Cockatoos need a varied diet. They cannot live on seeds alone. Pellets should only be a percentage of the food they eat.  They need fresh fruits and vegetables.

You have to cook them meals full of the nutrients they need.  Some good choices are corn on the cob. pasta, beans, rice, and birdie breads. A good rule of thumb is if it's good for you, it's probably good for them too. Mixed nuts, seeds, and other snack foods are just that-snack foods. They are empty calories and won't benefit your cockatoo at all. 

 

No avacodos, kiwi, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and other sugar or sodium rich foods.

Bigger is better!!!! Buy the biggest cage you can afford and have space for. I cannot stress this enough. Most birds species (except CAG's)  do better in larger cages.  Considering your bird will spend over half their life in the cage you pick out, please put yourself in your bird's place. If you don't have the space for their cage requirements, then don't get a cockatoo.

 

Where you put the cage is as important as the size.  Cockatoos thrive on being part of the family and being included in family time.  Living rooms make an excellent choice for cages.  Kitchens are a big no-no!  The fumes from cooking can kill a bird within seconds. Having the cage against a wall will provide your cockatoo with a sense of security.  A window close (not in front of) will give the cockatoo some natural light.

 

 

Cockatoos are highly intelligent.  They need things to challenge them. They need to exersise their foraging instincts.  They need to chew on things.  Toys are a necessity for cockatoos!  You can even make your own and save some money. I know a few people who buy baby toys from thrift shops and their birds love them.

 

Your cockatoo needs time out of the cage daily. They need to exersise and play while they are out.  Playstands come in thousands of varieties, or you can get creative and make one yourself.

 

The health of your cockatoo's feet are very important when picking out perches. They need to have perches of different diameters and textures.  Three seems to be the magic number for cage perches.  Some good choices are natural wood branch perches(naturally changing in diameter), pedicure perches (which help keep nails filed), and rope perches (great for preening).

 

I know this is a given, but I thought I'd cover it anyways.  Cockatoos love to throw their bowls (contents included) across the room. Getting weighted crocks or fasteners to keep bowls in place are good ideas.  Three seems to be a good number for bowls too. One for pellets, one for water, and one for fresh food. You may want to add some bowls to the playstand,also

 

You would be surprised how many animals lose their lives in traffic accidents due to not being restricted.  Also suprising is the amount of accidents that are caused by animals that are loose in vehicles. Getting your Cockatoo a travel carrier is the responsible thing to do for your bird, yourself, and others. There are acrylic parrot carriers you can buy.  Some people use small wire cages, others use plastic animal kennels with a perch screwed inside. 

 

I know this has been covered on another page, but it's very important.  I keep a first aid kit in our car and in our house.

 

 

 

Most cockatoos love being wet.  It's such a beautiful sight to watch a cockatoo spread out his wings and really enjoy being showered.  Some people buy shower perches and let their cockatoos shower with them.  Getting a water mister is another idea.  Set the mister to a fine spray and aim above the bird's head. This should resemble being rained on.  Feather quality and health will be much better if your cockatoo is showered regularly.