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Originally Posted by jrsygal37  nvnvgirl. I couldn't agree with you more. I belong to Mytoos also. it's a great site and it really gives people prospective on what they are getting into with a Too. So many buy them because they are so cuddly but they do not realize the committment. I had someone here from YT PM me awhile back about wanting a Cockatoo and asking advice about them. I told them the truth. That I've wanted one my whole life and finally for my 20th Wedding Anniversary got one as my kids were older and I felt the time was right. I further stated that I've had Boo about 3 yrs. and could I do it over again I would not have gotten one. They are great birds but NO ONE is prepared for a Cockatoo until they actually get one in there house. I've gone through two laptops (They love destroying keyboards. Popping those things out are fun) and the dander whether you are allergic or not will give you some sort of allergies. The screams can be deafening and did I mention destructive. Yes, do not leave them alone even for a second or you can come back to furniture, woodwork, you name it destroyed. And, let's not forget cooking. These babies need homecooked food, veggies, fruits etc. YOu have to provide for them as they would provide for themselves in the wild. I could go on and on for pages about care and committment let alone expense, a good Avian vet you can't walk into without a $300 bill. Anyway, the YT member never pmed back. I think I insulted her when I said that parrots do not make suitable pets. If anyone is interested in buying a cockatoo pls. PM me and I will give you very honest advice about care and expense and the committment needed then you can make an educated guess. Don't buy into the hype that the petstores sell as these babies are cuddling in your arms melting your heart. Most do stay cuddly but for the ones that get hormonal (males especially) they can rip your face open without even trying. Elaine |
Elaine~ exactly! I had a male and a female (although I wasn't actually POSITIVE about it until the female started laying eggs 18 yrs after I'd gotten her! My male was a handfed baby and I had him from the time he hatched. We were extremely bonded but I have to say, he could be lethal when he got over stimulated or you were doing something he didn't like (like putting him back in his cage
) . I loved my birds to death, but like you say...I wish I had some good digital photos of some of the damage my Valentino did....sheetrock (I'm talking WALLS), carpeting, door mouldings, windowsills, dining room chairs, custom cabinetry, draperies, furniture...you name it, he'd destroy it. And I bought my birds TONS Of toys ....which BTW, if you are buying them instead of making them yourself, cost around $20 each and up, and they can go thru them in about 15 minutes. Any bird who is not a "shiny" bird (cocktoos, African greys, cockatiels, and ....hmmm...I think there's something else...) have POWDER down on them (and it's got a sort of oily component that makes it tenacious when it sticks to things....it's not like you can just 'dust' and clean it off) and it gets on everything and INTO everything. We were fortunate that when we moved to the desert, we had a separate guest suite at our home that we made into the bird's room. My husband was a little annoyed when we'd be at someone else's house who had the same model as we did and they had this gorgeous guest suite and we had an aviary in ours.
I never got a computer while I had them in the house b/c I knew good and well that it wouldn't last long. And it's not b/c you're not paying attention to them; it only takes one millisecond for them to do what they've been thinking about doing all day and you were watching them, LOL. I swear, Valentino would go for something, I'd catch him and tell him "NO" and he'd sit on his perch or wherever I had him until he knew I was distracted and he'd IMMEDIATELY go back to whatever it was that he wanted to do! They're incredibly intelligent....geeze, I could go on for DAYS LOL. I have a big group of friends who I know thought I was nuts, but they've got some hilarious Valentino stories too....I was just very fortunate in my choice of living area and neighbors. Anyone who is interested in birds is welcome to contact me too, I am so glad Elaine, that people can hear from owners instead of pet shop owners or the breeders. Even the people who bred Valentino said they'd NEVER have a cockatoo as a pet, LOL (they were friends of mine, they didn't tell most of their customers that of course!). I honestly went absolutely nowhere for more than an overnight trip for over 10 yrs after I got them. I finally had to get a life and I found a reliable bird sitter (you have to remember the liability if you go somewhere and your parrot bites someone while they're cleaning the cage or feeding them too....it's much more complicated in the long run than cats or dogs, or even smaller birds. I wouldn't give up one second I spent with mine, but oh gosh, do I wish I had the money back that I spent replacing or repairing things
. Like I said; you gotta LOVE them to keep them!