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Post by cnyguy on Sept 5, 2022 19:44:22 GMT -5
I'm saddened to report that my adopted African Grey parrot Scooter died unexpectedly today. She hadn't been I'll and was her usual self yesterday, but this morning she was lethargic and she kept shaking her head from side to side and shivering. Today being the Labor Day holiday, most veterinarians' offices were closed, including the parrots' regular vet and one I used before when the usual vet was unavailable. I finally got through to one but they could only have the resident vet with avian experience call me back to make special arrangements.
In the meantime, Scooter seemed to be weakening and she fell from her perch to the bottom grate. She tried to climb back up but struggled to do so. On her last try, she flopped onto her side and soon stopped breathing, and she was gone.
A few minutes later the veterinarian finally called. I described Scooter's behavior and symptoms and the vet thought it may have been a stroke or a seizure.
My plan is to bury Scooter in my brother's back yard, next to George, my YCA who passed away in 2010.
Ralph was quite upset and knew something was wrong with Scooter. He sat and stared at her in the beginning. I brought him out and took him to Scooter's cage and explained that she was sick. I took Ralph back to his cage but he immediately flew back to the top of Scooter's cage and seemed to want to stay there. I thought it best for him to be in his own cage, so he continued to watch over Scooter from there until she passed. I explained to him that Scooter had died. He was quite subdued for a while but eventually was more like usual. I moved Scooter's cage out of the room and Ralph keeps looking over toward where it was. I think he misses her.
Ralph and I will both miss our funny grey parrot.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 5, 2022 20:29:34 GMT -5
I am so sorry about Scooter. I hope that you and Ralph will be ok. It is so hard to lose a bird who has been your friend and companion for many years.
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Post by Caseysmom on Sept 5, 2022 20:59:14 GMT -5
Such a sad day, I am very sorry to read this. Ralph is going to need lots of attention to help him through his loss too. A very sad day for both of you.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 6, 2022 0:10:44 GMT -5
My Oscar (gcc) was very upset when Lucy died. I don’t know what he thought happened but he stopped interacting or coming out at all. I found him a new home in a flock of conures because he didn’t need the stress of having to deal with humans. I thought he should just be a bird’s bird.
Anyhow, yes, if Ralph is upset please take care of him and keep him connected with you. I think Quakers have more going on upstairs than greencheeks so maybe he will understand. Poor birds.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 6, 2022 20:09:19 GMT -5
Thank you for your expressions of sympathy. I can't really say that today was a normal day but Ralph and I helped each other through it. It's going to take us both a while to adjust to Scooter's absence. I'm so used to preparing food for two parrots and I had to remind myself today that there's only one to feed. Without thinking when I first went into the living room this morning, I said what I'm in the habit of saying every morning-- "Good morning parrots." I guess that has to change to "Good morning Ralph."
I'm sure that Ralph understands what happened. He wanted extra attention today and of course he got it He kept up with his usual activities for the most part today but wanted me nearby even more than usual. That was a good thing for me too. It would have been a lot harder for me to get through the day without Ralph's help.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 8, 2022 2:00:14 GMT -5
Aww. Poor Ralph and poor you. At least Ralph has his obsessive compulsive Quaker Parakeet arranging to keep him busy.
I had to hide Lucy’s toys when she passed because I felt so badly seeing them. I have taken so many “selfies” of Willow and me but I don’t have so many of Lucy and me.
I hope you have lots of pics of Scooter, and I hope you’re ok.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 8, 2022 20:29:57 GMT -5
Ralph is doing well now. I can tell that he misses Scooter and he still wants extra attention from me, but he seems determined to make things as normal as possible. I'm trying to do that too.
I do have some pictures of Scooter though she never seemed to like having her picture taken. Her typical way of avoiding being photographed was to retreat inside her cage and stick her head in her food dish.
