awww...you're gonna have to get your buddy another female if indeed your DD's friend takes her bird...I just love to hear them!!

Awww Moonie, I am so sorry for your loss. Birds are fascinating creatures, aren't they? I know this may not be a popular opinion but I would tell DD's friend that she has to come and get her bird NOW or there is no taking her back. I would think that your boy is going to (if he isn't already) get very attached and is going to mourn when she leaves. They bond to one another and often cannot make a transition to another partner. Our love birds are so attached to one another, I really fear for the day one of them goes.

So, basically you are torturing 2 birds based on the whims of an absent college student. Birds are social creatures. They need their flock.

I have no words for this.

I see no need for mean posts when something is out of Moonie's control.

Can you offer to buy the GF another bird? I'd try that. If you want to keep the female that is. Maybe she can find one in the city she lives in and it would be easier for her?

Are you sure the remaining female is healthy and didn't pass something to yours? Losing a healthy bird at 2 is very unusual. Not trying to slam you at all, just worried for your male.

I'm not trying to be mean or nasty.

Birds live in pairs or groups. Moonie has a pair of birds crying for each other, according to her first post. It seems cruel to keep them separated, when they want to be together.

So keep them apart on the off chance college girl will come back? When? How devoted to the bird is this person? If in college, she may not have any place the bird is welcome for several years.

I don't think I'm mean, I'm on the parakeet's side.

I'd show her this post and ask what she thinks would be best for all involved.

If she's really an animal/bird lover, she would say of course you should put them together and keep them both. If not, you really can't win without stooping to her level. Some girls that age are extremely immature and selfish.. while others that age are intelligent, mature and kind.

Honesty is the best policy -- Sometimes people don't have all the detailed facts to know a decision even needs to be made. Again, show her this post and let her decide what kind of person she is.

Hey liz! Good to see you. Yes, I love listening to and watching the birds. As a kid, I always wanted parrots and I'm so glad I started with little birds first because it kept me from graduating to parrots, which I'm positive would be too loud for me to stand. LOL

I would love to tell the girl to come get her bird and then have her tell me to just keep her so maybe I should offer to buy her another one. That would keep her from having to transport this one so far. I don't really think she "loves" the bird, but it does have some unusual markings that might make her appear "special" in the eyes of a teenager, I'm guessing.

When my female died, I never thought about this new bird playing any part in her death. There's been nothing indicating that this bird is unhealthy.

The now-deceased female had been sitting on eggs. After candling them, and finding them infertile, I took all but 1 egg from her. It wasn't long after I took the last 1 away that she died. No, I don't think she died of a broken heart. Possibly she did not eat well, or was egg-bound. DH buried her pretty quickly as I had gone to work without realizing that she had died. I do remember at one point thinking that her hiney looked like she might be ready to lay again.

Carla - I was just about to wrap this up when I saw your post. Maybe a better explanation on my part to the GF would make the difference. When she first got the bird I mentioned how lonely it must be in the bedroom with the other birds chirping away in another room. It didn't have much impact. We will see, though.

It's not that unusual for a pet store parakeets to have a very short life. They are exposed to so many diseases and are often a product of the same type of careless breeding that puppy mills are infamous for. Just something think about.

It's also possible to keep a single bird happy as long as the humans in its life pay lots of attention to it. This means keeping the wings clipped so that it can't fly all over the place when taken out of its cage. Providing a top of the cage 'play pen' is a good way to give a bird something else to do...and the more handling they get the happier they are. They can be unbelievably sociable, cheerful, and hilarious.

What I don't understand is--even IF the girl DOES take the bird back in December (after which they'll both be alone again), why not at least let them share a cage for now, rather than upsetting them by putting them next to each other (so near and yet so far). Why not let them have at least a couple of months of pleasure? They'd still be coming out ahead, wouldn't they?

I agree. Put them together and if she gets her bird, then buy yours other companion. As a child I bought a parakeet when I was 11. Saved my allowance. His name was Perky and he lived till I was in my early 20's. When I married, I left him with my mother. He had a big vocabulary and flew around the house all the time . He never was in his cage except at night. He never had a mate.

I hope that you find a happy solution, Moonie. I doubt that the taking of the eggs had anything to do with her demise as well. Our lovies have eggs now, Hot Stuff lays a couple of times a year. She keeps them for several weeks, when she pushes them out of the 'house' (a cardboard box) I take them and dispose of them. Several years ago I was told that she should be permitted to keep them so I do it. I am fascinated by them, and they are big part of our household. Hot Stuff is a character!