Hi everyone,

Let me introduce myself before I tell our story. Well, Gwen's story. My name is Allison and I live in Madrid, Spain. I recently married my husband who is from Spain and left my Gwen in the care of my parents. We have had birds for 15 years, and know the warning signs and symptoms of illness. I say this because sometimes with birds it's hard to tell if they are ill, since they only show symptoms when it's too late. If they show symptoms of illness, the flock will chase and kill them. I got Gwen to try and help me with my grief over the crossing of my beloved Cloudy also another Cockatiel. I named her Gwen because it means blessing and she was a blessing in my life. Everything was fine, Mom was petting her, taking her out, and the day before she crossed Gwen put on a show, whistling and talking. My Mom was shocked to discover her in the bottom of her cage Sunday morning. She was only five, and should have lived till at least 15. We think she got a fright and flew in to her cage door in the middle of the night. She was a very violent flyer, so we surmise this is what happened. I'm absolutely heartbroken. I don't know what to do with the grief I have, I recently lost my beloved Gram around Christmas and this is too much to bear. I haven't even processed Gram's crossing, and now Gwen is on the Other Side too. I am very fortunate to have a very supportive husband and family. They understand, but the lack of not having a pet in this house is making Gwen's loss even more palpable. The rest of the flock back in the states is very upset, we have two birds left. Any tips or ideas? Thank you kindly for any advice.

Sincerely,
Allison

Hi, Allison, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Gwen. Losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Losing a companion suddenly and so soon after the physical loss of loved family member intensifies the grief.

Allsion, unfortunately this grief journey can only be traveled one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. This journey is filled with many different emotions that can overwhelm us all at one time and can make us feel like we are literally going insane. Clinical professionals now recognize that the grief journey for the physical loss of a beloved companion is identical to the loss of a human family member or friend.

One of the many things you need to remember during your grief journey is that you are not alone. I am so glad your husband and family are supportive. Please know you are also among friends here who truly do understand what you are going through, and we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us.

Allison, although your beloved Gwen is no longer physically with you, her sweet Living Spirit continues to share your earthly journey just as she always has and always will. The love bond you and your beloved Gwen share is eternal - - it is not dependent upon the physical laws of time and space. Your beloved Gwen is forever a part of you, Allison, she is forever a heartbeat close to you.

Thank you so much for sharing your beloved Gwen with us, Allison. Perhaps sometime you would like to share a picture(s) of her with us - - but only when / if you want to. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Allison, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Allison, please accept my sympathies on the loss of your precious c-o-c-k-a-t-i-e-l Gwen. I don't have much experience with birds; we had a few parakeets when I was a child. I know birds are very delightful and fun little creatures, and so I a am sorry for your loss. Perhaps you could ask a vet as to what might have happened to Gwen. She did die way too young, and I know how hard it is to lose two beloved pets/family members within a few short months.

You said you left Gwen in the care of your parents. Perhaps the change in environment frightened her somehow, and you mentioned that she was a violent flyer. I am sorry that you lost your beloved bird at such a young age. Please take good care of yourself.

Hugs,
DannysMom

fixed ##atiel to be the proper word. first part of that word was in the badwords filter

Hi Moonbeam,

Thank you for your heartfelt sympathies. It truly means so much. It is wonderful to have such a community of caring people who understand what I'm going through. I will certainly share some audio files of Gwen, I have much more of those than pictures, as we could never get her to stay still long enough to get a good one.

I have read several articles on grief, and even some by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. She was a pioneer in her field, and was one of the first people I believe to acknowledge the five stages of grief. Some people never make it to the fifth stage, and I know it is a long slow journey frought with many emotions. I am thankful everyday to have such a wonderfully supportive husband who understands. Gwen loved him and I am very grateful he got to meet her. I will post a link to some of our audio clips later. When you hear her chirp, you will smile, everyone does, even people who are not bird people. Thank you once again for your condolences.

Allison

Hi Dannysmom,

Thank you for your heartfelt condolences on my Beloved Gwen. I will ask a vet if they have any answers. I really want to know what happened. Not knowing is part of what makes this so hard. We had an older cockatiel Snowy who crossed over last year. As hard as that was, he was about 16 we think, and we all knew it was coming for some time. He had started to slow down, and sleep more. He was a rescue, and we had him for 12 wonderful years, whoever had him took very good care of him before us. But Gwen's crossing, I have no idea how to reconcile the fact that she was so young.

You are right, I did say I left her in the care of my parents, but I also lived with them until I got married, so her environment remained the same throughout. The only thing I can think of is a night fright - bird being startled in the middle of the night. They flap their wings frantically inside their cage and it is horrible to witness. Parakeets are so cute, awww!! My Mom had a parakeet when she was a child. I will post some audio clips here of Gwen's chirp, she had such a sweet voice. I just love birds, but I'm thinking of trying with another type of animal, maybe a cat. I can't be without a pet. I just love the companionship. I'm currently researching breeds of cat, rescue groups, etc. Thank you once again for your sympathies. It is much appreciated.

Hugs
Allison

Allison, I hope so much that a vet can give you some answers as to what might have happened to your precious Gwen. As humans we always want to know why and not knowing can be so unsettling. I did read up a bit on cockatiels; they are very docile birds and one can establish a strong bond with them. They're also very hardy and changes in environment doesn't really bother them which I didn't know. Did your mom cover up Gwen's cage at night? I read they will stay more calm with a cover over their cage at night.

I do know what you mean about the joy of animal companionship. These sweet domestic little creatures really give us so much love and enjoyment, and for me it would also be hard to live without the companionship of a domestic companion animal. Cats are very cuddly and affectionate little animals, some breeds are more affectionate than others. Siamese cats are very smart and affectionate, but they can't be left alone for long periods of time as they become bored real easily. I've heard that Himalayan cats are very sweet as are Ragdoll cats. It just all depends what you are looking for.