I lost my baby Gomer Wednesday. I feel so guilty because I knew for at least a couple of weeks something wasn't right with him (sleeping a lot, loose droppings) but I waited till he started having trouble with his foot before I took him to the vet. The vet said it was Gout and gave him a couple of injections and I was supposed to go back the next day for some medicine. The next day I woke up to find my baby on the bottom of his cage sleeping not even acknowledging me. He woke up but as the day went on his condition worsened. I tried calling the vet but he was off. I didn't touch Gomer at first because interaction between me and him was always at his convenience so I didn't want to upset him...but finally he seemed so pitiful I got him out of his cage and a few minutes later he died in my hand. I'm so mad with myself...why didn't I feed him a better diet, why didn't I take him to the vet sooner...I've been sooo sad...it surprised me that such a little thing could cause so much feeling of loss. The house seems so empty now...I thought of getting another bird but after having Gomer I'm afraid another bird wouldn't have as much personality and I'd be constantly comparing him and disappointed...I had one bird before Gomer, Bud and I loved him but after having Gomer there is no comparison. Has anybody been through this? Did you get another bird? What happened? Did you feel your new bird measured up?

I'm sorry to hear about Gomer.

He was eight years old?

Maybe his passing was a positive thing, in the sense that he didn't suffer very long, and maybe it was just his time...

There have been forum members whose birds have died and who had mixed feelings about getting another budgie; hopefully, they will post here soon... I think you should let yourself grieve for however long it takes.

I am so sorry to hear about your Gomer.
Usually when keets start to show that they are sick that means they are in a very serious condition and they need to see a vet immediately.

You'll know when or if you want to get another bird. Nothing can replace your old one and each bird is different. If you feel that you're going to compare them then you should wait to get another so that the new one is fully loved.

Again, sorry to hear about Gomer

Aww RIP Gomer. Its so hard when keets get sick. Like Pudgie's mom said take as long you need to grieve. My little baby passed away about 2 months ago. I think about him every day. I got a new baby he is nothing like that special baby. Then again I may be expecting too much. The new one is no comparison. Nothing will ever be able to replace those special creatures that touch our lives.

I've started thinking that perhaps maybe what I should do is if I get another bird...to get more than one...and perhaps then I can just get my enjoyment from seeing them interact with each other...and not have have those expectations of how they interact with me. I will take some time though.

Though my mother has been wanting a dog and she's been afraid of the dog hurting a keet...so now that Gomer is gone she doesn't want me to get another bird...

Thanks for all of your replies and sympathies...and Luvanimals sorry for your loss...hopefully you and your new baby will be able to form a nice bond even though it is uncomparable.

First of all, so sorry to hear this! Ditto to Pudgie's Mom, take your time and remember all the good times you had with him! 8 years is a nice run!

On getting another bird, perhaps if you decide finally to get another bird, find one who has been hand fed and is very young that way it is very easy to hand train. So he gets an outgoing personality and builds a strong bond with you from the start. Then you won't be comparing so much, cause you will play with your budgie a lot and such. However this is just uninformed advice, I didn't know your Gomer, but looking at the pic I can just say he was very beautiful. So get a pretty pretty keet. Again this is only if you decide to get another birdie friend.

I'm sorry for your loss. Take your time, and come talk to us anytime you want. BTW are there any pictures of your baby around this forum?

so sorry to hear of your loss. RIP Gomer (btw, Gomer is such a cute name)
not sure this will help you but...

Chevy, green keet
i had found 2 keets, Sky and Chevy, who had been abandoned in my back patio/yard area. Chevy ended up dying of unknown causes, thought to have been the saliva from my dog catching him twice tho. i didn't have him but for 11 days before his death. i know that is NOWHERE NEAR how long you had your keet. i was so attached to these 2 birds after a couple of days of having them. never owned a bird before that. i had left for 4 days to go on christmas vacation and a friend watched over the birds for me. i came home and the very next morning Chevy was SOOO sick that he could not stand. i got him into a shoebox, that is all i had to put him in, and started to walk out the door to get him to the vet....and i watched him close his eyes for the last time. like i said, i only had him for 11 days...so i didn't have a personal bond with him...but it sure hurt me as if i had hand raised him from a baby. he was under 6 months old. to this day it still hurts me to tell that story. i feel so bad for the little guy.
altho, i am thankful that Sky is still with me for just over 4 months now. i never thought that i would ever want to get another bird since i watched Chevy suffer for that short time. i didn't even want to see Sky that way either of course, in case she had become sick. she has been perfectly healthy since then. being on this forum helped me so much thru Chevy's death. the people here are so very nice. after 3 months, seems a lot longer, of having Sky i felt like i could get another bird. i felt i was over Chevy's death. Sky and Chevy were NOT tamed either. so i am SURE my pain is very different from yours, since you had your Gomer a lot longer. i ended up getting the nerve up to looking around for a blue keet and 2-3 days later i found Topaz. she is now 3 months old and has been with me for 1 month. she lets me pet her belly so far. she's a bit slow, but i CAN SAY that i am glad that Sky and Chevy came into my life. now Topaz.

i totally believe that YOU WILL KNOW when it is the right time for you to have another keet. i have heard other members stories on here. some people take longer than others to be comfortable with getting another keet. i hope some of them tell you their stories as well.
good luck getting the info/help you are looking for. and for making a decision. i am sure you WILL KNOW when it is the right time FOR YOU.

Chocoemilk, thanks for your sympathies...you know prior to coming to this website it never occurred to me to try to find a hand fed budgie...but it does make sense! Unfortunately so far I haven't been able to locate any where I live so it may not be an option for me...The pic of Gomer on this thread is the only one I had posted, though I do have more of him. I just learned about this site after having lost him...if I do get another bird(s) I'll be sure to post pics of them.

SweetBirdies, thanks to you too. And thanks about his name...my mother really hated his name and would call him "G" but I thought it was a great name for a bird. Thanks for sharing your story. I am feeling better now...I still miss my bird and feel sad about losing him but the pain isn't so overwhelming anymore. I have come to the conclusion that I do indeed want another bird...possibly more than one...I may have to wait till I move out of my parent's house though...

It's a sad thing to go through! My mother and her yorkie Brandi lived to about 16 years. I was about 5 and that was 30 years ago! My mother had her and she thought in a thought saying, 'My Brandi. Why do you suffer in pain'.

A month later she found out that Brandi had cancer and she walked into the sofas and chairs and in-between the fridge and stove. She brought her in to PetSmart and I asked mom if I could hold her and she said to me 'no dear. I want to hold her one last time'.

After that my mother had to put her to sleep. Then they had to take her and make use of her ashes. ---sigh---. But either way. That is a hard thing to go through with Gomer. He looks like a sweetheart. I pray for you. RIP "G"

You know what's the craziest about all that, Petsmart didn't even open until 1993 let alone have a vet until 1996. Please answer that one for us. If you are lying to us we will find out, we don't really appreciate it so much.

RIP Gomer
You'll know if you're ready to get a new bird.

Ooh yea I found a breeder that handfeeds in the next county over...now if i can work it out with my parents...I really just need to move out...eck...

It's not crazy, or being a liar, to misremember which vet you went to when you were five.
How many people are certain of their memories from early childhood?

I had a bird Burger that was IceCube's BFF and mate. He died one day and my mom said I could get any bird I wanted if I paid for it with my own money. I bought Foo and he is just like Burger he is so afraid but so playful. IceCube is way happier now she never stops chirping (or maybe thats Foo) and Foo is happy too.I was outside and we don't have AC so we have windows open and I could here one of them chirp from outside. I know I did a good thing.