Will I regret giving away my pet? (Bird)
3 years ago, my boyfriend stumbled upon a GCC in the staircase whom was abandoned by my neighbor. We took the bird in, he immediately bonded to me. I never had a bird as a pet before, so I did research, so much research, I followed through with alot of the tips, tricks, advice, etc. Some helped, some didn’t.
I have 2 cats, 1 was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago. I was able to get her on wet food which helped alot in healing naturally (I spent a hefty amount on clean organic food) she held for on for 2 more yrs. But the worry in the in between took a toll on my brain, I couldn’t sleep well for 3 years, so my focus was more on her & I wasn’t fully there (101 type shit) with my bird, I just let him eat seeds like it was a buffet, I let him eat fruits with no restrictions, no pellets, rice whenever I made it, etc. (obvi I had my eyes on him 24/7) but I was way too lenient. He also has a habit of biting my boyfriend at random moments, I didn’t do my part in proper training, I just let him get used to our home & to us.
My cat passed 2 months ago, my heart is still broken. I got depressed because I thought my other cat was depressed too & I didn’t know how to fix it, I was scared to loose her too. I told myself “maybe now, I will have more time to focus on my bird since my cat is no longer a heavy worry since she is gone”….
I started to do research on how to properly train a bird, on what they should actually be eating, what they should actually be doing, how to properly set up stations, so so so much more than what I thought the stuff I did get him was enough, turned out to be the opposite & he needed more, way way more & time was one of those mores. I work 10+ hrs daily, weekends i’m sometimes open, sometimes i’m not & sometimes i’m gone for hrs. I hate leaving him in his cage when I am gone…
The conflict in my mind rn, is that I don’t know if it is right to surrender him to a home where he can have friends similar to him(bird bff’s) & be under proper professional care? Where he can be in a home receiving more attention, more of the other family’s time, more present attention, better toys, better food, better proper training, medical care when needed (I was quoted $2K for just blood work, I will have to work like 3 jobs to afford that, let alone with my cat’s diagnosis & all the other shit, im extremely broke) I feel like he is in his cage more than he is out & when he is in his cage it’s for a reason not just bc. I read too that someone said “it’s not ideal to have a bird if you’re gone 10+ hrs”…..
I already found a family that is willing to take him. She said after June 1st. I don’t have much longer.
Will I regret this? I got too attached to him & I have been crying every single day, but he deserves better….