Today mark’s the 6th anniversary of Tao passing away, on October 2, 2006. He was 14 years 2 months old at the time, 93 in dog years. I still miss him very much. Here is a video of his life from when he was a found puppy to his last day. And the photo is a memorial corner in my living room where his urn is, along with the tiny urn (in white) for Hao, who passed away on August 11th. I just lit some incense for them.
I just checked on Mon and instead of early-morning sleeping on the top perch in her usual spot, she is sitting near the entrance, awake. I think she is looking for Hao.
I’m going to have to spend extra time playing with her.
Hao had a very different personality from Mon.
Hao was very smart, knew his name, and would come when called. Although quite tame on my finger or hand or even eating food from between my fingers (he had great eyesight!) he hated being petted or touched and would make his dinosaur sound and try to peck or bite if I tried to touch him anywhere. Except the last day when he seemed to take comfort from it.
Mon on the other hand is, well there is no kind way to put it, dumb as a doorknob. Almost as dumb as a cat. I’m not convinced she knows her name. There’s no way to call her and get her to come. On the other hand, she has a very amiable personality and never pecks at me and doesn’t mind being petted.
I have less photos of her overall because she’s very camera shy, while Hao actually seemed to like posing for pictures.
doug
Hao-chan passed away at the early age of 5 and 1/2 years in the early afternoon -coincidentally on the same date my father passed away three years ago.
It was obvious this morning that Hao was in an irrecoverable decline, and I made the decision to stay with him in peaceful, comfortable, familiar surroundings until the end.
Most of the day he was either sleeping in the palm of my hand, or sometimes resting on my body, like in this photo.
Recently, in a 1903 travel guide to Japan I read about a temple called the Ekoin (http://www.ekoin.or.jp/history_e.html) which is in Ryogoku and happens to be near where I live. The temple was well known as a resting place for pets back then, and still is today, 109 years later.
At the Ekoin we held a short service for Hao and other pets brought in today. I left Hao in the mortuary, where he will be cremated, and I’ll pick up his urn on Wednesday. This is a photo of Hao before the service. I normally wouldn’t take a photo like this, but I think Hao’s many friends want to see him at peace.
I find it hard to believe that more than 5 years have passed since Hao first came home with me. It’s like he was here one day and gone the next.
And now I’ll light a candle for the memory of the 3rd anniversary of my father’s passing.
doug
I think Hao is dying. When I checked on him at 4:00 am he was sleeping on his perch.
I came down for some cold medicine at 6 and he was on the floor of his cage. He made a couple of attempts to reach the lowest perch but was unable to. When I tried to pick him up he fell over sideways and was unable to right himself. He seems to have trouble opening and closing his wings.
He’s sleeping now in my other hand as I write this, but having little convulsions. Even Mon has gotten quiet and is just looking on.
There’s really nothing I can do given his condition and the hour. I’m just going to sit here with him.
doug