Oh gosh, I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend Pepper
Yeah, I’m trying not to beat myself up over it, but I so wish I had been there to save him, or at least to say goodbye.
In what way? PLEASE, don’t feel like you have to elaborate if you don’t want to. I know how painful it is to talk about. I was just wondering because I have a tortoise tank in the room they fly in. I was wondering if it was like running into a glass situation.
I lost my best friend, my sweet boy cat and it was more than I could bear. I too, wish I did things differently, wish I trusted my instincts, wish I let my old boy go at his own time and not force him into a vet which was just too much for him. If I could offer one piece of advice?A member on AA said something to me that resonates deeply. When you live in guilt, your brain protects yourself and starts to store away those beautiful memories that you have shared. It’s trauma to your brain to lose anything close to you. As a coping mechanism, my brain has almost hidden memories with my sweet boy. It’s not gone, and I hope as I accept the grief (it’s been 4 years) those memories will grace me again and feel like they belong to me. Because it still feels like it’s someone else’s story. Like I’m just reading an article or a post. I’m not connected to the memory, it’s really really sad but it’s crazy and beautiful what a mind can do so we can be resilient and go on. So my advice? Cry, scream, sleep through the day but process it. So you can actually look back with fondness and love for the beautiful moments you gave each other. Hugs to you and fly free little Pepper <3
Stick some decal on it
These are some words of wisdom here.
Basically my dad was pet-sitting, he left the fish tank lid open, and Pepper drowned. None of the birds have ever had trouble with the glass. It's not a mistake I'd ever make, and my dad feels absolutely horrible. I'll make sure the next pet-sitter knows to shut all lids.
Like I said above, it's not an accident I'd EVER make. I know the risks of keeping birds and tanks in the same room, and am extremely careful.
My birds only have small sleeping cages, they free roam all day in my bird-proofed (provided everyone is careful with closing the tank lid) bedroom. I can afford flight cages, but it seems much kinder to just let them roam. This is the first major accident I have had in almost 2 years of free-roaming, and I'll make sure to alert the pet-sitter to shut the lids, especially since Apollo is still growing out her clip.
Oh no, I know that’s incredibly difficult
It definitely reminded me to stay vigilant and go over some safety issues with my husband, since he is much less experienced. So thank you for sharing. A similar thing happened to my husbands elderly blind dog and the “things we could have done different” was haunting so I really feel for you. His mom was away during that time as well. I’m so so sorry and I’m sure your father feels awful. Sending love to everyone. Stay strong
