Very sick zebra finch keeps moving all night. It's 3am, help

[Zebrafinch000]

Thank you all very much for your kind words. I feel a lot better by just knowing and feeling how supportive you guys are. And I believe you all are super great finch parents too. I just can't help but feel really sad whenever I walk by the place where his cage was. Now everything is gone. I still, from time to time, look at that spot because I still haven't gotten used to him not being here. I know it will take some time for me to stop grieving.

Anyway, thank you again for all of your advices. Best wishes to you and all of your finches!

[fhgwgads]

Zebrafinch000 it takes a while to get over.. I cried for days in a row after my Shadow died. It took quite a while after that to get used to him being gone.. and I still to this day get choked up every now and then. Especially because he seemed fine that day.. and suddenly that night he was on the bottom of the cage all puffed up in the corner, eyes closed and barely responding to me. He tried to show me he was ok after a few minutes of me talking to him and trying to assess the situation. By that morning he was gone. I couldn't do anything for him and I know he was very sick.. and I woke up to find him. Even thinking about it now gets me really upset. But there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. It is our way of coping with things and coming to terms with it. You are going to feel pain.. he was with you for a long time and was an important part of your life. And you already know that you have a ton of wonderful memories, and he had a wonderful life because of you. And most importantly you spared him a painful end. I know what it feels like to put a bird down.. it made me feel sick and very upset.. but you did what was the right thing for your little bird. He was sick for a while and getting worse.. and as Nerien posted they will definitely try very hard towards the end to show you that they are fine when they absolutely are not fine in any way, shape or form. It is their instinct.. just like it is ours to do everything and anything we can to fix the situation. Birds know when they are near the end.. but they do not tell us. They come to terms with it a lot faster than a human ever could. So the most you could do for him was spare him that pain. He is in a much better place and pain-free. The most important thing is that you gave him such a great life and such great love and care. And he knows it.. birds are smart little creatures. But we are here for you.. it's tough.. but the only thing you can do is know that over time it gets better and that you have your memories. And for myself.. I have other finches so Shadows mate Kuri was depressed and I had to get another finch boy for her. At first I thought I wouldn't connect with him because I could never replace my Shadow.. but he won my heart! I am not sure if you have other finches or have considered continuing with finches.. but animals can be very healing.. so maybe in the future you could find yourself another little guy to start a new chapter of memories with in honor of your baby boy. It would never be a replacement... I know that was tough for me feeling like I was in a way disrespecting Shadow.. but I realized obviously that if Kuri had room in her heart and mind for a new boy so quick.. I could get another boy and learn to love him! Maybe it sounds silly... but we are humans and these are typical human emotions (that I know at least I, myself sometimes forget that birds don't feel, lol) and they happen whether we invite them or not. I hope I am not bombarding you too much. I lost Shadow not that long ago.. so the pain for me is still pretty new.. so I guess that's why I can relate to how you feel right now. Most importantly though.. keep your head up. Take the time you need to let yourself feel whatever emotions you need to feel.

[Zebrafinch000]

fhgwgads@fhgwgadsfhgwgads (<-- I'm new here so I am not sure how to tag another user on a post) thank you very much again for sharing your story with me. I really appreciate it! Please don't think you have written too much. When I read about your bird Shadow, I felt for you. But I am also sure he knows how much he was loved, and like you have mentioned, we humans really tend to think a little too much. I can relate to you, because I feel that you are a sensitive and caring, loving parent, you feel a lot for them, as I do this all the time too (I often wonder if he would feel lonely if I work in my room, if it would be too cold for him when I feel cozy in my bed my mom is even jealous of how I treated my bird Debo : ) I still feel so happy talking about him, but I know most of the time, I feel really, really sad, and I find myself sighing all the time..... but I think maybe, we can try not to think too much about the moment he passed away, although it is really hard. Try to think of the happy moments you shared with him. : ) Do you mind if I ask how old was Shadow when he passed away? The vet told us that 8 yrs is a long life for a zebra finch, although he had seen some that reached 10+! I know and can feel you love Shadow very much too, from the way you talked about how you felt disrespecting him if you got a new bird. Trust me, this crossed my mind too!!! I feel like it is some sort of "betrayal" if I decide to get a new bird so soon. I was just thinking about this a little earlier, and then I read your message. And I agree with you, that these are human emotions. I know getting a new bird could lower the pain a little, because you get a little distracted from feeling negative. I want to but then sometimes I feel I might not be a good parent. And I would really think more thoroughly before really getting a new pet as I am getting a little busy these days. But I know very, very well, that I love birds.I like any kind of small birds, even sparrows I see in the street. A lot of friends don't understand why I love birds so much, they all say there's so little interaction between birds and humans, dogs/cats are "wayyy better". I love dogs and cats too but there's just something different about birds that make me want to protect them so much.

[fhgwgads]

Zebrafinch000 you tagged me correctly. You can either type @ followed by a user's name or you can hit the button that says u under their post and it will tag them. I completely agree though.. I have the same feelings about small birds including sparrows. And there are many times I have worried about my birds.. whether they got enough attention, whether they were warm and comfortable enough, whether they were happy enough, etc. I am not sure how old Shadow was.. I got him last April as a gift from my dad. He and Kuri came together as a pair and were already bonded. They were immediately laying eggs and shortly after had Sparrow my boy with one eye and a crooked beak, followed by four girls.. one of which passed after fledging. Shadow could have been older already since he was from a pet shop.. but he was such a unique zebra finch and had such a vibrant personality. I bonded with him almost immediately. Where my other birds can be skittish.. I could walk up to his cage in the dark and tell him it was me and he would make a little hrmm noise acknowledging me. He was always happy to see me in the morning and would sing his heart out. And he absolutely loved Kuri. That was his girl. It still makes me really sad.. and I had him under a year.. I can't imagine what it must be like to have had your boy for eight years!! But it's birds like Shadow and your boy that make having zebra finches special and make it worth it. They will never be replaced but the memories we have of them are priceless. And you certainly sound like you were such a wonderful parent to your little boy!!

[Zebrafinch000]

fhgwgads I'm very sorry to hear about Shadow, and that you still feel bad from time to time. I think it doesn't really matter how long you have a pet for, it really depends on whether you can connect with him/her or not. My close friend bought me 2 finches 8-9 years ago as a birthday gift, because he knew I love birds, and that was the first time I've ever owned any pet. They were a Corden Bleu and a Strawberry finch. They were soooo cute!! But they passed away within one week because at that time, I didn't know birds can't be put too close to the kitchen. But they were gifts so I didn't know I have to "learn" how to take care of birds. I was young and I didn't understand the importance of being responsible. I was extremely devastated even I had them for less than one week. I cried for many days and I was so depressed that I indirectly killed two little birds, and I watched them die, and I was so helpless. However I learned the importance of being a responsible person if I decide to have pets. Yes, they will never be replaced, but I am sure, time heals, and I am sure you will feel better soon