'Grey' is dying

[Azzie]

What you did was the hardest, yet the best, bravest and most noble thing you could ever have done for your friend Grey. To end the suffering of a beloved animal is the most awful decision to have to make, but it show just how much you loved Grey and how much you cared, and how big your hearts really are. You did not put yourself and your feelings first. Your first priority was the well being of your Grey, and that takes an immense amount of courage, love, and compassion. Most of us here will know of this emptiness you speak, and the pain these last few days are causing. Take heart though, what you did was the hardest but the best thing you could have done, and it really shows just what sort of people you are.

[CocoaRocks]

This is so sad, I'm so sorry you have had to experience this. I have no idea what in the world I would do without my Cocoa

[katana600]

Thank you for staying with us. Sharing your story draws us closer to our own love for our birds. It is a lonely time for your family and for you to reach out during this painful time speaks highly of your courage and your love for Grey. I am so sorry we didn't have a miracle and equally in awe of your tenderness and caring. As time passes you will find the right way to fill the void in your lives and to keep all the happy moments in your heart, forever Grey. We lost one little boy grey with only a short time in our home. I still have a small bundle of his things that I have not been able to release. After a few months we brought his brother home and eventually lost him to the same illness. After the months of sadness and feeling empty, the right situation came up and we are again graced with a precious grey Gilbert. His joy is greater than our sorrow. He will never be a replacement and our other boys are still with us every day. The hard parts do fade away and it does give us the capacity to deeply appreciate the gifts in life we have today.

[Morana]

I am so immensely sorry about your tremendous loss :-(((

[lino]

so sorry about your lost.

its always difficult to see out beloved pet off in this way. because without us realizing, they are no longer a pet in our heart. they are friends.

you have done your best for grey... and grey had been really a fighter.

 

 

 

take care

[MarcusCAG]

Reading your wife's message brought back a lot of memories for me. I had to put down a beloved cat about seven years ago, he was young and the vet told me he was fighting to stay alive despite the injection, he was kicking in our arms, that was so hard for me to bear... I wept profusely for a month straight, longer than that even, everyone thought I was insane, "it's just a cat"... So I think there was a wall up inside of me when I read your wife's post, I didn't want to personally revisit that pain again, but I can still feel for you and what you've all been through. There's a tightness to my eyes and a tenseness in my throat and I am so sorry you all had to make that decision, but I agree her little chirps were either her way of saying good-bye, or her letting you know she loved you. They have so much trust, these animals, when they know how much they're loved and wanted in our families. It's the way it should be. I'm sorry her little life was cut so short by this illness but she had a good life with you, and I know she appreciated everything you all did for her.

[dubaighost]

Thank you again guys....

 

It's my son's birthday on April 8..... i know 'grey' will be with us in spirit.....

 

The BIG QUESTION .... after a traumatic situation like what we've gone through (incase you decide to get a new family member), will you still opt for a CAG?

[Sterls]

This story has made me cry...and I don't cry often

 

Firstly, I would like to say that I am truly sorry for your loss. It took a lot to choose to put Grey out of her misery rather than to keep her alive just to spend as much time with him as you could, like some people might have done if put into that situation. I am glad Grey left this world knowing she was loved, her quality of life was grand even if her quantity was short. Try remembering and focusing of the good times you had with her, I'm sure she will be with you in spirit for a very long time. Best Regards.

[Shelly Yokum]

God what a heart wrenching story, I feel your pain, and I lost a concure a few years ago. You lost your baby Grey, on my birthday March 29. So I will never forget your story. Maybe you will be able to one day bring yourself to get another birdie. Good luck and best wishes to all of you. Such as hard way for your 9 year old to learn about death. I am so sorry. Thank you for sharing, and maybe it will help you cope.

[judygram]

The BIG QUESTION .... after a traumatic situation like what we've gone through (incase you decide to get a new family member), will you still opt for a CAG?

Most definitely!

[Codys Mom]

so sorry for your loss

[reggieroo]

Well I tried but couldn't hold the tears back after reading your wife's post, a big strong man like me. It just shows the love we have for our pets & made me think of all the pets I've lost over the years.

 

It will get better but you will never forget & that's the important thing, grey will always be in your memories as the sweet little grey he was who loved you & knew you loved him.

 

Time will heal & you will find a place in your heart for another grey when your ready.

[Jingles]

Yes, I would opt for a cag!

[JAJA]

I prey that all is well with you

[dubaighost]

My wife's message to all of you

 

Thanks guys…it’s really nice to read your posts. It makes us feel better to know that there are a lot of you out there that can relate to our situation…

 

It’s hard for me to express myself in this time of grieving especially when I’m in the office….i don't know if it is just me but i somehow feel that they're mocking me:mad:, perhaps they can't relate since they haven't experience the love of a grey.......sucks to be them(haha?).....sorry this is just me being bitter....could be the grieving process kicking in...(trying to smile)

 

to be honest with what i've gone thru the vet told me i should get another bird as she can pretty well see how upset i am at the time....between sobs i tried to say no coz im afraid to go thru it again heaven forbid or i wouldn't want to have comparison between the new CAG & the latter. but the thought of adoption is crossing my mind & maybe when that time comes it will be "meant to be" coz it will be Godsent...& this time it'll last.

infact, funny & pathetic as it maybe, we visited a pet shop....just before going there i felt a little bit of excitement & glimpse of joy with the thought having to see & touch a grey once again.....so there we are my husband & my 9 yr old son in a pet shop petting a random grey trying to fill up the void.. my husband jokingly said what a weekend...spent in pet shop..

