Elvis...

[webchirp]

I lost my boy last week. It's been very hard to post. Little Maui has been a wonderful heart bandaid keeping me busy. I know little Elvis had many fans here that are not on FB. Dr. O said a couple of years when I brought him home so I think this blindsided me (recently celebrated his first gotcha day) even though I've had to really keep on top of his weight and eating. And he had a vet checkup just last month with an xray. Although Dr. O did say his heart was worse and added yet another heart med. Missing him more than I ever thought possible with a roomful of cheekies.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[Ankou]

I'm so sorry.
He was such a little character, the world is a bit emptier today. I'm glad he found his way to you and was able to get the care and love he deserved, gone too soon but it sounds like his last year was a happy one.

for you and Maui, and any of his other flock friends.

 

[jmfleish]

I'm so sorry for your loss Chandra. He had a great life with you for the time you had together! You do amazing work!

 

[faislaq]

What an adorable face! I did not know about Elvis, but whether you two had just this one year or 5, I know you couldn't have loved him more. And I also know you did everything in your power and then some to give this special guy a full and happy life that he wouldn't have known with anyone else.
I am sorry he left so soon, and I'm glad you have Maui to help you heal and keep busy. I'm off to look up some of your Elvis stories; he sounds like one heck of a bird.

 

[Alien J]

I'm devastated to hear that Elvis is gone from this life and on to the next great adventure. He's been one of my favorite birdy characters. I can only imagine your sorrow at the empty space he leaves in your life...but never will he leave your heart.

 

[SandraK]

I'm sorry to hear about Elvis, I know you love each of your little ones as if they were the only bird in your house. Maybe someone higher up had a plan called Maui ...

 

[webchirp]

Thank you all. Yes, he was my grumpy little bean and he was living up to his name just that week. He caught both Julip and Bitty's tails...luring them in with "sure, sit closer to me" fibs. But there were those times that he was so darn sweet and cuddly with me. I did have to constantly nag him that he was too old to be setting those youngsters in their place. The flock finally realized he was not one to mess with either. Just a turn and look and they would take off.

I'm sorry to hear about Elvis, I know you love each of your little ones as if they were the only bird in your house. Maybe someone higher up had a plan called Maui ...

I do...I wonder how that is possible sometimes. Well at least if I do decide to keep her, Anita will not be too upset with me...you MBS supporter you.

 

[cassiesdad]

I am so very sorry for your loss. As @Ankou said, the world is a little emptier today.

Wings Forever High, Elvis...

 

[Archiesmom]

Oh no I'm so sorry for your loss
Fly free, Sweet Elvis. You were so loved!

 

[Jenphilly]

I lost my boy last week. It's been very hard to post. Little Maui has been a wonderful heart bandaid keeping me busy. I know little Elvis had many fans here that are not on FB. Dr. O said a couple of years when I brought him home so I think this blindsided me (recently celebrated his first gotcha day) even though I've had to really keep on top of his weight and eating. And he had a vet checkup just last month with an xray. Although Dr. O did say his heart was worse and added yet another heart med. Missing him more than I ever thought possible with a roomful of cheekies.

View attachment 265842

We've chatted, you know my my heart is with you... but also my appreciation and love for all you did for Elvis. We truly could never have asked for him to have a happier ending in life than the time, even if too short for us, that he had with you. It may have been a short period of time, but for him and his experiences of those bad years, you are the lifetime he will remember... you know he is at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for you now... no doubt bossing around all the other birds and hoarding the nutriberries, but no doubt he is waiting only for you

What an adorable face! I did not know about Elvis, but whether you two had just this one year or 5, I know you couldn't have loved him more. And I also know you did everything in your power and then some to give this special guy a full and happy life that he wouldn't have known with anyone else.
I am sorry he left so soon, and I'm glad you have Maui to help you heal and keep busy. I'm off to look up some of your Elvis stories; he sounds like one heck of a bird.

Not knowing if Chandra is up to typing out some of Elvis' story, I'll stick my nose in and share his history before he landed in conure paradise at Chandra's

