Pet memorial, please feel free to post about your beloved pets who has passed

[Nikki]

Hi All,
I ran the idea of having a pet memorial page on here as a couple of forum users have recently sadly lost their little beloved ones. I got a few likes so thought I'd start one off...
If you want to leave a message about your pet whose passed and or post a picture of them please feel free. Likewise if anyone wants to give messages of support that would be very welcome x.

 

[Nikki]

OK I will start off by writing a few words about my beloved Millie, my shih tzu who passed away in August 2011 having had sudden heart problems...

I went to look at my parents puppy they'd chosen and the woman who had him said I could buy "Ebony" from her as she was a year old & too small for breeding.
I saw this disheveled little black dog, incredibly thin, wierd yellowish skin with a face that looked like a cross between an old chinese man & a monkey. I decided to get my house & dog walking arrangements sorted out as I was working & commuting at the time & went back to buy her the following weekend. When we crossed over the QE2 Bridge to take her home for the 1st time we never looked back! She refused to answer to Ebony, so after some debate the local children liked "Mad Millie" so Millie was her name.

It turned out that she was under weight, under nourished and had lumps on her back where I found out she'd been beaten with a stick. It took some doing getting her into good health & special food from the vets but when she bounced back boy did she!! Her cat chasing skills were phenominal lol! She never ever attacked or even snarled at them she just loved the chase even in the final weeks of her life. The cats used to parade across my decking so I think they liked the game too . She turned into a beautiful handsome girl. The vet even said I should put her in the small dog agility at Crufts she was that fast & he was serious! She would never be obedient enough to be crufts material, she was like Catherine Tate's old nan at times, loveable & mischievous.
She was the naughtiest, funniest dog I've ever met! Nicking stuff & hiding in in her blankee, weeing on the carpet and then barking with excitement, tunnelling herself into next door's garden as she liked to poo on their shingle oh yes she was a little monkey but always in a comical, loving way.
I've grieved for all my past pets & love them all but I knew that from the get go she'd be the one who would truly break my heart when she left this earth. (I think it was because I'd never had a dog that defiant lol).
The night she passed I was lying in bed, staying awake to watch over her. I honestly didn't think it was her time as she'd had worse nights and then been chasing cats in the morning. Next thing I remember I was dreaming & saw my mum, (who is very much alive & well). She told me to go to Millie she didn't have long. I replied that that wasnt true, the vets said she could live for another couple of years on her meds. The answer came back "NO, now is Millie's time, you've done all you can but you must be with her now"! I woke up, thought I'd had a dreadful nitemare & cradled Millie as I took her downstairs. She passed away looking at me intently & lovingly at home an hour later whilst I had my hand on her body on the phone to the night vet.

I can't tell you the utter devastation I felt! I also pondered about the dream I'd had & thought there must be an after life so now she's my guardian angel. I'm sure I saw her staring at me with intense love through my bedroom window just over 2 weeks after she passed. I've also had readings where reputable mediums have given me her name, colour, appearance and key words I used to tell her.

I always told her when she was alive we'd meet again but not until I've had a full life first. It's sad but I also feel full of belief that we all go on & meet again xx.

 

[petpixie]

Millie looks adorable Nikki. It's heartbreaking when our beloved pets leave us. I've lost many furry companions over the years and I think of them all often. Each and every one of them has a special place in my heart.

 

[Nikki]

Millie looks adorable Nikki. It's heartbreaking when our beloved pets leave us. I've lost many furry companions over the years and I think of them all often. Each and every one of them has a special place in my heart.

Ahhh I know exactly how you feel. They never judge us, care how we look do they so long as we love them as they love us. I guess the old saying is very true, "better to have loved & lost than never to have loved at all". I had Millie at a time in my life that was quite sad & everything seemed in turmoil so I guess she was a gift from those upstairs as I wasn't even looking for a dog at the time. I love the others who have passed before her equally & they all had their funny little ways & personalities x.

 

[reflexgirl]

Thanks for sharing Nikki, your little pooch was adorable and I feel your pain at losing her.

