KerBear's fish died and she won't stop screaming

[Big.Green.Chicken]

KerBear saw me flush her fish and started screaming. I showed it was gone and it has been 17 minutes and she won't stop making noise. I covered her cage and it isn't helping. She is making the most awful high pitched noise. It's too late to go out and get another fish.

It doesn't do any good to try and talk to her. She just stares at me and screams. I left the room and came in here to my desk because it is starting to really make me just feel awful and I want to cry.




http://forums.avianavenue.com/other...1243-anyone-know-anything-about-goldfish.html

 

[WenM]

Get a nice screensaver going on your computer with some fish until tomorrow.

 

[Anne & Gang]

I think for one you should have buried the fish..sorry but I dont agree with flushing a fish...that was your pet...at any rate, that is over..and it is too late now I think she is traumatized at this point..try offerring her treats etc...then by all means go get another fish but please, do not flush it if it dies...even a fish deserves better than that

 

[TikiBird]

Ever since I was little we have flushed fish, I thought it was a proper burial to something that lives in water

 

[Big.Green.Chicken]

Ever since I was little we have flushed fish, I thought it was a proper burial to something that lives in water

That is how it has always been in my family too. You say a little prayer over it as it goes down.

 

[Emmilyy]

I agree, i dont see anything wrong with flushing fish. It doesn't mean you don't 'care' its just what most people do. Unless of course, you have a fish that is too large.

Thats so sad! I agree with putting up a screen saver and then getting him a new one tomorrow.

 

[Jeddy]

It sounds like she is traumatized and maybe she thinks she could get flushed down that hole. Of course we know that would never happen but she don't. Hard to say what she is thinking. She sounds really smart.

 

[Big.Green.Chicken]

I never would have thought of the screen saver idea. I will look for one right now if it will help her. She has been yelling now for almost 30 minutes. I feel awful

 

[GG.]

I'm so sorry Anna, KerBear is such a sweetheart and soo smart.

let us know if you can't find a screensaver and we will help you


We always flushed our fish too when I was little, not everyone has a place to bury them

 

[birdlover82]

Poor girl. I hope you're able to figure something out to take her mind off of it.
I always bury my fish in my house plants. It doesn't smell. I feel better about that then flushing them.

 

[Fommy]

OH NO Poor Baby, You must get Kerbear a fish in the morning. I hope the screan saver works.

 

[CKJ]

Poor Kerbear.....the fish screen saver is a good idea until you can get another fish. I always bury my fish when they die - never liked the idea of flushing them.

 

[Riley's mom]

I've always flushed my fish also. Now I'm starting to feel bad about doing it. If she is not satisfied with the screen saver, does your walmart carry fish? I know that not all of them do, but I thought most of them did. Good luck.

 

[ThatDarnBird]

How long has this fish been there? I'm having a hard time believing a bird would be emotionally attached to a fish in a short time. Are you sure she/he isn't just mad because you took her toy(the fish) away? I don't like the idea of a bird having a fish for this very reason, the fish would probably end up dead. Plus, what if the bird drank from the bowl? It could make them sick.

 

[Greycloud]

I must ask, did you let Kerbear witness you flushing her fish? If so this just mad it all more permanent that her friend is gone. She saw it disappear and not come back. Birds are extremely smart and we know they experience feelings. When you purchase her a new fish try and get one that looks very close to the one that passed. Don't get what you want, but what what you know she needs to see.

 

[di_dee1]

There are also fake fish in an aquarium that move etc you can find in novelty shops. They won't die.
We have always flushed fish too. The kids when young preferred this to burial as it was in water.

 

[Bahama's Momma]

Wowsers I've never heard of a bird acknowledging the loss of another non-feathered animal either. That's very amazing. Poor girl. I hoped you un-covered her though. It's not helping it sounds like and may just make her keep screaming because she has no concept of why all of a sudden you are covering her up when it's not her bed time (unless it is????) Then that's a whole other issue I'm sorry your goldfish passed away.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Is it her bed time? I that why you covered her? If not please dont cover her unless its her bed time.

I think she misses that fishy, just give her some loving (when she isnt screaming) and give her a bit of time to get past this.

p.s: we've flushed dead SMALL fish before, but if they are living its cruelty to flush them live, and if they are too large its cruelty to your toilet to try and flush it

 

[leftie]

You can get little fake fish/night lights. Our 8 year old had one. The fish move and everything. There are a lot of pictures of goldfish that you can Google for tonight if necessary.

 

[Jadie]

She probably misses watching it...I'm also not too sure how emotionally attached she could be to it. She probably got used to it being there and now it's gone. The high pitched scream (sounds like an alarm almost) is usually out of frustration(I know Charlie does this when he's frustrated at least). No harm in trying the screen saver thing. Also it's a misconception that goldfish can live in a bowl..they really can't lol. They need at least a 5-10gal aquarium(the bigger the better) with a filter and usually when they jump out means they are stressed or the water quality is bad in the bowl. Most goldfish even outgrow a 5-10gal. If you want a fishy that can live in "less space" try a Betta fish(chinese fighting fish). The ides of the fake fish in the bowl is good too!
And don't feel bad about flushing the fishy...I have a tendency to grow really attached to my fish, I even cry when they die and I have always flushed them (after a little eulogy of course) If they're too big, I bury them.