And that was exactly the reason I didn't put the names in at the time. Didn't think anyone would be interested, let alone want to know!

My humble apologies, from now on I will use place names!

My friend that I stayed with in Timaru had an unexpected opportunity to visit further south a few days later. She was not only able to go to Moraki Bay, but further sound she went to the Yellow-eyed Penguin colony in Dunedin. A remarkable experience as she was able to hand feed them.
Closer to home, this morning I had a walk through the forest as it was raining. right in the centre of the forest I came across a patch of new ferns, so lovely and fresh-green, and underneath were some red spotted toadstools. It was such an unexpected treat, but the best thing was the fantail that came and talked to me as I admired the ferns. Fantails are real 'talkers', and just love your company because while you are moving through the forest you are disturbing insects, and they have a free feed!
Such a soul filling time.

It was dark when I put the cat outside and I was almost off to bed. I short time later I heard the birds in the avery fluttering and calling, so I grabbed the torch and went out to investigate. Cockatiels were haning off the front of the avery and as I shone the torch around, I noticed a lovebird flat on his back on the floor. I thought he had died, and that was what had caused the comotion.
On opening the inside door, it gave the bird enough fright in the dark to get himself up and onto a perch. I had to reach out carefully and one by one pick off the cockatiels and place them on perches.
They finally settled down again for the night, and when I checked in the morning everyone was fine.
I will never know what disturbed them, but was I ever glad I heard the comotion and investigated.

Tonight, just before Sabbath came in, we discovered that one of the cockatiels was ill. As it sat on the perch, it was struggling to breathe.
I rushed it down to the vet, and it was one of 3 options.

1. A Goitre

2. An infection

3. A seed stuck in the windpipe.

If it is a goitre, then the prognosis is not good.

If it is a seed, it will have to dislodge itself.

Given an antibiotic powder for possible infection.

We came home and opened Sabbath, and prayed for our bird, reminding God of the time he healed our rabbits eye.

We sat the cage on the kitchen table where he could be kept warm - it's winter here, but the laboured breathing was hard to listen to.
Then he started coughing several times, and I took it that something was stuck in the windpipe.

As I am typing this, Allan has just come in and said the noise has stopped, the bird is ok.

Thank you Lord for your very quick answer to prayer.

Pity it is dark as he has to wait until the morning to go back to his mate.

I have just checked on the bird again, and he is still panting, but not as distressed as he was.I
will keep monoriting him.

Hope your bird is soon better. It makes one feel so helpless when a small creature of any kind is suffering. Heaven will be so wonderful with no more troubles and problems.
I am about to move and I expect it to be a number of months before I can get a net connection sorted out again - so - all the best to everyone on the forum. I am going to miss not being able to listen in to all the forum discussions!

Well, the bird was fine when I posted last, and the next morning he was eating when I left for church. As we had a church luncheon and an SS Council meeting I didn't get home till 3pm, and the bird was still quite bright.
I gave it some fresh water which it drank, and I noticed half an hour later a deterioation. Two hours later it was dead.The Vet thinks that something was in it's throat, and drinking the water dislodged it.

Yes, Mikk, no funerals in heaven for our loved pets.

I wish you well in your move, and hope it won't be too long before you are back with us.
God Bless

I am deeply saddened to read about the death of your bird.

We have now sadly experienced the death of our third cat, Tiger, the last of our babies that were born to our dear cat Princess.

All three of her babies, Prince, Silver, and Tiger, are buried in our own cat cemetery which we have decorated with flowers, etc.

Nothing is impossible with God, even the resurrection of our dearly departed pets, which He could very well do as a very pleasing gift to those of us who so dearly loved our now departed pets.

Here is a picture of Prince:

Daryl, I too am very sorry to read of your loss. And what a beautiful cat Prince was!
He reminded me of my Henrietta, she was pure white, and the loveliest cat I owned.
About a year ago we took in a cockatiel who's owner had passed away. I intended to put it out in the avery with the others as I had no room to put a large cage, but it didn't work out that way, and we subsequently discovered Joey had been abused by a former owner. So I rearranged my kitchen and he lived happily on top of his cage (mostly). Then his feet got real sore, and he couldn't get up to the top and would sit on the open door and talk to us.
In the last few weeks, he was mostly staying on the perch inside the cage, but still quite bright and a joy to look after. Just last night Robbie took him out of his cage and talked to him, he loved to sit on a shoulder.
This afternoon I noticed him eating on the floor, and put in some fresh food, then went outside to attend to the avery birds.
When I came inside again Joey had died.
And so we say goodbye to yet another loved pet.
While we hadn't had him a long time, he was very special to us because we were able to give him the love and comfort that he hadn't know in his early days.

One of the beauties of the Second Coming is that there will be no more death resulting in no more sorrow over the loss of our loved ones that includes our pets that we will have on the New Earth.

And who knows, our own pets may also be resurrected for our own joy, enjoyment, and pleasure.