Budgie's mate just died. What do I do?

[churroandplushy]

Plushy just passed away, and it's been hard on everyone. I always considered him and Churro a "mated" pair, even though they were both males. They always did the things mates do--preen each other, regurgitate food, eat together, etc. They were very close.

Churro seems to be doing okay. He's preening himself, chirping, hopping around, eating, and drinking as normal. He does call out sometimes, and I think he's calling for Plushy.

Plushy passed away just in time for me to leave on vacation. I have today and tomorrow before I fly out for a month, leaving him in the care of family. I can't cancel the tickets, though I would like to so I can keep an eye on Chu and bond with a new bird if I get one soon.

I don't know what to do. There's still room for Churro to suddenly worsen and become depressed while I'm gone. I'll instruct his caretakers to spend extra time with him like I've been doing, but he's not particularly bonded to humans. A person could never replace Plushy, anyway.

When I get back, I'll definitely get a new friend for him (if that's the right thing to do).

Any tips or ideas in the meantime?

[ffiscool]

I’m so sorry you lost Plushy. Do you know what caused it? You’/your family need to watch churro if Plushy had been ill, leading to his passing, for signs of illness.

I’m sure Churro will get attention whilst you’re away. If you are getting another budgie, I’d wait until a few weeks after you’re back, to give Churro time to be with just you, see if you can bond a bit. Also it depends on how he is without his mate. If he continues to be happy, eating etc ok, then I wouldn’t worry about him being depressed. However he may be quiet for a while with your family as it’s a different environment he needs to adjust to, as well as being on his own.

If and when you do get another, you’d need to quarantine the new bud for 4 weeks

[Hezz]

I agree with keeping an close eye on Churro for the next few weeks so make sure your family looking after him is aware. Giving him time to come to terms with his loss is the right thing to do. Some budgies bounce back very quickly, but others do seem to take more time. A new friend once you return is something to look forward to.

Quarantine is important for the new bird.