My parrot is calling for my dog that died.

[WoodlandWoman]

It makes me feel so sad! She was such a sweet little dog. It's been awhile since he did that. Now he's imitating her barking! I think I'll go give him something tasty to nibble on and a new toy, so he quiets down.

Anyone else ever get sad when their parrot calls for or imitates their pets that have passed away?

 

[Patch of Heaven Farm]

That is so sad!!!

 

[wingnut1]

WoodlandWoman

Yes - We have rescue parrots - and they often call out names of the people that left them behind, or the names of their pets, birds that were in the home... Sometimes I think the members in the family and the pets become part of the flock to them -- and they are calling for their missing flock member. So I try to think of the calls as a sign of the importance of that flock member to the parrot. (And trust me - sometimes a person's name is not said in the best of tones... and this tells me the role this individual must have playd in the parrot's past life).

I am so sorry for the loss of your dog - and so glad your parrot is there to tell you that you are not alone in missing your dog.

 

[redhen]

my parrot does that too!

he says "Mandy, come!"...because when he called her she used to come to his cage and he would throw his pellets down for her to snack on..

.....shes been gone 3 years now, and he STILL calls her...he's an African Grey...

 

[RockyToggRanch]

That's amazing..and sad, too.

I had a parakeet that imitated the telephone ringing perfectly. He never called names, but I can't tell you how many times I'd go to answer the phone to find it was him.

 

[b.hromada]

I'm an animal lover, and I do believe animals do miss "their friends" It does make it hard for us, the humans too, after all we miss them as well. I think that animals are just so amazing. I'd probably, or I would put myself in harms way just to try and help a helpless creature. Anyway, it is a bitter sweet reminder.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Thank you for the responses.

Redhen, that's so sad! You must have loved Mandy very much. Kirby is an African grey, too. He used to toss food to one of the spaniels we used to have, too! He would deliberately do it, to lure her over. He just found it entertaining. I guess he was feeding his pet!

At least he was calling Teddie in a sweet voice. It must be so heart breaking to hear parrots repeating harsh and cruel things and imagine what kind of life they had to survive. Not that they don't communicate their past in pretty obvious behaviors, too. Wingnut 1, did you adopt rescues or are you a foster home? Kirby was handled very badly before we got him. I worked very hard with him the first few years. He's never been the parrot I imagined having, but I love him. He loves me, too. And I know he has developed a deep trust in me.

You know what I did after I originally posted this? I went back and looked at the pictures of the chickens wearing the googly eyes on their peepers! It's stupid, but it did make me feel better. Did you all see that post? Everybody that I depressed on this thread should go look at googly chicken eyes!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=134851&p=1