I lost my beloved cockatiel, Rio, last June. I had her for 10 years and I can honestly say I couldnt wait to see her little face every single day when I got her up in the morning. She was a People bird and we understood each other and she filled my life with joy. Birds are so intelligent, the phrase bird brain just isnt true at all. She was a constant companion for me, and followed me around the house and would come to me when I called her. She sat on the shower door every morning whilst I was getting ready, wherever I went, there she was. She loved her cage as it was her home, but the door was always open so she could come and go as she pleased. When I was poorly in bed, she would come and find me, land on my pillow and when I opened my eyes she would be looking straight at me. She would then just settle down beside me on my pillow, she just loved to be with me. She would come to me, sit on my chest and put her head down asking for a head tickle and she would let me tickle all around her head and chin, she loved it!! If she was thirsty and couldnt be bothered to go back to her cage for a drink she would tap on my glass of water, I would tip it for her and she would have a drink. She had a penchant for mini cheddars, if she heard me open a packet in the kitchen, she would be on my shoulder, head straining to get at the biscuits as I went to put one in my mouth. She had such character.

About 16 months ago, I took in another cockatiel that a friend of a friend had rescued in her garden. He had obviously escaped from someones home. She had been feeding him for about 6 months outdoors in her garden, but was concerned he would not survive the winter. Anyway, he found his way into my care and after about 6 weeks in quarantine in my spare room I brought him into our living room to meet Rio. To my amazement, Rio did not seem to mind him being around too much and carried on as usual. My new boy followed her around and learnt from her and it wasnt long before I was able to get him onto my finger etc. The day Rio died was a sunday and we had been for a walk for a couple of hours and when we came back she was just at the bottom of the cage. My boy (Rocky) was in his cage just staring at her and noticeably upset. To say that I was (and still am) heartbroken is an understatement. We buried her in the garden in a little box and put her favourite toy in with her. I couldnt stop crying for the rest of sunday and all day monday. By tuesday I was more composed and I feel it did me good to just weep for a whole day - I didnt have to work or see anybody thank goodness.

I still had my little Rocky to distract me and strangely both me and my Aunt felt that my late mother who I lost quite suddenly 2 years ago, had sent me another bird to care for. About 3 months later in September last year I was approached by a couple whose cockatiels I used to look after when they were on holiday. Due to circumstances that I wont go into, they told me they were looking for a new home for 2 of their cockatiels and would I be interested in being their new mom. I knew the birds well, they knew me and I said yes straight away. They are a male and a female who have bonded and are very sweet. I now have 3 and they all get on so well with each other its really nice to see them all getting into mischief around the living room. The thing with a flock though is that they bond with each other and not with me sadly.

So, things have changed, I no longer have a companion bird but I do have 3 other heartbeats in the house which is lovely. But Rio was a one off, my baby and I miss her every day.

 

[Nikki]

Ahhh that's a lovely story about Rio RG. Bought a little tear to my eye as I know how much that very special companionship & communication means & how utterly lost & devastating it is when they pass over. Some of the things she got up to were comical . Every day with her as company must have been a joy.

Yes you have a little clan now who love you to bits, no doubt as you love them, but who also have each other so that very special relationship you had with Rio they now get some of that from each other. Sometimes one being comes into our lives for a very special reason. xx

 

[reflexgirl]

Thanks for your kind words Nikki. I wasnt blessed with any children and to me, my animals are my children and therefore losing Rio was, like you say, devastating.
Just had to show you all my 3 kids (picture above) as you can see, they are fans of ST.Com too!!! ha ha

 

[Nikki]

Oh that picture is sooo sweet!! :angel: :mysmilie_508: Yes same here, I had my Millie about a year after I'd had a complicated misscarriage, so I couldn't have children after that xx.

 

[Frazzled]

What pretty birds, great pictures. It's so hard losing pets and I think it it's even worse if you have no children or family, much loved animals leave a very painful hole in your life.

I had a crassula - Money tree - the same size as yours RG. It lived in the greenhouse during the winter up to last year but it got too big for me to lift, so I have three babies from cuttings at the moment, but they soon grow!

 

[Disenchanted]

Very pretty cockatiels but how unobservant am I - hadn't even noticed the magnificent plants! Am full of admiration for people with green fingers - I can kill a Poinsettia by New Year's Eve......

 

[Nikki]

It can wilt in the car home from Tesco's with me. I'll stick to the variety that always delivers & I know exactly what it will look like...PLASTIC! :wink::grin:
Oh and I several Peony arrangements, love them! :wink:

 

[Disenchanted]

Shock, horror!! - have had a white orchid since Jan 5.

(whispers) Only watered it twice - that's the trick apparently, once a month and don't drown them!

 

[Frazzled]

Lol! - I'm the same with house plants, the only things that survive are succulents and spider plants. My Money trees are usually on the patio from May to October, then left dry in a protected greenhouse over winter. When they get big like the one in the blue pot in the photo, they will flower around January if kept somewhere cold - sorry I've turned into Richard Jackson!

