Pet Loss and Bereavement – Should I Have a Funeral Or Memorial For My Pet?

Most people feel strongly that their pets are as much a member of the family as the humans residing in the home. When a cherished pet dies, it can affect everyone in the household – it is normal to want to take time to confront and mourn the death, express your love, and say a final good-bye. 

In fact, records show that pets have been buried as far back as 2,000 years ago. National Geographic states that the oldest known pet cat was found in a 9,500 year old grave on the island of Cyprus, buried with a human.

Making a decision to have a funeral can assist in the grieving process and help to commemorate your pet’s life. If there are children in the household, a funeral can help them say good-bye to their pet. Many of us probably had little pet burials in the backyard as we were growing up – be it a fish, turtle, hamster, or parakeet. 

If you should decide to have a funeral, friends who were familiar with the pet can be invited to attend. The funeral can be held in your home, the woods, or other place that will hold special meaning. You can play music, recite poetry, have devotional readings, or simply have several people talk about what the pet meant to them and how he/she will be remembered. 

]]>

Some people may prefer to conduct a memorial service instead of a funeral, or perhaps have both a funeral and memorial. The following ideas may be helpful if you choose to memorialize your pet: 

1) organize a special area of your home to display memories of your pet – photographs, pet toy, pet blanket

2) write a poem or draw a picture that shows the love for your pet

3) honor your pet with friends and family by sharing fond and joyful memories that your pet gave to your life

4) make a donation to an animal shelter or humane society

Because many people think of their pet as a very real part of the family, the loss of a pet and bereavement can feel just as difficult as losing a relative. Choosing to have a funeral or memorial for your pet can help to celebrate your pet’s life and provide a meaningful way to say good-bye. 

Deborah A. is an animal lover with a special interest in helping others cope after the loss of a pet. Are you trying to move past the grief of your pet’s death? CLICK HERE or go to: http://www.petlosshelp.info to get more tips and relief in coping with your pet loss.

Three budgies playing. Shows Chi-Chi playing until 2:50, when Mike and Ike join in on the fun. Also shows a relative’s conure. ~ chibudgielvr Here’s what a member at www.budgiemania.com thought about this clip – “Watch this wonderful video of the efamous budgie, Chi-Chi playing with lots of different toys. I especially love how they’ve set up a whole little budgie city of toys for the budgies to play with. Budgies love foot toys that they can kick around and run around with in their beaks.”

JW PET BIRD TOY TRIANGLE DANGLE PARAKEETS COCKATIELS

US $4.00 End Date: Tuesday May-22-2012 16:53:13 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Why You Should Take Some Time Out To Yourself

We live in a BUSY world, people! We do not live in an era where you can kick back and enjoy your life, or reap the rewards of your hard work over the years. There is too much to do! No matter what happens, keep your nose to the grindstone, keep charging forward with everything that you’ve got, and never, EVER, take any time for yourself!

There are many responsibilities that each of us has, and just to make sure that we have our priorities straight, let’s go over some of the big ones:

• Your Job – You fill a position at work that couldn’t possibly be filled by anyone else! The company that you work for was barely getting by before you came along, and it is very likely that they will collapse immediately if you don’t drop everything and tend to every single situation that arises there.

Disregard the fact that work-related stress, commute time, and other job-related issues are the cause of countless emotional and physical problems in our society, and that you would be much happier if you backed off on your resolve to be “the best” at work. In fact, try working MORE hours each week!

• Your Family – You have a spouse or significant other, and responsibility for the children under your roof. Forget the fact that your spouse or significant other is perfectly capable of handling just as much responsibility as you are, and that you should be teaching the kids from DAY ONE to do as much as they possibly can for themselves.

If you don’t take care of these people, who will? Heaven forbid they should actually have to lift a finger to help themselves, or they should have to deal with life’s many issues without you there to coddle them and “make it all okay”. Give up your own needs completely, and ask your family if there is MORE that you can do to make their life just a little bit easier!

• Housework – Oh, here is a good one! I once heard that if you got out of bed in the morning and didn’t make that bed up nice and tight that the Bed Clothes Monster would get in there and gobble you up the next night while you were sleeping.

