The Birds and Bees..... and the Cat

When you get a family pet it takes a day or two to integrate it into your life, for it to settle in and become part of the family.
A few more days to adjust and get to know each other.
The whole experience of bonding and building a friendship that will last for years and forever in our hearts, is one that cannot be described unless you have had a pet yourself.
There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of an animal that unconditionally loves you.
Having that new appreciation and respect for it and all life in general, as you get to know it's needs and desires teaches everyone especially kids something that books cannot.
Kids already have their hearts on their sleeves and having a treasured pet brings out something special that is so incredibly neat to see.

Well around here we have a whole lot of (quoting Bambi here) twitterpated animals.
We are waiting for the chickens to lay on their eggs.
Bella the cat should be due in 4-5 weeks.
And with spring in full swing all the birds and such doing their thing.

With all this life going on around us, we have had to deal with a sad ending.
Let me tell you the story.

As usually K got up and went throughout the house turning on the lights and opening the curtains.
She sings to the bird as she removes his cage cloth.
But yesterday while I was laying in bed I could tell by the tone of her voice something wasn't right.
My heart sank as I heard her quizzically calling his name and asking him to get up.
The patter of her footsteps tumbling to get get me made me want to cry.
I knew what I had to do and I had to be stoic.
It stings when you see your little one desperately wondering why such a thing had to happen.

Two day before, in the evening K and I came in from a long day in the yard.
We got Dexter from his cage and started to make dinner.
Dexter, getting comfortable with, likes to fly around and walk through the kitchen.
Along one of his strolls, out of nowhere, from under the dining room table, Bella pounced out and attacked Dexter.
Bella is an outside cat and we have no idea how she snuck in, but regardless she was in full pursuit and poor Dexter was squawking uncontrollably.
K was watching and screaming.
I managed to detach the cat and her grip, settle down K and the bird all in one foul swoop.
As I held Dexter, kicked the cat out and hugged K I noticed blood all over my hands.

K helped me get a cloth and Dexter was calming down and he stuck to me like glue.
We kept an eye on him all night and he was playing eating and drinking better than before.
We were rather excited that we had dodged that bullet.
It was a lucky break and a real lesson.
K was mortified that her precious cat could do something so evil.
We had many talks about life, death and animal instincts lately.

Well Dexter sucummbed to his injuries the next night and we are all sad.
K couldn't even look at her cat without crying.
I felt bad.
I mean I understand that this is all a part of having pets but I just hate seeing the kids hurting.

Thank you Dexter for being a part of hearts and family.
A sad goodbye, a life too short but well loved.

I think we will wait for bit before we get a new bird, but if nothing else we know for sure that a bird is a great pet for our family....if we can keep the cat outside.