My beloved grey, Groucho, passed away on Oct. 5, 2010 and I am heartbroken. He was with us for 33 years. We got him in 1978, he was about 3 years old then, I was 6 years old. I grew up with him and many other animals. He outlived all of them. He was such special bird and his vocabulary was incredible. Anyone that ever met him over the years always asked about him. Unless someone has had a bird for a pet...or an African Grey,they have no idea the bond and love you share with them. I don't live at home anymore, but would visit and he always knew me when I came to visit. My Mom would put him on the phone or let me listen to him most of the time she and I spoke, which was on a daily basis. I would say "How's Groucho" she would say "fine, do you want to talk to him?".
She called me Sunday night..at 12:30 am. and said he wasn't doing well....I immediately got out of bed...and drove an hour and forty-five minutes, in the middle of the night. My Mom and I had him wrapped in a towel and held him to keep him warm and calm all night long...periodically giving him fluids. We were waiting for Monday morning to come around, so we could take him to his Avian vet.... He started showing signs of illness on Saturday afternoon. My Mom called around for two hours trying to find an avian vet, or someone with bird experience. She finally found someone an hour and a half away from her and took him. The vet did what he could...gave him antibiotics, said "maybe it's and infection, give him antibiotics and feed him this cereal". He looked like he was getting better, but Sunday night he took a turn and my Mom called me immediately. I urge all of you, if you don't already...please find an Avian Vet that is on call or available 24/7. Birds are fragile, they dehydrate quickly, and often by the time you notice they might be sick...they are actually very sick. They mask their sickness..this is instinct.
I am rambling, I am just devastated. I never looked at him as an "old" bird. I always thought he would live to be 60 or 70. A myth, I believe now! Our Avian vet, he is very well known and trusted, said 35 is actually pretty old for a parrot. Their office had never seen one as old as he was. They also said where this information comes from on the internet is beyond them, don't believe everything you read. I would love for people to tell me how old they have personally known a Grey to live. I am having such a hard time accepting that he was, in fact, and elderly bird.
They are amazing birds/pets, cherish the time you have with them.
