I Am At A Loss And Worried About My Budgie… I Need Advice!

[Gemmy1057]

I have some bad news. I came home from work last night to find that Pineapple, my 10 month old female budgie, had passed away in her food dish. My other budgie, Sonny (Male 6M), was guarding her body and trying to nudge her awake. Pineapple was from Petco. I didn’t do enough research which was my mistake, and saw that for months she had been getting sick and had low energy. The vet would give her medicine and I would feed her an inclusive diet, but I think her time at Petco as a baby was the problem. Sonny and Pineapple were cage mates for two months, but they were really close. Sonny has never been alone before, and I’m worried about him. I work and go to school, which is why I had two budgies in the first place, so that they could keep eachother company. Sonny is from a local pet shop that hand raises their birds, and he is extremely healthy and high energy with no signs of sickness. I don’t want to leave him alone all day while I’m at work or college. I spend a lot of time and play with him at night, but he’s never been alone before and I’m scared he’ll get lonely and sad. Is it too soon to adopt another budgie from that same local pet shop? Will it be good for him to have some company? He seems totally fine today, but seeing him nap alone in that big cage or run on the carpet by himself is making me really sad… what should I do?? Any advice is appreciated, thank you all for helping me.

 

[Shezbug]

I am sorry to hear of your loss

It is up to you when you do decide to buy another new budgie, there is no right and wrong with when or if this happens but you need to be fully aware that there is a chance your existing bird and the new bird may never get along so you really should have two cages incase you need to house them separately.

The main thing you need to keep in mind though is that regardless of how soon you buy another bird you still need to keep the new bird quarantined from your existing bird until you are sure the new bird is disease/illness free- failing to properly quarantine can have you loosing both birds if there are any illnesses.

 

[Gemmy1057]

I am sorry to hear of your loss

It is up to you when you do decide to buy another new budgie, there is no right and wrong with when or if this happens but you need to be fully aware that there is a chance your existing bird and the new bird may never get along so you really should have two cages incase you need to house them separately.

The main thing you need to keep in mind though is that regardless of how soon you buy another bird you still need to keep the new bird quarantined from your existing bird until you are sure the new bird is disease/illness free- failing to properly quarantine can have you loosing both birds if there are any illnesses.

Thank you so much… I do have another cage that’s a little smaller that I can put the new bird on for the quarantining period. Would you recommend a vet visit for the new bird as well? Thanks so much for the advice I really appreciate it

 

[camelotshadow]

So sorry the vet did not know what was wrong with Pineapple enough to successfully treat it.
I would be worried about Sonny as he may have caught it too.

I guess I would want to make sure Sonny was OK & if I got another budgie would keep them sperate to be sure none of them were sick.

The nice petshop sounds like a good place. Even if they are not in the same cage budgies can call to each other & have some company.

It is advised to have a well bird exam with a new bird.

Good Luck

 

[Shezbug]

Thank you so much… I do have another cage that’s a little smaller that I can put the new bird on for the quarantining period. Would you recommend a vet visit for the new bird as well? Thanks so much for the advice I really appreciate it

I would definitely recommend a vet visit (like Camelotshadow suggested) for the existing bird incase what the other died from was contagious and has passed it on.
Once your current bird is given the all clear and you are ready to get the second newer bird I would also recommend a vet visit ASAP for that bird as well as a proper quarantine period.

 

[Gemmy1057]

So sorry the vet did not know what was wrong with Pineapple enough to successfully treat it.
I would be worried about Sonny as he may have caught it too.

I guess I would want to make sure Sonny was OK & if I got another budgie would keep them sperate to be sure none of them were sick.

The nice petshop sounds like a good place. Even if they are not in the same cage budgies can call to each other & have some company.

It is advised to have a well bird exam with a new bird.

Good Luck

Thanks for the advice I seriously appreciate it… I think now that a couple people have said it I will get an exam on the new bird (whenever I decide to get a new one) and they can call to eachother during the quarantine stage

 

[Shannan]

I would add that you don't necessarily HAVE to get a new bird for your current bird to be healthy and happy. Learning to self entertain is a good skill for a bird to learn and while you are adjusting to your new situation might be a very good time to learn. That being said if you WANT another bird and can dedicate the time to adjust them into your household then by all means I wish you all the luck in the world. I would definitely recommend you go back to the good pet store and take your time to find the right bird that hopefully will get along with your Sonny. In other words take your time and get what you really want, not settle because you feel the need to hurry up and find Sonny a friend. You might find that Sonny becomes very close to you because of the extra attention right now. My Walter did that when I lost my beloved Nanday conure.

