Donna
09-21-2007, 12:27 AM
Today was such a terrible day for me that I can hardly stand it. My husband took a trip to Minnesota a few days ago and returned with a beautiful little baby Budgie. He placed her in a cage near the front door and when I came home, there she stood. In front of the cage was a note that read: "Minnie" from Minnesota. My husband's note also said that Minnie was my souvenir. I was really "touched" and it brought a "chuckle" to me that he would name her and everything. (She traveled 7 hours in the van with him to get home.) Minnie joined our family on September 9th and it is now September 20th and she's already left us. I thought she looked much plumper than she should have the last couple of days, but then I thought, "Oh well, Budgies look skinny sometimes and fat at other times." Last night I laughed at her and called her my "Pudgie Budgie." I was even able to finally stick my finger in the cage and she would come over and nibble on my finger. Until last night, Minnie would never let me get my hand or finger near her.
This afternoon when I walked into the room, Minnie was just STANDING there (on the newspaper) on the bottom of the cage and she wasn't moving. She looked like she was struggling to stand up. I knew right then that something was terribly wrong because she NEVER stands still and is always in "HIGH GEAR." My husband and I are always laughing at her because she is the most hyper and active Budgie we've ever seen. I lifted the cage up off the table and called Minnie's name but she didn't move. Then I put the cage down and opened the cage door slowly so I wouldn't scare her. She still didn't move. I eased my hand towards her and there was still no movement. There was no doubt that Minnie was terribly sick because just opening the cage door would have been enough to send her flying all over the place. I reached over to pet Minnie's head and she didn't even move when I touched her. I finally picked her up with a small cloth and wrapped her in it and snuggled her close. I rubbed her head and cheeks and belly and kept talking to her but all she would do is look at me. I told her how special she was and that she was picked out as the most special Budgie in the whole store and brought home to me. I told her that I loved her.
15 minutes went by and Minnie never did move. I thought she had died a couple of times but then she would surprise me and open her eyes again. I felt terrible and kept crying because I knew she wasn't going to make it and I was really attached to her. She finally kicked her feet a couple of times and I thought maybe she didn't want to be held anymore so I placed her back in her cage. I laid her down but she tried to get up (and couldn't) and just fell over on her back. I couldn't stand seeing her like that so I picked her back up and cuddled her again. Thinking it would be a comfort to her, I removed Minnie's favorite "mirror toy" from the cage and placed it up to her face. She was always putting her beak up to the mirror and tapping on it as though she had another Budgie friend. I thought maybe I could make her last moments peaceful so I put the mirror up to her little face and told her that there was a special little Budgie looking at her. I rang the bell on it and then put the mirror back up to her face again. As I pulled the mirror away, I could tell that Minnie was gone. She died looking at her reflection in the mirror.
I have never been present with any living being as it passed from life to death. To be holding my sweet little girl in my hands and watching her breathe her last breath was such a devastating experience. I wanted so badly to help her but there wasn't a thing I could do. I'm glad I was there to at least hold and comfort her. I would have felt worse (if that's possible) if I would have walked into the room and found her already gone. RIP, sweet little one . . .
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie1.jpg
My Sweet Little Minnie.
(From Minnesota)
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie2.jpg
Minnie Is About To Reach For Her Favorite Toy - Her Mirror.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie3.jpg
Minnie Surprised Us! There Were Two Times
She Chewed Up The Newspaper Between
The Bars Of The Cage.
She Was Quite
The Artist! :)
This afternoon when I walked into the room, Minnie was just STANDING there (on the newspaper) on the bottom of the cage and she wasn't moving. She looked like she was struggling to stand up. I knew right then that something was terribly wrong because she NEVER stands still and is always in "HIGH GEAR." My husband and I are always laughing at her because she is the most hyper and active Budgie we've ever seen. I lifted the cage up off the table and called Minnie's name but she didn't move. Then I put the cage down and opened the cage door slowly so I wouldn't scare her. She still didn't move. I eased my hand towards her and there was still no movement. There was no doubt that Minnie was terribly sick because just opening the cage door would have been enough to send her flying all over the place. I reached over to pet Minnie's head and she didn't even move when I touched her. I finally picked her up with a small cloth and wrapped her in it and snuggled her close. I rubbed her head and cheeks and belly and kept talking to her but all she would do is look at me. I told her how special she was and that she was picked out as the most special Budgie in the whole store and brought home to me. I told her that I loved her.
15 minutes went by and Minnie never did move. I thought she had died a couple of times but then she would surprise me and open her eyes again. I felt terrible and kept crying because I knew she wasn't going to make it and I was really attached to her. She finally kicked her feet a couple of times and I thought maybe she didn't want to be held anymore so I placed her back in her cage. I laid her down but she tried to get up (and couldn't) and just fell over on her back. I couldn't stand seeing her like that so I picked her back up and cuddled her again. Thinking it would be a comfort to her, I removed Minnie's favorite "mirror toy" from the cage and placed it up to her face. She was always putting her beak up to the mirror and tapping on it as though she had another Budgie friend. I thought maybe I could make her last moments peaceful so I put the mirror up to her little face and told her that there was a special little Budgie looking at her. I rang the bell on it and then put the mirror back up to her face again. As I pulled the mirror away, I could tell that Minnie was gone. She died looking at her reflection in the mirror.
I have never been present with any living being as it passed from life to death. To be holding my sweet little girl in my hands and watching her breathe her last breath was such a devastating experience. I wanted so badly to help her but there wasn't a thing I could do. I'm glad I was there to at least hold and comfort her. I would have felt worse (if that's possible) if I would have walked into the room and found her already gone. RIP, sweet little one . . .
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie1.jpg
My Sweet Little Minnie.
(From Minnesota)
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie2.jpg
Minnie Is About To Reach For Her Favorite Toy - Her Mirror.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o190/trailwalkerdd/Minnie3.jpg
Minnie Surprised Us! There Were Two Times
She Chewed Up The Newspaper Between
The Bars Of The Cage.
She Was Quite
The Artist! :)