Our Dear Mickey.......

What a pretty little bird you were!, your black sparkling eyes, beautiful blue shimmering front, dark blue tail. We brought you home to our little bedsit in a shiny brass cage, littered with toys for you to play with. Glen and I had not been going out that long and we were just about to get engaged, you were my birthday present. I have vague memories of you being fun, lively, gregarious, sometimes timid. We actually thought you were a boy until your cere changed colour 6 months after we got you! We spent a lot of time with you trying to get you to sit on our finger!, that was to be the beginning of the rest of your life in which you turned out to be the most loving, affectionate, playful, fun and chatty animal we have ever known. We moved to a lovey spacious flat not long after we got you and you loved your new home, you had started to come out of your cage by that time, Glen built you a playground, with ladders, swings and toys, you started getting up to little tricks, playing on the floor, climbing into shoes, throwing money over the edge of the sofa, playing with my hair. You came on holiday with us every year to the caravan.....oh my!, you loved it so much, you came alive with mischief, exploring, a big adventure it was to you, you even came on our honeymoon. You comforted Glen during the times when I was in hospital, you knew I wasn't at home and even though I was so ill I still thought about you, I'd come home and you'd come over and sit with me. You knew when you'd been naughty, but we couldn't be angry with you for long!

As the years went by you became more and more loving and clever in everything you did and surprised us with your tricks and the fact that we could cup you in our hands and be stroked so gently and look up with your beautiful sparkling eyes. We wanted to have you forever and often in the last year of your life we talked about how we would manage without you, but you were still with us so it was a distant thought. You did start to sleep more, you felt the cold, and your moments of madness became less frequent. You came with us on your last holiday in September 1999, we thought you might make it next year.

November 1999 we noticed that you couldn't chirp or fly very far.........we knew you were getting old and you spent more time sleeping, but you ate well and came to us more than ever. I think you knew your days were numbered. We took you to the vet, she actually said you were pretty ill......you had a lump and wheezed alot and your feet and beak were turning blue indicating lack of oxygen flowing through your body......we took you home and hoped that we would never have to take you to be put to sleep, that you would let yourself go.

In those 3 weeks you nearly died twice, but you bounced back and we told you just to let go.....Monday came and you slept alot and didn't eat much or drink.....Tuesday and we knew we were going to lose you so we put you in a heated cage as you were sooo cold.....we put a blanket around you and said night night and kissed you goodbye.......in the morning there you were looking at us when we opened you up......you tough old thing........you held on that night because you wanted to be with us as when we opened you up you scrambled to be in our hands. All day we took it in turns to hold you in our warm, loving hands and you just slept, closing your eyes, never wanting to leave us. At about 2pm you started having small fits and we knew you didn't have long.....your heart beat started slowing down and finally by 3.54pm you were so weak......we kissed you and you turned your head and looked at us and took 4 gasps of air and then you were gone.......your heart beating no longer, lights out......you looked so sweet and peaceful. We both cried for hours that evening as we held you and tried to say goodbye......we phoned the vet and she told us that we didn't have to take you along till the next day so we wrapped you up and looked at you for hours.

We have some happiness in us in that we got you back for christmas.........we took you to the vet on Thursday (9.12.1999) and we arranged your cremation and a mahogony casket, painted with wild flowers and a gold plaque engraved "Mickey, beloved companion of mum and dad, March 91' - 8th Dec 1999". We needed you back with us as we were hurting so much. We can't bear to look at video clips of you yet but we can look a photos......and we still talk to you as though you are still here, little reminders around the house. Music makes me think about you and I cry with pain....We loved you so much........choke, choke....Rest In Peace my little angel :-(

My Watercolour painting of Mickey

We had Mickey cremated, this is her casket......

Her last few days.......