The critters with whom we share our lives

It's a sad day today. Manx, the livelier of the two budgies, died this morning. We knew he was sick. I took him to the vet on Thursday and got the bad news. We've kept him as happy and comfortable as we could and he continued to be pretty feisty until the end. Last night he was out of the cage on Richard's hand which is a big accomplishment. He was also eating millet with his regular gusto so I think he had a good last meal.

He was all puffed up this morning and got to the point where he was losing his balance on the perch and made his way down to the bottom of the cage and lay down. I called the vet and when I picked him up to put him in the carrier he was still breathing. I talked softy to him, which I like to believe helped him stay calm, and by the time I got him to the vet's he was dead.

We will miss him. He was the one who kept up the running budgie commentary during the day and had the repertoire of strange little noises that made us laugh. The house is very quiet now. Perhaps Angus, the remaining budgie will start making some noises. Who knows. We find budgie chatter so cheerful and have enjoyed the way it has filled the house for the last 11 months.

I don't think we'll be getting another bird for a while. We'll concentrate on the flock of two we have. It's sad when a pet dies but they provide us with so much entertainment and laughter and really demand very little in return. I hope Manx had a good life with us albeit a short one.