 

but then i knew comparison would kick in....i know it's not right to compare coz no two birds are the same.....& most definitely no bird can top Grey's love for us as each & every greys love is unique...im sure you will agree with that too...no matter how many greys you'll have it'll always be different & just as exclusive love a specific grey will give....there's no such thing as this grey is better....they are all the best in their own different ways..

 

forever grateful to you guys....til next time

Edited April 6, 2011 by dubaighost

[Morana]

IMO it would be better to take some time to mourn your little feathery friend and once you realize your heart can be open once more for some other birdie, then you'll also know whether a CAG is a right choice or some other.

When my first bird died and I bought my Zak just two months afterwards, I felt kinda guilty for having and caring for another bird. It took a while till I overcame the feeling I wasn't respecting the memory of my dead friend long enough. I was happy because of my new bird and kinda angry at myself that I am already happy when my previous birdie died just two months ago. Of course I never forgot my first birdie and I never will, but back then it wasn't so plain for me. I was really devastated about that loss. You may not experience that guilt at all and that would be the much healthier version, but do take some time. You'll know when the time comes for a new friend. To rescue a bird and give her/him a new forever home would be a brilliant idea!:-) A worthy way to honor a departure of your baby. Do think about it..:-)

[katana600]

The depth of your despair over losing Grey is a direct correlation to the joy of bringing her into your lives. When the time is right and your whole family is ready you will know. When our first baby grey died, I thought it would break my heart forever and it was a hard time. Five months later when I could hear his clutchmate whoop in the background, I could not overcome the delight that I felt for a second grey. We all loved him for ten more months and lost him too. It was right about five months later, just wondering if we would be ready that right here in our forum I found Gilbert and his rehoming is the breath of life back into our home. Regardless of whether you get a baby or if you get an older bird, trust yourself, the right moment will come and you will know it when you see it.

[dubaighost]

another weekend past.... and guess what? we ended up checking out the petshops in town..... no luck in abu dhabi..... saw a 1 yr ++ old cag which (personally owned) but it has attitude problems...

 

i checked out some petshops in Dubai in the past 2 days... found a lovely cag and i was planning to get it...

 

few ours earlier, i went back at the petshop planning to buy the cag... i prepared an 'agreement' with me saying that the bird will be returned incase there are negative results in the medical test (was planning to bring the bird straight to the vet after purchasing)..... the petshop was hesitant...

 

checked the other shop and offered the same thing.... this is what the guy said >>>

 

"if you will have the bird tested and return it incase a virus is present, i suggest you to get other birds instead, like cockatoo... coz 90% of the african greys in dubai are infected.. with pbfd (or whatever virus)..."

 

i felt sad after hearing that thing from the petshop manager.... from the looks of it, there is small chance that we can get a healthy cag in united arab emirates....

 

is this for real? such virus is rampant these days?

[Jingles]

oh my...

 

Start a new topic on this...that just seems crazy.

 

I would also THINK that it wouldn't just be a grey problem...that others would have it as well. Did this guy have cockatoo's in the petshop?

[zandische]

dubaighost:

 

I just wanted to send a message to your wife (and you) that I understand what she's feeling and the hesitancy to find another grey but then the overwhelming desire to feel that love again. She is right to desire that and also right to grieve. I lost my bonded CAG two years ago and it was the most excrutiatingly painful experience of my life. (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I would gladly take a hundred times my daily pain if I could just have my girl back.) Greys bond with us so deeply and personally that it feels like losing a child. I knew afterward that I wanted to share my life with another Grey because of all the wonderful things my T-bird taught me, but it took me some time before I could accept the idea of bringing another bird home. When it finally did happen, I knew that it was going to be part of the healing process for me, that I needed to experience another grey to be able to let my girl go.

 

I believe it was Godsent when I found my new greys; my husband had been very upset over T's loss, and he did not want another bird at all. He was very angry and hurt and felt it was too soon to go looking. But he finally saw how much pain I was in and told me to call T's breeder and see if we could find out when her next clutch was due. As it happened, she had two greys ready to go to homes that were born on the exact same day as we lost my T-bird. We went to meet them and fell in love. As soon as I got them home though, I felt an incredible sense of guilt, like I was "cheating" on my love for my T-bird, and like I was selfish for wanting another bird at all. It was only four months since we lost her - how could I love another bird already? It took a long time before I realized that I could still love T-bird, even though she was gone, and also love my new birds just as much.

 

It's been two years since we lost our T-bird and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss her. My new greys are so different from her in so many ways, and sometimes I do make comparisons. In the recent months my boy, Gryphon, has been growing attached to me, and now when I spend time with him I find myself feeling the joy that I used to feel when T-bird was with us. T-bird was bonded with me from day 1; it's a somewhat rewarding experience to bond with a Grey through patience and time and choice. What T-bird taught me was that Greys are the most incredible friends and are one of Life's greatest gifts, so in many ways I feel like I'm keeping her with me by giving as much love as I can to my birds.

 

My prayers are with you as you grieve, and also when you're ready to find another friend to join your family - I will pray that you find a healthy bird who can bring joy to you again.