oldgirl
03-08-2007, 08:11 AM
Today at around 11.30am, our 14 year old Tobie passed away quietly, with me watching over her.
During the past months, she has been "up and down" with breathing problems, but has always pulled through. This time, however, she had also been sick and I was not so happy with her. A visit to the vet on Tuesday 6th March allowed her to have an injection, and I gave her the extra drops by beak on Wednesday. THis morning, however, she was too weak, and as I opened the cage, she came out onto my jumper-sleeve.
From here, it was impossible to encourage her to move off, so that I could get her drops and administer them.....so I allowed her to rest for almost two hours, on my sleeve. She just curled down like a little chick and did a few cheeps. Gradually she leaned over and rested on her side, and I could see that her feet were very relaxed and failing to grip.
She did several stretches, and closed her eyes, then gradually fell into a gentle sleep; by 11.30 she had stopped breathing. So it was all very peaceful.
Fourteen years ago we bought her as a baby, about a few months old, along with another companion bird. They shared a cage together till 1997, when the male budgie mysteriously and suddenly died. Since then she has lived on her own, but has displayed, at all times, a real cheeky character; stubborn, pecky and awkward at many times, but that was just her. My son has grown up with her (he's 18 this year) and she has always been there for him. I don't go to work, so I have had her with me virtually the whole day, every day.
We've lost two budgies before, but never had one as long as fourteen years, so it is going to be extremely hard to get over saying goodnight to an empty cage. We will move her cage eventually....but not yet. The time will present itself during the coming few weeks, but our sideboard will never look the same without a cage on it.
We dont plan to have another bird at this time; life is gradually taking a new direction for us and many changes are due for us over the next few years; but maybe Tobie herself will show us if the time is right to have another one.
Thanks for reading. Tobie's picture was in the gallery a few months back, rather fluffed up because she was unwell at that time.
During the past months, she has been "up and down" with breathing problems, but has always pulled through. This time, however, she had also been sick and I was not so happy with her. A visit to the vet on Tuesday 6th March allowed her to have an injection, and I gave her the extra drops by beak on Wednesday. THis morning, however, she was too weak, and as I opened the cage, she came out onto my jumper-sleeve.
From here, it was impossible to encourage her to move off, so that I could get her drops and administer them.....so I allowed her to rest for almost two hours, on my sleeve. She just curled down like a little chick and did a few cheeps. Gradually she leaned over and rested on her side, and I could see that her feet were very relaxed and failing to grip.
She did several stretches, and closed her eyes, then gradually fell into a gentle sleep; by 11.30 she had stopped breathing. So it was all very peaceful.
Fourteen years ago we bought her as a baby, about a few months old, along with another companion bird. They shared a cage together till 1997, when the male budgie mysteriously and suddenly died. Since then she has lived on her own, but has displayed, at all times, a real cheeky character; stubborn, pecky and awkward at many times, but that was just her. My son has grown up with her (he's 18 this year) and she has always been there for him. I don't go to work, so I have had her with me virtually the whole day, every day.
We've lost two budgies before, but never had one as long as fourteen years, so it is going to be extremely hard to get over saying goodnight to an empty cage. We will move her cage eventually....but not yet. The time will present itself during the coming few weeks, but our sideboard will never look the same without a cage on it.
We dont plan to have another bird at this time; life is gradually taking a new direction for us and many changes are due for us over the next few years; but maybe Tobie herself will show us if the time is right to have another one.
Thanks for reading. Tobie's picture was in the gallery a few months back, rather fluffed up because she was unwell at that time.