I also heard that – when left unchecked – Dust Bunnies can grow to the size of small predatory animals, and that your own cats, dogs, goldfish and parakeets would certainly meet an untimely demise if those pesky Dust Bunnies weren’t eradicated AT LEAST once a week!

In fact, go ahead and hire a maid, but then follow the maid around to make sure the work gets done properly. Then you are spending more money, but still not saving yourself any time.

• Yard Work – Again, if you leave these types of tasks for too long without tending to them, it could be pure anarchy! The grass might grow 2 whole inches because you didn’t mow it on Sunday, the dandelions would most certainly stage an organized revolt, and going one week without weeding your garden will spell disaster for everything that you are growing there.

Try cutting your lawn with a pair of scissors instead of a lawn mower. That way you will make sure the job is getting done right, and you can get face to face with those rebellious dandelions and let them know that YOU are in charge!

• Social Events – Everyone needs friends, right? You are no different, and you should feel 100% obligated to attend every single social event suggested by every person in your circle of influence. Whether it be a mixer with the people at work, drinks with your closest buddies at the local tavern, a wine and cheese picnic with the latest girl/guy you are courting, or a full-blown “run naked in the streets” party, you MUST attend!

After all, if you don’t attend every single social event that comes across your calendar, you might be labeled as a person who actually has a life and a personality, and who doesn’t have to spend all of their free time with other people. In fact, you might – GASP! – attract MORE people to your circle by such individualistic behavior!

So, the moral of the story – DON’T YOU DARE TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF! As you can see from the above examples, doing so will surely cause the sky to fall, reverse the laws of physics, and cause a huge rift in the space/time continuum – all because of you!

Trust me, you don’t want that kind of madness on your conscious…

Parrot cages should be roomy and full of bird toys

Parrot cages should not be round and must have corners for the birds to feel comfortable. Inside the cages there should be enough bird toys to keep the birds active and happy. Parrots are of many sizes. The size of cages you will need to keep your pet will depend on the size of the parrot or parrots. To make the birds happy, make the cages as big as possible and fill it up with toys.

Even small parakeets must have Parrot cages which are at least 18″ x 14″ x 22″, where 18 is width, 14 is depth, and 22 is the height. That, of course, is the minimum requirement. Even small parrots like lories will be happier in cages double that size. Birds should be able to flap their wings, and fly around, and hop from perch to perch within their cages and larger the cages are, the healthier the captive birds would be.

For larger parrots like macaws, the width of the Parrot cages should be at least 40″ as their wingspan is more than that of parakeets. And the height of the cages should be such that the parrot’s tail does not touch the cage bottom when it is on any of the perches. Above the bird there should be enough space to hang the bird toys. Lack of space and lack of toys will suffocate the bird and it might scream and bite and pluck its own feathers.

Parrot cages should ideally be squares, rectangles, or hexagons. Corners are a must for the caged birds to get direction. Within a rounded cage it is said to be difficult for birds to get a point of reference so that they might become confused and frightened. And horizontal bars are better for cages than vertical bars. Horizontal bars will double as extra perches for the bird and they will be more suitable than vertical bars for hanging bird toys.

Jungle life of parrots like lories is full of activity and variety. In their natural habitats they fly from one tree to another in flocks. To ensure that they miss their real home as little as possible, their Parrot cages should be full of bird toys and the birds should be allowed to interact with their masters as frequently as possible. Lories feel the face or fingers of the owner with their brush-tipped tongues and it should be given enough opportunities to do that.

Ideal bird toys for small parrots like lories are hanging bells and ropes that can be easily hung inside Parrot cages. Plastic, wood, and other natural fibers are ideal toys material. Leather toys are not strongly recommended because it often tends to become sticky and messy with the nectar that these birds are fed. Twigs and wood used, whether for perches within the cages, or for bird toys, should be free of chemicals and pesticides.

Birds get bored with the same toys day in and day out. One way out of this is providing them with small, improvised homemade toys. Lots of things available in the backyard, or leftover things like containers, covers, and water bottles, can be converted into good bird toys with a little innovativeness.

Shop and buy a small, medium, or a large parrot cages for you pet parrot and pet birds. All types and sizes of bird cages and bird toys are available for your pet birds.

