“Felix”
In loving rememberence of our one-eyed male eastern screech owl, Felix. Although he has been retired from coming to events and shows for a few years now, our 14-yr old male has been active in the enclosure with his buddies. Moving around the entire cage, snuggling with his cage-mates at various points, and of course (during the hot days) enjoying getting soaked sitting under the misters.
He would often stay under the misters until he looked like a drowned rat, far beyond the point where his buddies had left for drier ground.🤣
There have been many points throughout the 12 years that we have cared for him where we thought we may lose him. From shortly after acquiring them, when recovering from their eye surgery, when his skin just did not want to hold a suture and he simply did not want to eat because of the infection that was brewing, to his depression-based anorexia after losing Siggy (our first red phase eastern screech, whom he connected and snuggled with stronger than any other before and since). 💞 I have never seen any animal with such a strong will to fight and perseverance to live.
Unfortunately, everything has to end some time. Last month he lost what was left of his eyesight and, while Sterling went on for another 3 years after losing hers and was able to still utilize the entire cage and bathe and sing up until the very end, Felix’s journey was not quite the same. He made his way down to the ground near the door (where they all try to go when something is wrong, but this is also where Siggy passed…on his way to the door). He pretty much stayed on the ground in this area of just a couple feet and was either on the ground or in our floor-box (which was Siggy’s box). I truly believe this was his way of telling us he was ready to go and join his buddy Siggy and his former mates Sterling and Luna. So, on Thursday, July 24th, 2025 we said goodbye to Felix as he passed on to join his buddies.💞🌈