Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello there,
I have had two parakeets for about 4 year. They were purchased together and have always been together. One of them just died. I am afraid of the remaining parakeet being lonely? Should I replace the deceased bird? Also, I am afraid that the remaining bird would attack or not welcome a new bird. Should I worry about this? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

There is always a chance that a bird will not accept a new friend. If your bird is used to a companion then a new companion may be a good idea. Just be aware that it will still need a quarantine period before introduction and a separate cage for this time if not forever. When you do introduce them do so slowly in a neutral space and do not force them to be together if there is aggression on one part. Take the introduction slowly before placing them together and when you do cage them together make sure you do so at a time when they can be supervised preferably in a new cage or in a cage that has been changed so that one bird will not feel territorial about it. If they do not get along in the same cage they can still offer companionship to each other even from separate cages, they just won't have the preening, snuggling closeness that a friendly cagemate can offer.