I don't know what to do right now. I love my dog more than almost anything but I am having a real rough time right now. I can't even look at her. I had my husband bring her to my mother's house for the time being. Here is what happened.
I have wanted a bird for a long while. I finally decided to act on it a few months ago when there was a Craigslist ad for free handfed cockatiel babies. I began making toys and getting supplies. I took a ferret cage I had previously used for rats and set it up. It is 2x2x4. I figured it would be great for a bird cage. Well, things fell through with the guy from CL, and I never got my baby.
On Sunday, I went to a bird expo and came home with a baby cockatiel. A beautiful pied who I named Sunny. He was great. From day one he wouldn't hesitate to climb onto my hand and let me take him out. I work from home and set his cage right beside me. I talked to him all day. I made him a cozy little nest in basket filled with fake feathers that he slept in. We were really starting to build a bond.
Last night my husband and I went upstairs to feed the reptiles. We were upstairs for only a minute when my husband heard something and ran downstairs. I could hear him screaming at our dog and I started to panic and ran down. When I got to the living room my husband was holding sunny and told me something was wrong. Zoe had pushed the side of the cage in on the bottom and got him. My husband found him on the floor a few feet away.
There wasn't any blood but he wasn't right. I thought he was just in shock. The closest exotics vet that I trust is 2 hours away, so I didn't know what to do. I looked him over but again couldn't see any damage, so I figured he was just really scared, so I put him in his nest and turned off the lights and left him alone. We put the dog outside and went back upstairs to finish taking care of the reptiles. About half an hour later we came back down and I checked on him. He was gone.
He must have passed only a few minutes after we left him because he was already stiff. I held him and cried and told him I was sorry. He was just a baby. He was just sleeping and Zoe killed him. I was supposed to protect him and keep him safe and I failed.
So, my question is, how do I deal with this? Is there anyone else here who has had one pet kill another? How can I face Zoe now? How do I get over what she did? I still love her but right now I can't even look at her. She has never tried to hurt any living thing before, except bugs that is. I mean, maybe she wasn't even trying to hurt the bird. Maybe she was just trying to play, but either way, she killed him and I don't know how to deal with that.
I have wanted a bird for a long while. I finally decided to act on it a few months ago when there was a Craigslist ad for free handfed cockatiel babies. I began making toys and getting supplies. I took a ferret cage I had previously used for rats and set it up. It is 2x2x4. I figured it would be great for a bird cage. Well, things fell through with the guy from CL, and I never got my baby.
On Sunday, I went to a bird expo and came home with a baby cockatiel. A beautiful pied who I named Sunny. He was great. From day one he wouldn't hesitate to climb onto my hand and let me take him out. I work from home and set his cage right beside me. I talked to him all day. I made him a cozy little nest in basket filled with fake feathers that he slept in. We were really starting to build a bond.
Last night my husband and I went upstairs to feed the reptiles. We were upstairs for only a minute when my husband heard something and ran downstairs. I could hear him screaming at our dog and I started to panic and ran down. When I got to the living room my husband was holding sunny and told me something was wrong. Zoe had pushed the side of the cage in on the bottom and got him. My husband found him on the floor a few feet away.
There wasn't any blood but he wasn't right. I thought he was just in shock. The closest exotics vet that I trust is 2 hours away, so I didn't know what to do. I looked him over but again couldn't see any damage, so I figured he was just really scared, so I put him in his nest and turned off the lights and left him alone. We put the dog outside and went back upstairs to finish taking care of the reptiles. About half an hour later we came back down and I checked on him. He was gone.
He must have passed only a few minutes after we left him because he was already stiff. I held him and cried and told him I was sorry. He was just a baby. He was just sleeping and Zoe killed him. I was supposed to protect him and keep him safe and I failed.
So, my question is, how do I deal with this? Is there anyone else here who has had one pet kill another? How can I face Zoe now? How do I get over what she did? I still love her but right now I can't even look at her. She has never tried to hurt any living thing before, except bugs that is. I mean, maybe she wasn't even trying to hurt the bird. Maybe she was just trying to play, but either way, she killed him and I don't know how to deal with that.