 

[Gemmy1057]

I would add that you don't necessarily HAVE to get a new bird for your current bird to be healthy and happy. Learning to self entertain is a good skill for a bird to learn and while you are adjusting to your new situation might be a very good time to learn. That being said if you WANT another bird and can dedicate the time to adjust them into your household then by all means I wish you all the luck in the world. I would definitely recommend you go back to the good pet store and take your time to find the right bird that hopefully will get along with your Sonny. In other words take your time and get what you really want, not settle because you feel the need to hurry up and find Sonny a friend. You might find that Sonny becomes very close to you because of the extra attention right now. My Walter did that when I lost my beloved Nanday conure.

Ok that also makes me feel a little better… my only problem is he never plays with his toys I have toys of all kind but he just doesn’t care about them… do you think he’ll be bored? Should I play some nice music while I’m away maybe? Thanks so much for the advice

 

[Shannan]

Music is good, changing up what is in his view is good, even if he doesn't play with his toys doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy looking at them. Walter generally takes a long time before he plays with a new toy. Sometimes days, sometimes months so be patient. Some people leave a tv going but I never did with Walter. I just made sure that he was in the center of the home where he could see the most. Even though my husband is home during the day, Walter takes lots of naps during the day so that he is up late with us (well late for us) and up early early in the morning. He will adapt.

 

[Lori D Pert]

A vet visit for sure if only for peace of mind. I would allow him some grieving time. Perhaps some time to gieve with him. Never underestimate the ability of your bird to grieve with you. After that (considering that you are away all day) I would introduce another bird. Separate cages at first to see how it goes. I expect he will readily accept a new friend however the choice is yours.

 

[Gemmy1057]

Music is good, changing up what is in his view is good, even if he doesn't play with his toys doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy looking at them. Walter generally takes a long time before he plays with a new toy. Sometimes days, sometimes months so be patient. Some people leave a tv going but I never did with Walter. I just made sure that he was in the center of the home where he could see the most. Even though my husband is home during the day, Walter takes lots of naps during the day so that he is up late with us (well late for us) and up early early in the morning. He will adapt.

Alright, I’ll try some music then! I’m not allowed to have him in the middle of the house when I’m gone because of my parents (and his cage is to big to fit through the door) and he can’t be out there unsupervised… so I’m really hoping music will help! Thank you a lot!

 

[Gemmy1057]

A vet visit for sure if only for peace of mind. I would allow him some grieving time. Perhaps some time to gieve with him. Never underestimate the ability of your bird to grieve with you. After that (considering that you are away all day) I would introduce another bird. Separate cages at first to see how it goes. I expect he will readily accept a new friend however the choice is yours.

I think I’ll wait a little bit, I want to give him time if I know he’ll be ok, and do what you suggest because he’s alone you know… thank you!

 

[Shezbug]

Budgies quite often love little bells and also pony beads.
My boy lost his girlfriend quite some time back- he was off/lonely for a short while and then basically went back to displaying the exact same activities and behaviour as when he was partnered.
I would give yourself and your bird time to process the loss before adding more changes to the situation.

 

[Birdie Mama]

Also I have heard of birds that do not really know what toys are for. Maybe play with the toys with him so he knows what to do with them and the noises and swaying etc they do…. Also maybe put him by a window with no draft so he can see what is happening outside.. Bailey likes to sit on the kitchen chair and look at the parking lot next door and people go back and forth…that way his mind is occupied….

 

[expressmailtome]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Gemmy1057]

Budgies quite often love little bells and also pony beads.
My boy lost his girlfriend quite some time back- he was off/lonely for a short while and then basically went back to displaying the exact same activities and behaviour as when he was partnered.
I would give yourself and your bird time to process the loss before adding more changes to the situation.

He has bells and he doesn’t care about them but I’ll try pony beads, thank you! And yeah I think I’ll wait a little bit, I just feel so bad for him… they really did everything together