 

[Disenchanted]

Never Frazz, never.......

 

[reflexgirl]

How observant of you to notice my money tree, lol! I grew it from a cutting and have had it 15 years or more. It goes outside in a sheltered dappled shade spot and I bring it indoors in winter. BUT it is getting heavy now and is difficult to move. I am interested to hear yours has flowers frazzzled - mine has never flowered. :wonder:

Just a small story, but my cockatiel Rocky who was rescued from living outside for 6 months - when I first brought him into the living room and opened his door he wouldn't come out for a few days, then when he did fly out he landed in the money tree. I suppose he was used to landing in greenery outside and my plants seemed like home. He stayed there a few hours, it was comical. He then flew in to a very large parlour palm - now that was funny as the fronds bent with his weight and he ended up sort of in the middle peeping out. ha ha.

 

[Disenchanted]

It's extraordinary that exotic birds like Rocky can survive outside in this country. We've had an Ethiopian white-cheeked turaco living in this area for about 4 years. It's hard to spot when it's in trees because it is so dark - black and dark green plumage with a tufty head - but it has a very distinctive call, a bit like a whooping monkey, and then when it flies it is really obvious because the underneath of its wings are bright scarlet. It's about the size of a pigeon, rather sleeker though.

It has been well documented by the local press and even appeared on a tv news programme - the general feeling is that it is an escaped pet as it isn't especially timid.

 

[Nikki]

Just a small story, but my cockatiel Rocky who was rescued from living outside for 6 months - when I first brought him into the living room and opened his door he wouldn't come out for a few days, then when he did fly out he landed in the money tree. I suppose he was used to landing in greenery outside and my plants seemed like home. He stayed there a few hours, it was comical. He then flew in to a very large parlour palm - now that was funny as the fronds bent with his weight and he ended up sort of in the middle peeping out. ha ha.

Now that would have been a great one for youtube RG!

 

[Frazzled]

It's extraordinary that exotic birds like Rocky can survive outside in this country. We've had an Ethiopian white-cheeked turaco living in this area for about 4 years. It's hard to spot when it's in trees because it is so dark - black and dark green plumage with a tufty head - but it has a very distinctive call, a bit like a whooping monkey, and then when it flies it is really obvious because the underneath of its wings are bright scarlet. It's about the size of a pigeon, rather sleeker though.

It has been well documented by the local press and even appeared on a tv news programme - the general feeling is that it is an escaped pet as it isn't especially timid.

Strange you should mention that D, I meant to add in my last post that we have green parakeets living wild in this area, they've been around for years and seem to survive the winters well. I recognised the noise they make now and it's odd to see them in the trees in winter.

I am interested to hear yours has flowers frazzzled - mine has never flowered. :wonder:

The secret with most cacti and succulents is to keep them dry and cold in the winter, for whatever reason it encourages them to flower. Unless they look desperate I don't water Oct-Mar. The greenhouse needs to be kept frost free and is hopefully sunny - money trees need to be large and will produce clusters of small white flowers around Jan-Mar. A conservatory or cold room would probably work - away from central heating. Need to watch out for vine weevil when outdoors or in the greenhouse, I take cuttings every year just in case, my original tree was about 40 years ago. My last tree was about the same size as yours, the new ones are on their way!

 

[reflexgirl]

I agree, it is amazing how these exotics survive in this country. There is a flock of green parakeets living not far away from me in Broadstairs! They must be vulnerable to predators in this country.
The lady who fed Rocky in her garden before he came to me, told me that he was chased by a sparrowhawk in her garden and she feared he was a gonna but somehow he managed to escape - I have to say he flies much much faster than my other birds! Our house backs onto orchard and farmland so I get kestrals and sparrowhawks in the garden and if Rocky sees one he goes berserk, screeching and then hiding perfectly still like a little statue on a picture. It takes alot to calm him, I just have to get him on to my hand and hold him close to my cheek and talk to him quietly until he stops shaking. He saw one on TV on sunday - oh dear, he was distraught, we turned the tv off quick!

My other 2 birds have never experienced outdoor living and dont see the danger!. They do however respond to the Macdonalds whistle at the end of the advert and american police sirens!! - They were born in chicago and have lived most of their lives in the US before coming to this country. Its hilarious!

Sorry to go totally off thread folks!:mysmilie_465:

 

[reflexgirl]

Thanks for the advice re Money Tree Frazzled. I have always kept it indoors over winter and its probably not cool enough for it to flower. Also, I do give it a little drink every couple of weeks.