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My male cockatiels mate died and he is pacing the cage

My male cockatiels mate died and he is pacing the cage. What should I do?

Hi,

He will settle down at some point. Did he see her after she died? If so, he is more likely to understand what happened. If she wasn’t with him at the time, he may take longer to settle down and he may call for her for a while. I would not get another mate right away as he isn’t ready to accept a new mate. Give him some extra treats and try playing some calming music for him or put the TV on so it isn’t too quiet. He will realize she isn’t coming back. Depending on how old he is, you might get him another mate after some time has passed. Do not put a young bird with him. If you get another female, she should be at least 2 years old. A younger female would be as risk with a mature male. If you get another mate, put them in cages side by side to give them time to get used to each other. If they start sitting side by side all the time, you can try introducing them to one cage, but watch them closely. Of course for now, you just need to focus on getting him through this period of grief.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda