Goodbye Haiku!

My darling yellow-faced parakeet Haiku, died on May 30, a week after first taking him to the vet.

His death came after weeks of struggling for breath, and on the same morning he awoke drenched in some wetness, and called feebly to his partner, Tanka. It came after a series of gran mal seizures, while I held his twisting form. It came from the liquid injected into his chest by that same vet, cracking his chest plate in a final cruel crushing before he died.

Haiku was a bright, beautiful, cheery character of a budgie. Although the smaller of the two, he was the protector of Tanka and did his job faithfully. He endured her peevishness and her greediness at the feeder. He answered her frantic calls when she was lost in the night or when my cat sneaked into their room ready for a little pouncing and play.

Haiku was a sweet sweet little bird and I miss him.