I packed up Scooter's toys and the perches from her cage and I took the cage apart and stored it away. Neither Ralph nor I liked looking at the empty cage. I don't know whether or not I'll ever need the cage; if it's likely that I won't, I'll donate it to a local parrot rescue. My brother and his wife have suggested that I get another parrot, but right now, I'm not ready to consider it. Maybe someday, maybe not.
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Post by biteybird on Sept 24, 2022 6:49:35 GMT -5
Hi Gary, sorry to hear about Scooter. It is so upsetting coming into the room and looking at where your precious bird used to be...
We lost Pinky (Bourke's parrot) earlier this year. I had remarked to hubby how she was looking a bit older (that look they get, where their back has that hunched/bent look and the feathers are a bit fluffed up and the wings held slightly lower) and slower.
She was eating fine though, then one day she was sitting on the floor and was too weak to fly up to a perch.
Once I saw her sitting on her stomach on the floor of the cage I knew it was time.
We think she was about 15 - a pretty good innings for a Bourke's parrot.
I hope you and Ralph and doing OK. It's never easy to lose such a valued member of your family.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 24, 2022 19:30:59 GMT -5
Thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry to hear about Pinky and extend my sympathy to you.
Ralph seems to be getting used to being an "only parrot" again, but he does miss Scooter. He does his best to distract me from thinking too much about losing Scooter by demanding extra attention so I'm kept busy. He's gradually returning to playing independently more of the time.
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Post by biteybird on Sept 24, 2022 19:36:57 GMT -5
Poor Ralph - at least, being a quaker, demanding extra attention is something he is naturally good at!
I hope you two will gradually feel better as time goes on...
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 24, 2022 19:59:54 GMT -5
Thank you. The hardest time for Ralph seems to be when I go to the kitchen to wash dishes. I've always rolled both parrots' cages over by the kitchen door so they could supervise. Ralph and Scooter would chatter back and forth, with their cages side by side. Ralph really seems to miss doing that, and after the dishwashing is done, he always wants extra attention from me. I know he wouldn't like it if I didn't bring him over to "help" with the dishes though.
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Post by biteybird on Sept 24, 2022 20:54:19 GMT -5
Ohhh....
We used to have Bonnie's and Pinky's cages out on the balcony in the afternoons (when we were there, of course, as there are too many wild raptors around to leave their cages unsupervised).
So it's still a bit weird having only one cage now and not having to take them both inside afterwards, even though it was back in February when we lost Pinky. And I used to hold Bonnie's cage near Pinky's to say goodnight when Bonnie was going to her sleeping cage (even though it was always a love/hate relationship, LOL).
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 25, 2022 20:21:40 GMT -5
The two cages weren't much more than a foot apart in their usual places, but most of the time, Ralph and Scooter went about their own business and didn't pay close attention to each other. But through the day they would each check to see what the other was doing, and they would chatter back and forth a little. They interacted more with each other when I moved them by the kitchen door. There is a big empty space where Scooter's cage was and Ralph does look in that direction sometimes. I moved my wooden rocking chair over to that corner to fill space for now. Ralph likes me to pull it over next to his cage to sit with him.
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Post by msdani1981 on Dec 8, 2022 4:21:31 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Gary, I don't know how I missed this the last couple times I've popped in. I try to make an effort to look at this thread first thing, and I'm so sorry I apparently didn't, or just plain missed this post.
I hope you and Ralph have found your new "normal", it's so hard when a member of the flock passes on.
It's odd, I feel like we've lost a forum member, because Scooter has been with you for such a long time. I'm so sorry for your loss.
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Post by cnyguy on Dec 8, 2022 21:22:59 GMT -5
Thank you, Dani.
Ralph and I miss Scooter but we're adjusting to her absence. Ralph still looks over to where Scooter's cage was, maybe just to remind himself that she's gone. He seems to have adapted to being an "only parrot" again. It took me a while but I finally got used to preparing smaller portions of food to serve one parrot instead of two and I remember now to greet only one parrot in the morning and when I come back into the apartment from outside. Those things took me a little time to change.
Scooter is buried now next to George the YCA in my brother's back yard.
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