How does one get rid of nightmares? After a pet dies, I usually have bad dreams about them for a few years. They're always the living dead, and then finally - years later - I'll have a cheerful dream about them being healthy and the bad dreams stop completely. It's just the way I grieve, I guess.
This latest one though is about a canary (Westley) I used to have. You would think it'd take longer to get over the death of a dog or cat, but this bird of mine died close to 10 years ago. TEN! I just now woke up from yet another horrible 'living dead' dream about him.
When Westley was alive, I doted on this bird like mad. Even today, my family laughs at how obsessed I was with caring for this bird. I worried myself silly over him being happy and healthy. (Canary's are very sensitive to their surroundings, physically and emotionally. And with birds in general, it's difficult to know when they're sick). Anyway, Westley got very sick and there wasn't a vet I could take him to. They all told me they don't specialize in birds. Only one vet said the same thing, but told me I could bring him in anyway. She didn't sound very serious, and was going to charge me more than I could afford. (An astronomical fee, esp when you consider that this is a little bird we're talking about). So I went to a very popular and credible site specializing in holistic medicine for birds. It, too, was expensive but affordable. I felt it was worth giving it a try, as the alternative was doing nothing. I knew it was a fact that he'd die if I did nothing.
Anyway, the meds/vitamins didn't work. I've always blamed myself for his death, wondering if it's something I did. I say this because about once a month, on a day the weather was nice, I would take his cage outside so he could get some fresh air and have a little bath. He LOVED this!) After he died I just wondered if maybe he inhaled something out there - a chemical of some sort - which made him sick. (Canaries are sensitive to a lot of chemicals; even glass cleaners).
So I know that's why I have these nightmares. The guilt of maybe it's my fault. They say to give them fresh air every once in a while, but what if that's what got him sick? Also-- when he got sick, at first I thought he was acting so strange just because he was molting again. He acted 'silly' even, so at first my family and I brushed it off as molting. I even described his behavior on a canary message board, and they agreed it was just him in the middle of a molt.
But about these nightmares: In these dreams I suddenly recall Westley, and then run to his cage only to find him as the living dead. I realize with horror that I haven't fed him in months and that his cage is a pig sty. Words cannot describe the horror of my feelings in these dreams. The details vary from dream to dream, and are pretty awful, but the main jest is what I described above.
All I know is I am sick of these dreams and it's time that they stopped. Forever.
This latest one though is about a canary (Westley) I used to have. You would think it'd take longer to get over the death of a dog or cat, but this bird of mine died close to 10 years ago. TEN! I just now woke up from yet another horrible 'living dead' dream about him.
When Westley was alive, I doted on this bird like mad. Even today, my family laughs at how obsessed I was with caring for this bird. I worried myself silly over him being happy and healthy. (Canary's are very sensitive to their surroundings, physically and emotionally. And with birds in general, it's difficult to know when they're sick). Anyway, Westley got very sick and there wasn't a vet I could take him to. They all told me they don't specialize in birds. Only one vet said the same thing, but told me I could bring him in anyway. She didn't sound very serious, and was going to charge me more than I could afford. (An astronomical fee, esp when you consider that this is a little bird we're talking about). So I went to a very popular and credible site specializing in holistic medicine for birds. It, too, was expensive but affordable. I felt it was worth giving it a try, as the alternative was doing nothing. I knew it was a fact that he'd die if I did nothing.
Anyway, the meds/vitamins didn't work. I've always blamed myself for his death, wondering if it's something I did. I say this because about once a month, on a day the weather was nice, I would take his cage outside so he could get some fresh air and have a little bath. He LOVED this!) After he died I just wondered if maybe he inhaled something out there - a chemical of some sort - which made him sick. (Canaries are sensitive to a lot of chemicals; even glass cleaners).
So I know that's why I have these nightmares. The guilt of maybe it's my fault. They say to give them fresh air every once in a while, but what if that's what got him sick? Also-- when he got sick, at first I thought he was acting so strange just because he was molting again. He acted 'silly' even, so at first my family and I brushed it off as molting. I even described his behavior on a canary message board, and they agreed it was just him in the middle of a molt.
But about these nightmares: In these dreams I suddenly recall Westley, and then run to his cage only to find him as the living dead. I realize with horror that I haven't fed him in months and that his cage is a pig sty. Words cannot describe the horror of my feelings in these dreams. The details vary from dream to dream, and are pretty awful, but the main jest is what I described above.
All I know is I am sick of these dreams and it's time that they stopped. Forever.