# Grieving Cockaitel :(



## Hana88 (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi everyone, im new to this site but have been told loads about it 
Sorry about the long message, but ive looked through the threads & have noticed people are always asking for more info so thought i would put it all lol

I have a male cockatiel called Blossom (10yr old) who i think is grieving for my female Casey (9yr old)

Im looking for some advice as i have never dealt with type of situation before 

My two birds were together for 9yrs, up until 2days ago when Casey sadly passed away (the vet believes it was egg binding)
Blossom was a yr old when i brought him home with casey, before me blossom had a previous family that had tret him very badly & had thrown him out after a couple of months. The woman i had bought him off had found him nearly dead on a kerb  couple of weeks later i popped up lol

My birds did absolutley everything together i couldnt take one without the other, they were inseperable
Over the years they have produced loads of eggs, I'd say at least 1 every couple of months - the last 1 i found was just over a year ago, i never kept them i always took them away

Both diets were about 85% seed the rest was different fruits ... although both birds did wait for me to move away & dive-bomb my plate lol
Casey was always the brave mischevious one & blossom just followed suit, i think this was because of his past  

Unfortunelty, i was at work when casey had passed away (i did have a vet appointment later that day  ) & Blossom had to witness it & then stay in the cage with her until i got home which would be about 5hrs

I understand it has only been 2days but his habits have changed dramactically, with casey always being the leader it seems he is completely lost. He is not getting involved with things like he used to or touch any fruits because casey isnt there to show him the way 
He screeches when i leave the room until i return, he is barely eating but when he does it seems to be a quick minute then he stops & i havent seen him drink yet. All he seems to do is sit pruning or just sat with his eyes closed, like he refuses to look around the room.
He seems to want to stay out of the cage as much as possible, which is understandable, so what i am doing is taking him out & taking him around the house with me through the day.
Last night all i could hear was him, pacing the branch 

Today i decided to sneek upstairs to watch his behaviour when im not around, he screeched for over an hour then just fell silent. He didnt prune, eat or drink. 
He just sat there puffed up but rigid staring at the door, until i walked in, I let him out of cage & 1st thing he did was just sit and prune.
The pruning is not to the point of feather-plucking 
Bit gross - but his poo is not exiting him properly, its just kinda hanging there. It is not stringy it just looks gooey  the colour has changed from normal to lighter, i'm wondering if thats because of lack of food.

Very luckily I am starting a 5week holiday leave from work, then beginning my maternity leave instantly afterwards so I have all the time in the world for him 

Many people I have spoken to have suggested getting another cockatiel as another companion for him, however since the age of 8 all i have done is replace 1 after the other to ensure companionship - im in a cycle

Im not wanting to have another cockatiel for a while after Blossom because of my up-coming daughter. Which is another of my concerns but im wanting to deal with that when it comes in 3months.

I absolutley adore blossom & would basically do anything for him (& casey when she was here)  So I am willing to try anything just to ease the grieving process & make things abit better for him until he is ready to adjust by himself

I have a couple of questions & hoping you can all give me some advice on 

My main concerns are the constant pruning, barely eating & not drinking 
Is there anything I can do to try & get him feeding?
Is the constant pruning something to be worried about?
I've noticed bar-biting developing which he hasnt really done before, how would i calm or stop this?
Would placing a mirror in the cage help him, rather then another cockatiel?
Would it be best to place him in a different room ... even though he's been in the same one for 9yrs now?

Thankyou to everyone that gave the time to read this, even though its abit long ... i am new & dont go on these sites often, so any advice would e amazing  xx


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

I'm sorry you are going through this. 

The poop is concerning, but it could be from lack of food. But I'm no expert so I won't advise you on that.

Whenever you get him out, I would take his food out too and eat your food with him next to you with his own food. See if he is more willing to eat with you around. 

I think he is probably preening to relieve the stress of losing his mate. It's good that he isn't plucking. 

I'm not sure about the other things so I will let someone else answer those questions.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Try holding favorite treats in your hand for him to eat (maybe millet spray or sunflower seeds). This way he can have a nice social experience while he's eating. Interact with him frequently - the interactions don't have to be long, but if you can pay some attention to him two or three times an hour it will help him feel less lonely.

A mirror in the cage might be helpful eventually, but right now the bird that he wants is his lost mate, and he might react aggressively to another bird in the cage (even if it's just a reflection). You can show him a mirror while he's out of the cage, and if he responds well to it you can eventually put a mirror in the cage.


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm sorry you guys have to go through this  Losing a buddy can be so hard.

As you don't want another cockatiel in the home, keeping yourself near Blossom's cage will help ease some loneliness they're experiencing. Maybe even some extra treats will help with the depression. Blossom's depression will soon pass  They just need some time to recover.


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## Hana88 (Aug 2, 2012)

Thankyou everyone for replying, I'm hoping he pulls through ok


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

I would suggest a vet visit for him since you aren't sure that egg binding caused Casey's death. If it was something contagious he may be suffering from more than grief. 

I am really sorry for your loss, and I hope that all goes well for Blossom.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I was going to suggest that same thing as JaimeS. Hopefully, it was nothing contagious but I think I'd want to make sure and see a vet. And sorry for your loss. Just try to spend as much time as you can with Blossom. I think tiels just need time to grieve, like humans do.


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## Hana88 (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi everyone, thanks for the great advice. Spending alot of time with him & he seems to have perked up a little, took me 5days but i finally managed to get him to eat & drink, havin to put him on table to eat with me & family  got a visit to the vets soon for a check-up .. thankyou all for the kind messages & advice  xx


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm glad to hear that he's perking up. Keep us posted.


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