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Sweet Old Macaw

BrianB

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The last time I asked the boss if there was an update she said he was still holding on but still very weak. The owner had sent her pictures of him on her lap eating but he’s still not able to move on his own. The poor bird is in his mid 60’s and had lost several hundred grams of weight. It’s just a matter of time. I can take some comfort in him being at home with his owners but her actions aren’t going to heroically save his life.
 

April

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The last time I asked the boss if there was an update she said he was still holding on but still very weak. The owner had sent her pictures of him on her lap eating but he’s still not able to move on his own. The poor bird is in his mid 60’s and had lost several hundred grams of weight. It’s just a matter of time. I can take some comfort in him being at home with his owners but her actions aren’t going to heroically save his life.
:( bless his sweet old soul. I hope he's at peace and content to be with his people.
 

rocky'smom

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Bless him in final days
 

BrianB

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We were talking after work today and we all feel the same. We're glad he passed at home with his owner and was able to spend the last 10 days or so with her. She said he was on her lap and just relaxed, took a few breaths, and then he was gone. Maybe being at home with her gave him the strength to hold on for far longer than we expected.
 

.........

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Poor old fella. I have mixed feelings about birds like him that pass naturally if without pain meds.. if it were me I wouldn't want to be there suffering while waiting for the inevitable. I hope he found some comfort at his old home. He will have appreciated you and the other people around him that loved and cared for him.
 

Sarah13

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What a nice story...not that what happened was nice but how you shared it and allowed us to follow along and see it through.
Hopefully his passing is/ was as comfortable as possible.
Humans are...interesting and selectively compassionate.
 

Icey

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Such a bittersweet story of a beautiful macaw that you all took care of until his passing.
Fly high sweety :sorrow::bgm:
 

BrianB

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Poor old fella. I have mixed feelings about birds like him that pass naturally if without pain meds.. if it were me I wouldn't want to be there suffering while waiting for the inevitable. I hope he found some comfort at his old home. He will have appreciated you and the other people around him that loved and cared for him.
I would have chosen a different course, but I don't believe he was in any pain. He had started eating less and less in the last few weeks that he was with us. With his age, we knew the end was coming so we did what we could to make him feel comfortable and safe. I'm glad he spent his final days at home with his owner, I just wish she had been a little more proactive about it.

I hope his companion will go home to be with his family, but I don't know that he will react well to them when/if it finally happens.
 

Tyrion

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So very sorry for your loss he was a beautiful ol guy :sorrow:
 

Dartman

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I'm glad at the end she did the right thing and he was there sitting on her lap feeling safe and loved as he passed. It's the least we can do for them if possible.
 

Pat H

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What a nice story...not that what happened was nice but how you shared it and allowed us to follow along and see it through.
Hopefully his passing is/ was as comfortable as possible.
Humans are...interesting and selectively compassionate.
Yes, I'd have to agree... Sure made me consider the time when our birds will pass.
Hope that this posting will help others to realize that birds are NOT a toy to be stuck in a corner... but have emotions!
Thank you for allowing us to join you in his story.
 

BrianB

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Yes, I'd have to agree... Sure made me consider the time when our birds will pass.
Hope that this posting will help others to realize that birds are NOT a toy to be stuck in a corner... but have emotions!
Thank you for allowing us to join you in his story.
Thank you. I've seen people do horrible things to pet birds and a lot of it leaves me feeling disgusted and disappointed in my fellow human beings. Everyone has their own circumstances in life and I try not to be judgemental over whatever people struggle with. However, when it comes to animals that are entrusted to our care it's hard not to be. Some encounters like Elvis bring heartache and others start out that way but turn into better situations. We have a military macaw that belongs to an older couple. He is well loved and he absolutely loved the man. They were in the store buying food for the macaw and he was being so sweet and loving with them. Two days later the gentleman passed away suddenly. The macaw stopped eating and almost died from grief. He lost a significant amount of muscle mass that he's never recovered. Now when he comes in for boarding I make it a point to take him out of his cage and tell him how beautiful he is and what a sweet bird he is. He gives me kisses and sometimes he will cuddle up to my chest. When he does that I take the opportunity to run my hand over his chest to check his muscles and see if he's put any weight back on. Some days he's grumpy and doesn't want to be bothered. When he's in that mood I don't make any attempt to pick him up, but I still talk to him and tell him how much we love him. The owner really appreciates that one on one attention we give him. We don't have the time or staff to do that with every bird that comes in and some birds don't want the interaction so we respect that. We try not to have favorites but you can't help feeling a bond with birds that have been through some kind of trauma. He is well loved but it isn't the same as having his daddy around. If I can make him feel better just by paying some extra attention to him then it's worth it. In the case of our old man macaw, I think we loved them more than the owners, and when we lose them it hurts.
 
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