Elvis was from A Helping Wing. He arrived to the shelter in August 2014. He had been in a single family and the son who Elvis was bonded to left for college. Elvis did not like the parents, so while the son was away, he received little attention, and over time it became apparent he received less attention including dailly needs like food and water everyday. Off the top of my head I want to say this went on about 2 years... again, out of memory, but I believe Elvis was 22 when he arrived at the shelter and he was literally on death's doorstep, he was sad, hunched over and weighed 57 grams (he was not a tiny GCC). We had doubts at his age that he would pull thru, but by the time quarantine was over, he was perkier and had put on weight and his blood and disease testing came back without any major issues or worries. He was adopted quickly into a person that at the time was a shelter volunteer. She wanted Elvis for her, but Elvis immediately fell in love with the woman's husband and there was some resentment, but for the better part of a year things went well and Elvis was well socialized, fed well and things seemed fine.... then there came reports of him being super aggressive and the husband not having time to spend with Elvis and Elvis making a point to attack the stepson that was there weekends. We eventually said the best thing was for Elvis to come back to the shelter, and we expected the same Elvis that went there to come back... but when I went to the home to pick up Elvis, she would not let me handle or interact Elvis, she kept diverting my attention to other things and put him in the small enclosed carrier... I got home and set him up in a quarantine cage until I planned to go over to the shelter about a few days later. But it was at that point, when I took him out of the carrier (and he did not try to chew my finger off, which had been the basis of our relationship as we boarded him when the family went on vacation too, so knew the little bugger pretty well). At first when he stepped up, I just took him feeling like he weighed nothing as the fact my 'small' bird is a bare eye cockatoo. I put him in the quarantine cage and he literally went head first, butt up into a bowl of mix and just pigged out. When he finished and sat on a higher perch, he looked skinny, so I pulled him out and put him in a rag so I could more closely examine him without a massive amount of blood loss! Without touching or moving feathers, as soon as I turned him on his back, you could see the keel bone was very prominent and he had very bright green runny poos. That was a Friday evening, our vet was away and not back til Monday morning, so I set him up with extra warmth and a steady (but not over abundance) of fresh foods, Roudybush and healthy mix along with nutriberries (which we knew he would eat even if his leg was falling off). So keep in mind that he had Friday evening thru early Monday morning with me eating well and plenty, but when he arrived to our vet, he still weighed the painful and scary small amount of 49 grams - but the good news after the weekend of healthy eating his poos were darker and well formed. Elvis was not in the condition at that moment to have blood drawn, we focused more on weight and overall condition. We all truly did not think he would survive another near starvation experience, especially at his age. But the tough little man must have known that his true momma was waiting for him... He put weight back on, had bloodwork done which was not great but better than any of us expected and he became a little turd head again! Chandra had read his story and we knew her work with conures, and tho not exactly our normal adoption procedure, it was that moment in a life when rules out the window, we could ask for no better - and trust no one more to give Elvis the special care and attention he needed than Chandra. We initially were not going to place him again knowing that him being nearly starved to death twice and now it was April 2016, so he was nearing 25 that there was no room for error in keeping this little man alive. And Jeanne and I both felt we failed Elvis horribly with how he returned to us (needless to say, that adopter / volunteer won't even talk to us now)... Elvis came back to us in that condition not because he was sick, but simply because he was not fed properly - literally there was no other medical reason for his weight and condition...

But then Chandra asked about us bending rules a little and sending Elvis to her, she just felt that pull and connection to the little demon. And tho we had said we would not place him again, even with the care at AHW, there is no place on the face of this planet that any green cheek could land that is more a true paradise than Chandra's And tho we are so heartbroken he is gone, we are also so happy he erased the terrible journey it took to get to her and he flew from this life knowing such love and happiness.

Okay, sorry, that was much longer than I anticipated... and i am guessing Chandra is sitting there crying reading this, cause I am as I type this....

But for anyone who didn't know the rest of his story... all of this is part of made Elvis just a little more special. He had survived literally being on death's door twice at a very senior age only to bounce back so he could be loved by Chandra before finally flying off...

 

[sunnysmom]

I knew about Elvis through FB but want to say again, how sorry I am. It doesn't matter that they're old and we know our time with them is short- it still is heart breaking when they go. Elvis was so lucky to have you. @Jenphilly definitely made the right call placing him with you. I know Sunny and the other AA birds were waiting to greet him at the Rainbow Bridge. Our little seniors can fly happily together.

 

[webchirp]

Okay, sorry, that was much longer than I anticipated... and i am guessing Chandra is sitting there crying reading this, cause I am as I type this....

Yes...

He did have extensive heart disease and his liver was pretty large...there were times once a month or so where he would just not want to eat. But the critical care always seemed to revive his appetite at night if we had a bad day. The night before I had a really hard time getting cc in him but thought perhaps it was just another bad day and called Dr. O in the morning. I did ask him before he left that if he visits not to ghostly traumatize the flock too much.

 

[JLcribber]

I’m sorry Chandra. Goodbye Elvis. You didn’t know us but we sure knew you.

 

[Jenphilly]

Yes...

He did have extensive heart disease and his liver was pretty large...there were times once a month or so where he would just not want to eat. But the critical care always seemed to revive his appetite at night if we had a bad day. The night before I had a really hard time getting cc in him but thought perhaps it was just another bad day and called Dr. O in the morning. I did ask him before he left that if he visits not to ghostly traumatize the flock too much.

Oh heck you know if he visits, he is gonna be sweet with you and then sneak out and scare the ghostly crap out of all the feathered ones!!

We knew it was only a matter of time that his little body fell victim to those two incidents of near starvation, no way an older bird would bounce back twice without some 'scars'... but it is still amazing and impressive he bounced back at all, I am not sure another 20plus year old greenie would survive being near starved to death once, long let twice... He was meant to end up with you, even if it wasn't as long as we would have wished for...

 

[Heather F]

I knew Elvis was a special little guy who had been through multiple rough times but reading it all together like that...

He couldn't have ended up in a better place for his final year than Chandra's special cheekie retirement home.

 

[TikiMyn]

What @Heather F said You gave him the best life he possibly could have had!
I am still so sorry for your loss, fly free Elvis

 

[fluffypoptarts]

He was already in the earthly greenie heaven with you at the end of his life. As others have said, he couldn’t have spent the time he had left in a better place, but I’m so sorry that he had to leave you, especially so soon.

 

[iamwhoiam]

So very sorry for your loss of Elvis.

 

[CeciliaZ]

I'm so sorry Chandra I also believe Maui was sent to you...