Title Change: My tiel and budgie have passed away.

[shiraartain]

I woke up today missing my cockatiel. Maybe I dreamt about him and can't remember? And thinking about him made me miss my parakeet as well. And then thinking about HER made me miss my chick.

I did ask the girl who has my cockatiel and parakeet for pictures once, but she never responded to my request.

[Pajarita]

Well, some people are not into pictures (I'm one of them) but maybe she can send you a little update.

[Wolf]

Pajarita, that is interesting as I am really not into pictures so much either. I am trying to be more into them, because my Lady is, but for myself, my memory has always been enough.

[shiraartain]

Thanks, I'll try again soon. I felt better later on, I think it really might have been a dream about him that I can't remember.

[Wolf]

Thank you even though it may sound like a bit of lunacy on my part, but some folks think that those who have moved on {died} try to reach out to us and I am one of those. I also think that this applies to our animal friends and I think for most of us that dream time is their best chance of reaching us. Perhaps it is a dimly remembered dream , maybe it was your bird reaching out to comfort you.

[shiraartain]

Your message made me worried enough to text her today...I hope they're alright... My keet was with me through a lot of major changes and struggles in my life. Fingers crossed the girl replies soon.

[shiraartain]

I received a reply and now my entire family is devastated.

Apparently my budgie died a while back but they didn't tell me, and my tiel flew away. They had put the cages outside since the weather was nice, but the birds all escaped somehow. They waited for a while for him to return but he didn't. Their mother cried and was so devastated that she gave all of the other birds they owned to the shelter, and their family no longer has birds or any intentions of ever owning birds again.

I reported this to my parents and they were both in complete shock. My youngest sisters are now in tears.

They live in Chicago and the likelihood of a tiel surviving winter there is almost nonexistent. It's possible that he was found by a family, but it's more likely that he was snatched up by a hawk.

It feels so unfair. We weren't even able to come to terms with the fact that we had had to give our birds away, and as soon as we come to accept that they will find happiness with another family, this happens.

I cannot name the number of times I've hoped that I'll hear my tiel calling to me while I'm walking around outside, a little part of me entertaining the fantasy that he'd escaped from the home we'd given him to and flown his way back to home. I never once thought that he'd actually flown away.

[Wolf]

I am so sorry to have caused you worry, especially in the manner that I did, I realize now after rereading your previous posts what I did. I didn't see it when I wrote it even though I read the whole topic through twice before I wrote what I did, again my apologies. I am also sorry that what I wrote was correct and I feel very deeply for the loss of your birds.

[shiraartain]

Oh no, don't feel bad Wolf! Your post was what prompted me to message her immediately. I cycled through my stages of grief last night and at this point while I'm still extremely sad since they both meant a lot to me, I think the time had come for me to face the truth.
I just wish it had been not now, because two young people under 20 and my friends grandfather died within the past 2 months so it's been hard lately.

I messaged the girl again this morning to ask when exactly these incidents had taken place, and she told me it was a few months ago. My parakeet, who was by my side for everything from middle school bullying to college applications, lived for 7 years, which is pretty good considering that she was from Petco. As I've mentioned before, she wasn't fully tame, and I was the only family member who she wouldn't seriously bite. She picked up talking from out tiel and they both had lovely voices.

I don't blame the family for what happened with the tiel. These sorts of incidents do happen, and sometimes no amount of preventative measures can prevent what's meant to happen from happening.

The girl asked me if I was angry and I told her I wasn't angry about what had happened to each bird, but that I do wish she'd told me when it had happened.

Then again, it might be for the best that she didn't. Our lives have had a gaping hole in them between giving the birds away and getting Fajr, and my mom would have been so upset that we probably would not have gotten Fajr. As it is, it took her a long time to accept him, as she kept comparing him to our tiel and saying our tiel was better.

I went and looked at found parrot sites and looked for tiels around Chicago. I think it's entirely possible that my tiel might have been found and be in a loving home, but keeping that hope alive just hurts more. If we're meant to be reunited, we will be someday, but until then I'm going to consider him gone.

[Pajarita]

I am very sorry for your loss, my dear. It's hard enough when one of them dies on us but to find out that the people you trusted failed is devastating (and I know because it has happened to me and that's why I seldom give birds away) But, at the risk of sounding cynical, I have to say that I don't know if I actually believe the story because both birds escaping from their cages at the same time sounds quite farfetched to me...