April 26, 2012

Mr. Green: a sad story

The other day we were asked to watch 2 pet birds for a friend of ours. He was leaving the birds with us just for the day and would pick them up before bed that night. When he arrived that morning to drop the birds off he only had one bird and explained that the other bird had been sick all night and he had dropped him off at the vet before he came over and that the bird was staying there for care. The bird we were to watch was Mr. Green, the other one at the vet being Mr. Blue. We put the big cage up on the table and the boys immediately ran over to admire him. Mr. Green had food and water and so we had to do very little for him during the day. We had a busy afternoon out of the house and returned home around dinner time. I was in the kitchen making dinner and the boys were sitting at the table talking to Mr. Green. Willow was in the living room laying on the couch and the boys soon joined her to watch a show while I finished getting the meal ready. Out of nowhere I saw Willow dart off the couch and run into the kitchen where I couldn't see her but could hear her nails scrambling all over the floor. Assuming she had got herself stuck on something and was trying to get out of it, I came around the island to see feathers flying and Mr. Green laying on the floor flapping. I shooed Willow away and scooped up the bird and returned him to his cage which was already open. I looked him carefully over and couldn't see any outward damage although it looked like he was holding one leg up and his one wing wouldn't move when the other one did. I was upset. Obviously. We were asked to watch this bird for one day and now we've crippled him. He climbed around his cage and made his way to his food and water but moved very gingerly and looked quite lame. The only thing I could deduce was that while the boys were over admiring him Rigby had opened the door to the cage and then walked away. Mr. Green had obviously made his way out of his cage, off the table, onto the floor and down the hall when Willow spotted him. I was sick with worry and guilt for injuring our friend's poor bird, all while his other pet bird was at the vet sick! When he got to our house that night I told him what had happened and begged him to take him to the vet and get Mr. Green checked over as I really didn't think he was ok, and to let me pay for the whole ordeal. He agreed he would take him in the morning as the vet wanted to look him over anyway as he had probably contracted the same sickness Mr. Blue was being cared for. I texted him in the morning but got no response. Later that morning Neil came up and told me that Mr. Green had been to the vet and that he had suffered some serious fractions and because they don't do surgery on small birds they had had to put him down. OH. MY. GOSH. Worst babysitter ever. Our friend was more than kind about it and explained it was just a $15 dollar bird he had only got a couple months ago and that it was no big deal or heartbreak to him. Seriously though. The guy trusts me with his pet and we kill it within hours. My word.

What would you do to apologize to our friend? We have taken care of the vet bill and even though our friend is over it all I feel I should do something more. I don't know that replacing the bird right now is the best plan but is a pan of brownies really the best way to say "hey, I'm sorry we killed your pet?!" 

Sigh. Help! 

I just so happened to snap a photo of sweet Mr. Green earlier in the day. 


RIP 
Mr. Green 

We're sorry. 

6 comments:

  1. That is the saddest story! At first I thought you were writing about someone else who had tended a bird. I definitely think a pan of your brownies is in order (just save me one)! I don't know what else you could do. Is Mr. Blue better from his illness? Don't be too hard on yourself as you are the best and I would still let you tend my birds!!!

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  2. Oh my goodness!!! I can't believe that happened!!! As I kept reading I couldn't believe it but the story kept getting worse and worse!!! I think a pan of brownies for sure, and a whole lot of sucking up!!! I'm so sorry that happened, you must feel awful! But I agree with your mom, don't be too hard on yourself. It's not like it was a child or something!!

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  3. Oh my gosh, what a horrible story! I don't have any idea what to do. But I agree, you need to forgive yourself, it was obviously an accident, and I'd still trust you with my bird. Actually, now that I think of it, I might even sacrifice a bird for a pan of your brownies. By the way, why does a bird need a babysitter for just 1 day? Can't it be home by itself?

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    1. That's a great question Jenn, haha! The friend is a guy in our office that drove up from Utah. He stayed the night in a hotel and checked out the next morning but wasn't going to the apartments until late after work. He didn't want the bird to be in his car all day so he brought it over to us. Probably would have fared better in the car.....

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    2. Oh and you totally made me laugh, hahahaa, I would looove to make you a pan of my brownies, come get them!! :)

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  4. SO SAD! We had Parker's little friend Eli watch our fish while we were in Utah over Christmas. We came home to find out that they had killed our fish by putting in too hot of water when they washed the tank. They bought a gift card to the pet store so we could pick out new fish. Luckily the kids thought it was fun picking out new fish. At least it was a good lesson on death for the them. Anyway, back to my point--as the ones who's fish died under the care of someone else--don't kick yourself too hard. Eli's mom had a harder time with it than we did. We understand that pets die and accidents happen! I'm sure he is the same way. He doesn't seem like he was too emotionally attached so he'll probably have fun picking out a new one!

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Straight up now tell me...