I've been trying to think about how I should write this. In all reality, Cinnamon (my cockatiel) is the reason I got Karli. My hubby is a bird person, he was raised with them like I was raised with dogs. So when we first got married, dogs weren't even an option. But I've never been without an animal before I joined the Navy and since my hubby was into birds I gave it a shot. Cinnamon was the first bird I picked out. She pressed herself up against the cage bars to get as close to me as she possibly could and I just knew I had to take her home with me. She was a WF cinnamon pearl and the sweetest bird ever. Always wanted to be with me. She learned early on to fly to me (I never taught her that, she just did it) and to her, being with me was the best thing in the world. We ended up with more birds of course and the numbers grew, but her love for me never changed, even when she picked a mate and tried to have babies (cockatiels breed extremely easy). When I came home from work, she would come running out of her box to greet me and my hubby said I was the only person she would come out of that box for.

Then, last summer, she got sick. The vets were never able to tell me what happened to my flock (I lost all babies and three adults that season) just that they had an enlarged liver. I assumed it was maybe the bedding (I had used a different brand that year versus the last year) and so switched. But for my Cinnamon, it was too late. When I noticed she was sick, it was the weekend. I rushed her to the emergency vet but they refused to see her because they didn't know anything about birds and the avian dr wouldn't be in til that night. She didn't make it til then. She got very weak on the way home. I laid her on my hubby when I got home and she passed away on his chest. The feeling of hopelessness was horrible. Going into the bird room just to feed the birds was hard for me. I was mad because everyone else was fine but she was gone. I just didn't find the fun in caring for them that I used to.

So the hubby and I got to talking and he told me that I could get a dog. That he knew I was depressed and that another bird wouldn't make me feel any better (he'd already tried that and this bird doesn't like women so that didn't work out so well.) I don't breed the birds anymore, its easier and more enjoyable without the heartache of losing babies. I'm currently in the process of rehoming several, because there are just too many for one person to handle. My hubby rarely goes up to their room anymore and he doesn't do anything with them, I do all the care. But he was the one to buy most of them (he's not very good at turning down a bird lol.) But he knew that no other bird would fill the hole Cinnamon had left. But a dog, now that's something I've been wanting for a while and once we got to looking into, he wasn't adverse to it. And he wont admit it now, but he loves Karli. He keeps saying she's like him because they both drink tons of water lol.

Anyways, some shots of Cinnamon. Karli's big little sister, even if they weren't ever together.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is so hard. It sounds like Karli has settled nicely into a new place in your heart though!

I'm so sorry to hear about you're loss. I know losing a pet is a very hard thing and it's so hard to move on. At least you have Karli now to help fill that void

I had two Cockatiels growing up, they are wonderful birds! I had to rehome mine, but they are still alive and well apparently!

My dad passed away a few years back and I had to take in his 15 year old African Grey. She is a pistol! She hates all women and want's nothing to do with me. Her and I finally came to an agreement that she will allow me to enter her cage JUST to feed her, but I gotta be quick or she'll try to peck me! She's a b*tch lol