What's the longest you ever kept a pet? (page 3)

Carmel

December will be my 43rd anniversary! She's well kept too!

carm

Gill

One bad apple - My best friend birdy cockatiel!

We walked together through life, for 32 years. I hope he had a wonderful life with me and my family. I think he did. He even used to come on holiday with me.

one bad apple

i didn't know birds could live that long. That's a real companion. He/She must of been very content with you to live that long. No wonder you can't stop crying. i'm so sorry.

I have had one of my cockatoos for 25 years. She was a year old when we got her. We got her because our little wonder of a parakeet (budgie to you Aussies) had died from a accident after only a year and we wanted another bird that wasn't so fragile.

Since cockatoos have been known to live 70 years in captivity, when we got her we thought how great it would be to have a pet live so long. Now the concern has shifted to what is going to happen to them when we are gone since I am sure they will outlive us.

Gill

startingover - That is a problem with long lived birds, that they can outlive you. We have made provision for ours in our will. However, I'm sure our children will look after our birds.

Winston Churchill's parrot reached the ripe old age of 100 years, a couple of years ago. He lives in a garden centre in Kent. He has bald patches, as our old birdie did. He also knows quite a few swear words.

Our birdie used to tell the kids to 'shut up' when he'd had enough of them and wanted to nap.

Gill

one bad apple - Thanks! Yes, I think he was very happy living with us. When his arthritis got bad we used to carry him round with us. He loved to be cuddled and talked to. We all miss him. But losing him was not as traumatic, because he had never been ill as such, and didn't die in an accident. He died as we expected him to, in his sleep, after a very happy and full day, and a very happy life, I believe.

Having said that, he will always be missed.

startingover

Gill,

I think about your cockateil often, it's truly amazing how long it lived.

We have a big problem with unwanted cockatoos over here, especially Moluccans which I have. 2 of mine are hand fed babies which we raised from day 1, and they really don't know they are birds, unlike the wild caughts. I have no kids to leave them with and the relatives could never deal with them. You really have to be a bird person as these hand feds are more that a handful. There are several places out here in the western US that I have considered leaving them with, but I am so skeptical about the whole thing. Many times I think it would be better to euthanize them when we go, but I can't bear the thought of that either. The whole thing weighs heavy on my heart all the time.

Gill

startingover - I don't you would be happy with the idea of euthanising your birds when you go. I am absolutely certain that there will be someone out there who will look after your birds for you when you gohope will not be for a very, very long time. Start looking at bird sanctuaries. Also, the people who look after these birds tend to be wonderful carers themselves. There will be someone out there.....have some faith in your fellow people!

Good luck in your search!

lisavegas420

My beloved cat of 14 years passed away unexpectedly a couple weeks ago.

I decided to come home early this day. When I got home, I could hear him crying. I found him under the bed paralyzed from the middle of his back down. I rushed him to the vet and he was put to sleep.

I have since found out found he may have had a heart attack. That being paralyzed from the middle of the back down is one of the signs and it happens immediately without any previous signs of illness.

lisa

What's the longest you ever kept a pet?

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