My baby playing with toys
Video Rating: 5 / 5

BIRD TOYS ACRYLIC RING 4" X 4" PERFECT FOR YOUR PARROTLET PARAKEET BUDGIE CANARY

US $4.99 End Date: Monday May-21-2012 13:15:50 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Help!!!! my parakeet is really sick. What should I do and where should I take it?

My baby parakeet is really really sick. It seems like it is blind. What should I do and where should i take it? Please help me!!!!!

Should i get 1 or 2 parakeets?

1. Will 2 males be a lot louder than 1?
2. If i get 1 male will it get lonely even if i make sure to spend time with it every day and give it toys?
3. I’ve heard that females are quieter. Do they lay eggs and get egg bound though?
4. If i get 2 will they hate me?
My mom and dad will be home at least half of the day probably all of it, and can talk to it. I can play with it when i get home from school. Should i get 1?

I’m getting a bird… What should I clean the cage with first?

I am getting a green cheek conure. I want to be fully prepared first though before I get the actual bird. I found this nice cage online that looks like it’s great quality and roomy, for an affordable price, with extras. I’ve contacted them and I’m probably going to be their buyer.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/pet/1820901076.html

Obviously they have had a bird in this cage before though. I am assuming I need to clean and disinfect it before I put a bird in it, right? To avoid spreading disease or illnesses, etc? I’m wondering what I should do it with to keep the surfaces in the cage from being toxic to the bird?

this is my first medium/larger sized bird. I’ve had parakeets, finches etc… I’m just trying to be prepared.

What should I do???? Please answer.?

Hi my parakeet is egg bound what can i do to help the egg come out. Please its for my parakeets life!!!!
I can’t go to the vet. Sorry
I cant pay the vet bills i cant im only 13

My parakeet is sick, what should I do?

I don’t want to take it to the vet. My parakeet keeps like throwing up.

My parakeets are chasing each other around the cage, I have 2 males and a female. How should I solve this?

The two males keep annoying the female by chasing her constantly around the cage until they’re ready for a mid-day nap. I’m finding it that she’s coming into breeding condition most likely. But, I have a problem. My two males keep fighting, and I’m afraid for their and her safety. I can’t decide which to remove from the cage and place into a different cage, though. The males have been cage-buddies since we first got them, and the female is a newer resident. But would that help the problem if I removed the female? Or would it be better to remove one male? Raising baby budgies would be a little difficult since they require dedication and a LOT of care in case health issues ensue. So would it be common sense to just take the female out to prevent babies and to get the boys to stop arguing so much?
I’m assuming that the mates would be the ones spending the most time together, and the other is just sort of rudely butting in. I’ve separated one of the males for the time being, and as soon as I get the money I’m buying a new female. Then I’ll have to put the one male back in until I see if the other female is sick. The female is newer, but she isn’t /new/. She’s been here for almost half a year now. The boys have been together for a little over a year, though. I’ve had other budgies, so I’m pretty sure the cage isn’t the typical problem and they do have room to escape one another if they wish to. Just to fill you in, though. Things seem to have calmed down, and there’s no more fighting or chasing now. Let me just point out, I even think they’re …. breeding. xD Oh wow, that’s awkward. Before, we only had two males. But now with our newest additions to the family, we have 2 males and a female. I guess I’m going to have to study up a lot on babies and general mother health care.

How long should it take a budgie to lay an egg? I think my bird might be egg bound.?

I’m worried that my female parakeet, Sprite (there are alot of birds named Sprite for some reason o.O), is egg bound. She’s about four years old and she’s usually very chunky. She started behaving strangely about a week ago. She was under weight (she has lost all her extra fat and she’s thinner than any of my other birds now) and she stayed on the floor of her cage excessively. I examined her and put her into a seperate cage (after removing the grate from the floor) with a heating pad under it for a few days. I usually keep her in the same cage with my other parakeets. I have four males and two females. She still can perch but she stays puffed up on the floor alot. She also eats and drinks regularly. I noticed earlier that she had a marble sized lump near her vent. I would assume that’s an egg. Apparantly egg binding is obvious. I think she’s alright if it’s supposed to take a few hours to get an egg out. I’m pretty damn sure laying an egg isn’t one of those things that happens in the blink of an eye. I’m just trying to make sure this is normal for my bird. Thanks for reading/answering this.

Next Page »