We lost our sweet Cally on Tuesday, and are just brokenhearted. We would have had her and her mate, Ki, 3 years on Valentine’s day. I saw the ad for them, they were selling multiple other birds, and Ki and Cally looked the worst so they were the ones we wanted to bring home. She was wild caught, we were told she was between 50 and 60 when we got her. They were living in a shed attached to a barn, it was so cold in there you could see your breath. They were in a galvanized cage, with 2 perches that were more like tree stumps they were so big.
Cally was a DYH and Ki a RLA, they had been put together when both their mates died, and were inseparable. Ki was so attached to her that when we would take her out of the cage to trim her nails, he would throw himself at the bars trying to get to her.
Everything was normal Tuesday, they had their baths and enjoyed them like usual, Cally had some birdie bread with her morning chop. My husband went down to change cages that evening, and she was fine. They were in a huge corner cage, and he had to almost crawl into the cage to change the papers on top of the grates, and she made her way to the back of the cage while he was doing it, just like usual. As soon as he finished, she was heading back to sit by the chop dish, knowing that chop was the next step. He took the chop in 10 minutes later, and she was on the bottom of the cage, under the chop dish…gone.
Ki was sitting with her, trying to preen her head, and muttering to her. We left her in the cage overnight with him, as he did not want to leave her side.
We are devastated that she is gone, and that Ki is now alone. She came a long way with us, and I am so thankful that she lived her last years in a warm place, with good food and love. The pain we are feeling made us question whether we can take the pain from these losses, and whether it was a good idea to take in older, challenged birds. The answer is that we are doing the right thing, and if we can make their lives better, even for a short time, it is worth the anguish we feel at losing them.
Ki is doing a bit better now, he wasn’t really eating, and for the first time, I heard him scream the day after she passed. Yesterday, he tore down the toy that she loved…I’m not sure if he was playing with it, or if he didn’t want to look at it. So hard to know what they are thinking. We added more wood to it, and made it look different before rehanging it, and so far he has left it alone. He enjoyed his bath today, and I think he is going to be okay.
My heart aches for her loss, but I am comforted to think of her once again flying free, like she always should have been.
Cally, you are missed desperately...and you were, and are, loved. Thank you for allowing us to share your last years, Baby Girl. You changed us, and we will be forever grateful.
Cally was a DYH and Ki a RLA, they had been put together when both their mates died, and were inseparable. Ki was so attached to her that when we would take her out of the cage to trim her nails, he would throw himself at the bars trying to get to her.
Everything was normal Tuesday, they had their baths and enjoyed them like usual, Cally had some birdie bread with her morning chop. My husband went down to change cages that evening, and she was fine. They were in a huge corner cage, and he had to almost crawl into the cage to change the papers on top of the grates, and she made her way to the back of the cage while he was doing it, just like usual. As soon as he finished, she was heading back to sit by the chop dish, knowing that chop was the next step. He took the chop in 10 minutes later, and she was on the bottom of the cage, under the chop dish…gone.
Ki was sitting with her, trying to preen her head, and muttering to her. We left her in the cage overnight with him, as he did not want to leave her side.
We are devastated that she is gone, and that Ki is now alone. She came a long way with us, and I am so thankful that she lived her last years in a warm place, with good food and love. The pain we are feeling made us question whether we can take the pain from these losses, and whether it was a good idea to take in older, challenged birds. The answer is that we are doing the right thing, and if we can make their lives better, even for a short time, it is worth the anguish we feel at losing them.
Ki is doing a bit better now, he wasn’t really eating, and for the first time, I heard him scream the day after she passed. Yesterday, he tore down the toy that she loved…I’m not sure if he was playing with it, or if he didn’t want to look at it. So hard to know what they are thinking. We added more wood to it, and made it look different before rehanging it, and so far he has left it alone. He enjoyed his bath today, and I think he is going to be okay.
My heart aches for her loss, but I am comforted to think of her once again flying free, like she always should have been.
Cally, you are missed desperately...and you were, and are, loved. Thank you for allowing us to share your last years, Baby Girl. You changed us, and we will be forever grateful.
