There are so many typical pets that people bring into their homes, but for those wanting to step outside of the box, birds are a crowd favorite. Especially Budgies, these birds are vibrant and full of life, but how can you comfort them when they are nearing the end of their time?

The different ways to comfort a dying budgie include padding the bottom of their cage, separating them from other birds within their cage, keeping them warm, and holding them to ensure they are as comfortable as possible when they are in their last moments. 

Budgies are gentle and docile birds that are incredibly tame when their owners put in the right amount of time to train them well. They are happy to be in the company of their owners and can quickly bond with their caretakers, making them easy to love and even harder to lose. If you have a budgie that is dying, you may be wondering what exactly you can do to keep it comfortable. Take a look below to find the best ways to aid your budgie in death.

For Safety, Pad the Bottom of Your Budgies Cage

As birds, budgies tend to spend much of their time sitting on small perches within their cage. This allows them to see the world around them, but also live in a state that is a bit closer to that of how they would live in the wild. When your budgie is dying, you may think they will stay near the bottom of their cage rather than perch high above the cage floor. However, budgies, even when nearing their end,

If your budgie is dying and you are looking to give them comfort, one of the first things you should do is add padding to the bottom of their cage. If budgies suddenly fall ill or lose their footing due to a loss of strength, they can easily fall from their perch and land on the hard floor of their cage. 

If this happens, this can cause unnecessary injury due to a blunt fall directly on the floor of your bird’s cage. To prevent this from happening, the best thing you can do is pad the floor of your bird’s cage to protect it from any potential harm. This will allow you peace of mind when you are not able to tend to your bird or be right next to them while you are home.

For the material you use to pad your budgie’s cage, be sure to never put anything at the bottom that they can easily pick at or tear. This means avoiding items such as foam or thick paper towels. The best type of material to use to pad the bottom of your pet’s cage is either a soft towel or a thick material that cannot be ripped apart, even by humans. This will prevent your budgie from tearing up material so fine that they ingest it.

Separate Your Budgie From Other Birds

Budgies are very social birds which means they are typically happy to be in a cage with their own kind, but are oftentimes just as happy to be with a few other breeds to share company. This is great for the needs of their socialization and is also an appealing aspect of this bird breed, as owners are able to have a variety of birds to interact with within their homes. However, when their budgie is dying, is it safe to keep them in the same cage?

To keep your budgie comfortable and safe when they are dying, be sure to separate them from any other birds within their cage. This will help to stop the spread of disease, if this is what your bird is dying from, and will also keep it safe from any ganging up that may come from others. 

Although your sick budgie and other birds may have gotten along perfectly well before it fell ill, once a bird has been sensed by the others that it is nearing its end, it can become rather tense in the cage. Many other birds will begin to turn on the one that is sick and will pick on that individual. Oftentimes, this will look like birds pecking at the sick bird repeatedly or biting until the sick bird simply gives in to their actions.

To prevent this from happening, remove your sick budgie from its cage once you know that they are dying. Be sure to have a cage that still gives them plenty of room to perch and move around as normal, while also providing them with plenty of food and water. It may seem rather cruel to take them away from those they were previously most comfortable with, but the protection of your sick budgie will be welcomed, even with the big change.  

Keep Your Budgie Warm

Budgies, when healthy, are able to regulate their own body temperature without issue, so long as they are in an environment that is neither too hot nor too cold. By simply keeping your budgie out of direct sunlight for too long, or keeping them in an area that is naturally cool, you are able to worry about one less thing when it comes to their care. However, when you realize that your budgie is dying, can they regulate their body temperature just the same?

Another way to comfort your budgie when it is dying is to make sure that it is kept warm. When budgies are dying, they are not able to regulate their body temperature in the same way that they can when they are healthy. Keep the temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

This temperature varies so greatly because each budgie is going to be different with their temperature preferences. It is important to pay close attention to how comfortable, or how uncomfortable, your bird seems to appear with the temperature you have them within. If you notice that your budgie is slightly shaking, increase the temperature of their environment. If your budgie seems lethargic, decrease the temperature a tad.

The temperature of your budgie’s cage can either be controlled by adding or removing a cover from their cage, or using a heating lamp. Heating lamps are a great choice because they do not cause any unnecessary light that may cause stress to your bird. To know the temperature of your budgie’s cage. Place a thermometer within the area and monitor often, especially if you are using a heating lamp.

Hold Your Budgie

When budgies are young, they may not be inclined to actually be held, rather, they prefer to sit perched on the shoulder. Some may allow for a bit of time spent in your hands, but when your budgie is tending towards the end of their life, many are very happy to receive some comforting affection. Owners may hesitate with this, but if it seems like your budgie is in need of a bit more than its cage can offer it, read below to see what it may need.

To comfort your dying budgie, it may be helpful to hold them when they are in their final hours. Your budgie may be a bit off-balance or cold, therefore, hold them within your hands in a warm blanket, which will not only offer them warmth, but will give them a bit of security. 

When going to hold your dying budgie, one of the most important things to remember is that you need to be as gentle as possible. Your bird is in a state that is much different than its normal everyday feeling, therefore, they may be prone to jump or startle more easily if you grab them in a coarse way. Slowly put your hand into their cage and gently pick them up from the back of their body, being sure to have your hands around both wings to prevent flapping.

Once you have them in your hands, you will then need to wrap them in a warm blanket to help resemble the soft feather they would use in the wild to keep themselves warm. Make sure that you allow them enough room to wiggle around within the blanket and bring them close to your body. This will help your budgie to stay warm and will also allow you to calm your bird while having a few more moments to bond with it before it passes on.