Mateo the English Budgie

While I was in the hospital for my two week stay at the VA Lupe's blue boy Mateo passed. It was very hard on her to loose her friend and I felt so bad that I was not at home to help her with dealing with the loss. His friend Nico is now alone and seems so depressed. I am thankful he is eating though and working though his grief.

I know I didn't write much about Lupe's English Budgies because they were her birds and I didn't really interact with them much. (they live in her room) We had adopted them while we were still in Collage shortly after Lupe's grandmother died. Lupe's grandmother use to raise budgies when they lived in Mexico so she carries very fond memories of her grandmother's love of budgies. Lupe took her grandmother's death very hard but the adoption of the English budgies helped her with her grief.

I did tell Lupe that English budgies don't live past 10 years. Actually I have been told it was 7 years so I wanted her to understand that the English boys would not be with us as long as she was use to having them. I asked her if Mateo was acting sick (I was not home so I did not get to see his condition before he passed) and she told me he was not sick but it was just him time. Mateo presented to her the symptoms of his end of life and Lupe gave him palliative care until he passed. I am glad she was able to say good by to him.

Lupe told me that she thinks Nico will not live more than 4 months. I am sad about this but understand that they were bonded and they are/were around the same age. I asked her if we could buy another budgie for Nico to help keep him company but she told me it would probably stress him out too much. There would be too much difference in age and there was a greater chance they would not get along. Lupe told me when her grandmother's budgies lost a mate her grandmother would pair up the bird with another around the same age. Sex didn't matter but she wanted the lone budgie to be with a companion. I feel real bad for Nico and I visit him every day and talk and sing to him.

How sad. Very sorry for your loss. Maybe you can find another older parakeet for Nico.

I am so sorry for your (and Lupe's) loss. Poor Nico as well. I feel so bad for you all.

Sorry for her loss of Mateo.....I used to raise English budgies and they can get along with the parakeets if you can find one around the same age. I don't see English Budgies as widely available as they once was. I loved mine very much!!!!

Thank you all for your kind words. I put a request in the budgie/cockatiel section to try to help Nico with his loneliness. I feel because he is the more timid of the two he is having a hard time being alone without his friend protecting him. He seems to be scared all the time even with Lupe who is the person he knows the most.

Nico is eating and chatting with Lupe but does not seem comfortable being alone. I would like to try to find him a friend around the same age 6 years or older to help him feel more secure and to be less lonely.

If we cannot find him a friend we will continue to work with him to help him get more confidence and try to teach him to feel more secure being alone. Poor little Nico. My heart goes out to him.