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People ask me why I hate cockatoos. I don't hate them. I love cockatoos. I respect cockatoos.I
want people to know exactly what living with a cockatoo involves. It breaks my heart to see what people go through to
try to make their cockatoo happy. People jump through hoops to get thier birds to quit plucking their feathers and screaming
all day. It's very stressful to everyone involved. To love an animal so much and not being able to make it happy
no matter what you do is very sad.
Cockatoos are beautiful,highly intelligent,playful,and most learn to talk.
They can be cuddle-bugs, clowns, and escape artists. They are highly complex and full of personality. It seems like
such a shame for such a majestic bird to be locked in a cage for most it's life.
Most people buy baby cockatoos. Babies are very sweet and cuddly. They don't pluck
feathers. They don't scream all day. But babies will grow up. What happens when your baby reached sexual maturity? Almost
every cockatoo is rehomed, abused or neglected due to the massive behavior changes in sexually mature cockatoos. Hormonal
cockatoos are very difficult to live with.
Most cockatoo information is given by breeders and isn't accurate. Breeders
will tell you anything to sell a bird. They care only about money. I could care less about exploiting innocent
animals for my own greed. So, I will tell you exactly how it is.
Cockatoos are endangered in the wild and overpopulated in captivity.
We take their natural habitat and cut down their trees to make our homes.
Most domestically bred cockatoos are taken from their mothers right after
hatching. These babies go through imprinting and are hand raised by humans. These poor birds actually think they
are human. They are in a constant battle between what their instincts tell them and what their owners want from
them. These birds are never truly happy in our homes.
Just because people have "pet" cockatoos
that are tame, does not mean they are domestic. They are wild animals. The parrots in our homes are
only 3 or 4 generations apart from their wild counterparts. They have very deep set instincts and act accordingly. Cockatoos
are what they are and no amount of behavior modification can change that. Trying to change their "Too behavior" goes
against every single instinct they have and will do nothing but make them miserable. You either love them for the wild animals
they are, or get a dog.
Cockatoos are LOUD! They are suppose to scream. They scream to greet
the sunrise. They scream to say goodnight. And they scream when they play. They can literally cause hearing loss. You can't
change this. This is what cockatoos do.
Cockatoos bite. If you have a cockatoo, you will get bit. This is not
problem behavior. This is cockatoo behavior. You can't change this, either. They bite for various reasons.(i.e. Fear,
anger, playing, or just wanting to be left alone). They bite hard, often causing major injuries that need medical attention.
Cockatoos are high maintenance animals. They were not created for life in a cage.
They are extremely needy.. People often find that no amount of attention given to a cockatoo is ever enough. They want to
be with you every minute of everyday. I compare them to a 2 year old with ADHD. Very moody and unpredictable, these birds
require the same amount of time, patience, love and discipline as a young child.
What would happen to your cockatoo if you were to get divorced? Or have money
problems? Where would your cockatoo go if you die? These aren't pleasant thoughts, but are facts of life. Your
Cockatoo will outlive you, they can live for 60+ years.
Do you have children? Or are you planning to one day have a child? Cockatoos
can and will severly hurt a child if it feels threatened.
Cockatoos are often treated as property to be owned. They are living creatures.
They have feelings, wants, and desires and should be treated as such!!!!
If you still want a cockatoo, I would advise you to do tons of research. A cockatoo
is not a good choice for someone who has never owned a parrot before. Check out my links for more information.
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