As some of you may already know, this past Friday, I had to make the hard decision to have my 19 year old cockatiel Tallulah put to sleep. For the past several months, we've been battling with a tumor that flared up aggressively on her right wing. She took well to the first few weeks of treatment, but soon began to pick and tear open the infected area, which would bleed extensively. This of course lead to taking a break from the cryo-freeze treatments for the tumor, and while waiting for the bite wounds to heal, the tumor had time to grow.

I took her to another bird vet who was confident enough to preform an amputation surgery. Unfortunately, this would have cost around $900, and even then, because of her age and size, there was a high risk she might not even wake up out of the anesthesia. So with a heavy heart, I made that choice all pet owners know they may have to face.

Overall, I'm content with my decision. There was no way I would have let her suffer the risk of infection or anymore undue stress and pain. I know I gave my little Tallulah the best life I could, and 19 years is damn respectable for a cockatiel. I will miss her dearly. My little 'Lula-lula-lu.