Post by clt80 on Dec 7, 2021 12:39:39 GMT
This morning, heartbreakingly George went to Rainbow Bridge.
He'd had a brown cere for some years and the vet had said testicular cancer. It didn't affect him for so long - and I have 2 other boys which the same condition who have had it even longer ( 3 yrs + ) who are as fit now as they ever were - so it was with great sadness when i saw George unable to move one of his legs a couple of months back. This prompted him to move to inside, along with Pearl his little sidekick. George and Pearl briefly went back outside when he seemed to improve and be able to use his foot, but it didn't last long. So they have both been inside for the past few months with lots of treats and a specially laid out cage for George to scramble around in.
Towards the end of last week George lost the use of his other leg - I knew his time was coming and I think so did he and Pearl. I made the bottom of the cage comfortable with soft towels and all his treats, water and food. Pearl knew too, she spent a lot of time on the bottom of the cage cuddled up to him rather than on the perches. When he still had use of one of his legs he use to sleep on her at night, it was very sweet and she looked after him amazingly. Last night I made the decision he had no quality of life left - he'd been on the bottom of the cage crawling around for a few days and I knew he wasn't going to get better. I steeled myself this morning to make the call, I'd looked in on him first thing and he had one of his wings out. I hate taking them to the vet, and i didn't want this for George, being in a strange place, the stress of the journey and being handled then the fateful moment when it happens. I wanted him to be at home, with Pearl, in a familiar place with food and love all around him. Not some clinical room he didn't know with a stranger poking him. I knew I couldn't let him suffer though so I went to pick him up as I was about to call the vets and I realised then....he had already gone.
George's background is he came to me from a man saying he wanted to rehome his budgies. It was August 2016 and when I got there it was a flea ridden room with budgies in a cage; I am not convinced he was rehoming budgies - more like selling them for profit. Seeing the state of them broke my heart and I paid him for 5 of them; two being George and Pearl. If i had more money I'd of taken the lot. It was not their fault they were in this situation being sold like commercial goods in a horrific state. He tried to use a rubber gardening glove to get them out the cage - I stopped him, I gently took them out with my hands. They all needed treatment of one kind or another, but all got back to great health. George I remember vividly had no feathers whatsoever across his chest. They did grow back quite quickly but it upsets me the state he was in, all of them really, when I got them.
Pearl and George didn't seem to be a pair, but they soon changed their minds and were thick as thieves. Pearl is quite a mischievous hen and George always was her lookout. Pecking and breaking things - they were like Bonnie and Clyde.
I have no doubt he had a happy life. He never quarrelled with anyone, was loyal to Pearl and got on well with the other boys. I think with Pearl he had quite an exciting life, destroying everything and anything I put in the aviary. He was such a good boy, Pearl is very quiet today, understandably, and I know she is missing him, we all are. The thing with George is, he was so little, really tiny like a sparrow yet his personality was as big as the Ocean. He had a real beauty about him inside as well as outside.
Fly high and free George with your friends already gone, we will all see you again one day at Rainbow Bridge my love xxxxxxx