Losing a pet
There have been recent threads about losing a beloved pet so I thought I'd tell this story.
In 1988 my wife and I acquired our first Great Dane. He was 20 months old and came with the name Zak. He soon took over our hearts and lives. Around the same time we bought a hand reared, three month old African Grey parrot which we named Zebedee. After a few weeks Zebbie, as she came to be known, started calling out Zak at every opportunity and they became firm friends.
Zak would even lie under the birds cage while Zebbie peeled peanuts and dropped the nuts for the dog to eat! Amazingly, Zebedee would also "Mug" Zak for a biscuit now and then.
When Zak was ten, we had to have him put to sleep. From the next day Zebedee stopped calling his name.
After three months or so we obtained a 3 month old Great Dane puppy and named her Ella. The very next day Zebedee start calling out Ella and greeting the dog with "Hello Ella" when she appeared and all sorts of terms of endearment just as she'd done with Zak. It was freaky to say the least!
Ella was a sad case and died before she was three.
This time on the day of Ella's death we were phoned by a Dane breeder we knew who was desperately trying to re-home a Great Dane aged 18 months. After a few hours and no little distress looking at the empty spaces that were normally filled with a dog, we gave in. The next day we collected Sophie. Somewhat shell shocked at what we were doing we gave her the home and love she so desperately needed.
You've guessed it. Zebedee started shouting Sophie almost immediately!
Sophie was with us until July 2006 when aged ten and a half she passed away. From our experience with the loss of Ella, we took on two rescued Greyhounds a week later.
For once the parrot was beaten, two dogs but which was which? She soon noticed that one of them, Pingu is always with us. The other, Slinky is usually in the lounge, on the sofa, taking retirement seriously. As a result we tend to need to call Slinky more often than the other one. The bird seems to have now settled on the idea that Slinky is a collective name for the dogs.
I find it fascinating that she knows when a dog is gone for good and perhaps once in three or four months mentions one of the late dog's names almost as an aside.
One wonders what goes on in the mind of Zebedee. It is said that an African Grey has the intelligence of a 4 to 5 year-old child. I could right all day about that bird!
Ray
In 1988 my wife and I acquired our first Great Dane. He was 20 months old and came with the name Zak. He soon took over our hearts and lives. Around the same time we bought a hand reared, three month old African Grey parrot which we named Zebedee. After a few weeks Zebbie, as she came to be known, started calling out Zak at every opportunity and they became firm friends.
Zak would even lie under the birds cage while Zebbie peeled peanuts and dropped the nuts for the dog to eat! Amazingly, Zebedee would also "Mug" Zak for a biscuit now and then.
When Zak was ten, we had to have him put to sleep. From the next day Zebedee stopped calling his name.
After three months or so we obtained a 3 month old Great Dane puppy and named her Ella. The very next day Zebedee start calling out Ella and greeting the dog with "Hello Ella" when she appeared and all sorts of terms of endearment just as she'd done with Zak. It was freaky to say the least!
Ella was a sad case and died before she was three.
This time on the day of Ella's death we were phoned by a Dane breeder we knew who was desperately trying to re-home a Great Dane aged 18 months. After a few hours and no little distress looking at the empty spaces that were normally filled with a dog, we gave in. The next day we collected Sophie. Somewhat shell shocked at what we were doing we gave her the home and love she so desperately needed.
You've guessed it. Zebedee started shouting Sophie almost immediately!
Sophie was with us until July 2006 when aged ten and a half she passed away. From our experience with the loss of Ella, we took on two rescued Greyhounds a week later.
For once the parrot was beaten, two dogs but which was which? She soon noticed that one of them, Pingu is always with us. The other, Slinky is usually in the lounge, on the sofa, taking retirement seriously. As a result we tend to need to call Slinky more often than the other one. The bird seems to have now settled on the idea that Slinky is a collective name for the dogs.
I find it fascinating that she knows when a dog is gone for good and perhaps once in three or four months mentions one of the late dog's names almost as an aside.
One wonders what goes on in the mind of Zebedee. It is said that an African Grey has the intelligence of a 4 to 5 year-old child. I could right all day about that bird!
Ray
Sal
When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
Beyond the Path