Emily's son brought Gretta home shortly after the family moved into their second home in Dyker Heights. She always said that Gretta was everyone's bird. Gretta interacted very well with the entire family and was a source of great joy to all.
She loved to be included near the table at dinner time and would eat her seeds and treats after the family was seated for their meal.
Gretta was an excellent flyer. She did not require any training. Upon opening the door to her cage she would fly once or twice around the living room and then come in for a successful landing on your outstretched arm.
The family was never quite sure of when Gretta hatched but the pet store she came from said she had been with them for a few years. The vet who cared for Gretta estimated she was about 2 years old when she had her first exam.
Gretta was a very healthy bird until the spring of 1980. She did not respond to medication or treatment. Emily was the first one to find Gretta on the night she passed on in April of 1980. Rather than wait for the rest of the family to decide where she should be buried, she asked her husband to bury Gretta under the rose of Sharon bush in the garden of their new home.
After Gretta's passing Emily began to keep a private journal which her daughter found after her passing. In it were notes about her bird's "hatch dates" and "departure dates" (date of death). She made it a point to get a hatch date, or an approximation, from the pet shop of subsequent birds that came into the house. She also noted their habits, preferences, and any days they looked down. Emily began to subscribe to "Bird Talk" magazine and become aware of avian healthcare in memory of the cockatiel Gretta who rekindled her love of pet birds.
Emily's son brought Gretta home shortly after the family moved into their second home in Dyker Heights. She always said that Gretta was everyone's bird. Gretta interacted very well with the entire family and was a source of great joy to all.
She loved to be included near the table at dinner time and would eat her seeds and treats after the family was seated for their meal.
Gretta was an excellent flyer. She did not require any training. Upon opening the door to her cage she would fly once or twice around the living room and then come in for a successful landing on your outstretched arm.
The family was never quite sure of when Gretta hatched but the pet store she came from said she had been with them for a few years. The vet who cared for Gretta estimated she was about 2 years old when she had her first exam.
Gretta was a very healthy bird until the spring of 1980. She did not respond to medication or treatment. Emily was the first one to find Gretta on the night she passed on in April of 1980. Rather than wait for the rest of the family to decide where she should be buried, she asked her husband to bury Gretta under the rose of Sharon bush in the garden of their new home.
After Gretta's passing Emily began to keep a private journal which her daughter found after her passing. In it were notes about her bird's "hatch dates" and "departure dates" (date of death). She made it a point to get a hatch date, or an approximation, from the pet shop of subsequent birds that came into the house. She also noted their habits, preferences, and any days they looked down. Emily began to subscribe to "Bird Talk" magazine and become aware of avian healthcare in memory of the cockatiel Gretta who rekindled her love of pet birds.