This is the hardest post I have written. Little did I know when I grabbed my camera the other day to take a couple shots of my beloved sweetheart Rosie, that it would be the one and only set of pictures I ever got of her.
I’m not even sure what made me do it. It was a spur of the moment thought as she was sitting atop her cage.
I put her to bed last night by covering her cage as I always do. After saying goodnight to her and opening the door for her to climb on my finger. Just our typical routine of a quick scratch on her head before I gently put her back in her cage and close the door for the night.
To my horror this morning as I took off the cage cover, my eyes doing a quick search for her and coming up short, I glanced her in the corner of the cage, already deceased. I cannot begin to express the heartbreak I felt.
I know many people would not understand how easy it can be to become so attached to a companion bird. But anyone who has ever had a cockatiel before knows how sweet and affectionate these birds can be.
I’m not sure of the reason for her passing and that is the most troubling of all. Maybe I should have noticed some signs that she was ill and she could have been saved. She was a young bird, only a little over a year. Much too soon before her time!
I had noticed her fluffing her feather a lot lately and thought she was just colder from the changing seasons. I had also noticed she wasn’t quite as vocal and maybe that should have been my biggest clue. I had thought she as just maturing with age and wasn’t being quite as demanding. Much like our children eventually growing out of their melt down tantrums.
Whatever the cause was, I wanted to say goodbye to her here and leave her imprint on the world wide web. Maybe my loss of her will help someone else catch the early onset of an illness in their pet; and they can be saved. Here is a link to avian veteranarians aav.org if you suspect any changes in your bird’s behaviour.
Goodbye Rosie……You were much loved and will be missed.
