We lost a family member today. Andy & Aunt Bea came to us from a neglect situation. He’d been attacked by a cat and never got veterinary help. He did heal from his initial wounds but he was disabled.  I went to just get him and left with a total of 4 birds. They were all relieved to get out of that environment. I placed the two young cockatiels quickly. The old couple wasn’t so easy. The vet estimated them to be in their teens (this was at least 4 or 5 years ago) and both had severe arthritis. So, I set them up in a cage I converted to be easily maneuverable for their creaky legs.

They settled in and soon Andy began whistling the theme to the Andy Griffith show – hence their names. Time passed and he developed more problems than his old lady. More than once we thought we were losing him but he would bounce back. Today it was not to be. His bad leg was being wrenched by a tumor that seemed to come on overnight. He could no longer move it at all. I rode him in the car with me this afternoon. I sang Elvis songs and he whistled along. I met my friend at the shelter and together we ended his suffering. He died in my hand. Wind beneath thy wings, dear one, wind beneath thy wings.

Now we worry about his mate. She seems ok but was causing quite a fuss about his absence. She has our other birds for company but I don’t know if she can survive his loss. They truly were an old married couple, fussing and fighting one minute and the next kissing and preening. They were even sitting on two eggs the past few weeks. Infertile ones, because of her age, but nontheless they’ve been devoted to the eggs. Maybe the stress from that is what caused Andy to decline? They knew real love and devotion. We all should be so lucky as to be grieved as he will be by her.