a real void in my life, I'd hope that Ginger would live a lot longer life and her death was a real shock.

Loving memory of Daisy the Parakeet

LaurAsh988 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:18:49 GMT

My mom found my parakeet, Daisy, dead this morning. It was a shock and she was still just a baby. We've only had her since April. She was such a sweet bird who loved to swing and swing and swing. Take her beak and grab the wire and push the swing back farther. She was skittish but loved to cheep. She was a lutino, yellow with reddish eyes. I loved her.

question re: cremation?

pixiebird — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:31:26 GMT

I called one provider of this service and they say it's $100 -- is that a typical price?

We are considering burial at the house where he lived most of his life-- but we're going to sell the property and I'm not sure I can bear the thought of him being buried in someone else's yard once we sell.

Pixie Parakeet 2003 - 2009

pixiebird — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:45 GMT

My wife called me at work today and asked "How quickly can you get home? It's soon." Ten minutes after I got home I was holding him in my hand when he had a spasm, flipped his head back, and rolled over on his back. I held him in my hand as his breathing stopped and his eyes closed.

___________________________________

Biograph (lengthy but I just have to do this):

Pixie was hatched in San Bernardino County, CA in September 2003. He was the "runt" of the clutch and his mother bird refused to feed him. A wonderful teenager (now in her twenties) took him in and hand-fed him until weaning. My wife and I adopted him on December 8, 2003.

Originally a drab-looking, undersized bird, he flourished under Anne's care. He was mostly light-green and yellow, with all the usual black very faint, with bright purple "sideburns", and a cobalt-blue diamond that showed when he spread his tail. Originally we named him "Pixel" because he was a little dot of light. He learned his name, but when he was about a year old he changed it to "Pixie". Who were we to argue? It was his name after all and he had a right to change it. He also learned many other phrases, including "I love you baby", "such a pretty bird" and "he's a gorgeous bird". He mixed and matched phrases-- but always put the adjectives before the nouns.

His favorite toy was a plastic bobble penguin with which he invented a variety of games-- boxing with it, parenting it, or spinning it, or "vanquishing" it by pinning it down with his foot. He pick out "his" penguin from several in a lineup. He also enjoyed mirors, beads, "bizzy balls" (only in his color), and spinning a toy ferris wheel for seeds.

He was an accomplished singer/whistler as well as a talker. He preferred to join in with classical music, blues, and the vacuum cleaner. he loved car trips until near the end when staying on his perch was difficult.

He had some chronic health issues, but the end came quickly over a few days. He will be missed. A few paragraphs don't do him justice. I know that lots and lots of birds are very special, but I want the world to know what a wonderful companion this 30-gram bundle of love was.

I thank everybody who has already given me support in the various Pixie-related threads I've made recently.

RIP-Kermit

Kermitsmom — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:22:35 GMT

Last weekend Kermit's condition (we-meaning the vet and I-thought he had had a couple of small strokes) started to deteriorate. Monday I called the vet and took him in knowing full well what the outcome would be. Turns out he had a tumor-it was not easy to do but I let him go. Cried all the way home.

RIP-Kermit 9-14-09

My baby Ziggy

farmbird — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:41:16 GMT

I have just lost my good friend Ziggy. She was a 23 year old Hahns Macaw.
She was given to me by a friend who couldn't stand her screaming. My friend knew I was a bird lover so she new Ziggy would be well cared for.

Ziggy came home with me but took a long time to fit in with my other birds and to acclimate to her surroundings. She would scream all the time. The only peace I knew was when the lights went out.

It took many years but finally Ziggy and I bonded. She went with me everywhere. She was the happiest just sitting on my chest with her head tucked up underneath my chin.

Ziggy died in my arms that fateful morning and I buried her where many of her cousins had been laid to rest previously.

I miss her and have created a picture file to look at always.

I know this is a good place to tell my story and I thank you all, because we are all family and have been here before.

My blessings to each and every one of you.

The hardest part of all of this is that my other birds mimic Ziggy's voice so it's like she's still here but then again......not

What a horrible way to start my day.

CriminalistW — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:42:46 GMT

I woke up yesterday morning, early since I had school, and ate my breakfast. Every morning, when my tiels are ready to get up, my male quietly whisltes to himself until I uncover the cage. To my horror, my female was lying, lifeless on the bottom of the cage. I have only had her for about two months. I was heartbroken. I feel so bad for my male because he keeps looking around his empty cage, like "Why am I by myself?" Luckily, they weren't bonded, so he's not distraught, he's just confused.

It makes me so mad. I had her for such a short time. I guess I can be the poster child for all new bird owners, such as myself, to buy from a reputable breeder, not a pet store as I did.

So, from now on, it's breeders and when I have more bird experience, it'll be rescues.

Don't make the mistake I did and end in heart break.

R.I.P Xavier

savetheanimalsx — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:03:34 GMT

Xavier was a year old Hahns Mini Macaw. He was very loving and gentle. He loved to be held and could be quite a clown at time. His death at this point is unknown. He was fine when he was put to bed until a couple minutes later he screamed and when my mother went to see what was wrong he was on the cage floor dead. We loved him very much and he will be missed greatly. We are going to be having an autopsy to hopefully find the reason behind his sudden death to help us move on and to also make sure our other loved birds are not at risk.

We love and miss you Xavier.