being fearful of getting a Goffin Cockatoo

[PersephonesMama]

So the short version is that I am considering getting a Goffin Cockatoo that is being rehomed because the owner is severely sick.

Long version is that I was raised with Cockatiels, Currently we have Cornish Rex cats, we discussed bringing a bird into the home and explored our options, years and years ago I met an Umbrella Cockatoo and loved her, she let me cradle her like a baby, I always said I wanted a cockatoo but never realistically looked into it. Honestly did not even cross my mind this time when thinking of bringing a bird into our home. So on the hunt for looking at cage prices I came across this ad for a Goffin Cockatoo, I read the ad and was touched and responded, the pictures posted were detailed and very sweet, the bird is pictured in its cage, with its owner and socializing with the owners friend's children.... There is nothing listed about the bird being rehomed because of any behavioral or issue with the bird in itself, it only says because of the owners health, which I don't want to mention here but it is very serious. I am awaiting on more information about the bird now but in the mean time was doing more research.

I am a stay at home mother with 2 children and 2 cats, I'm a home hermit so I spend alot of time in the house.. I have time for a pet with the mentality of a 5 year old.... my life revolves around children of that age. So this is not a concern of mine at all.

My issue now is that aside from facts that I am researching all the personal experience or questions I come across online are EXTREMELY negative about owning Cockatoos, its almost feel like they are purposely trying to scare you away from owning them, almost any questions a person asked starts out with a reference to mytoos.com and why you shouldn't own one. Or how they will sever your finger with one bite, and the horror stories go on. I won't lie, I am nervous that I am going to get a nasty bird that likes only one person and will peck my 10 month old childs eye out because it is jealous... Eeek.

The Umbrella Cockatoo I met so long ago was not like this at all, was very accepting of strangers, very sweet... I did not get the impression this was a bird I should have been cautious of approaching..

Now I know the Goffin Cockatoo is different then the Umbrella. From research of facts and people that own them they sound like Goffin cockatoos can have their moments and there are ones that have behavior issues but for the most part they are a wonderful addition to a family..... But when you come across people inquiring about owning one its like the responses make them seem like the pitbulls of birds. Which can be intimidating. This specific one that I am considering giving a home and family is pictured all over a child and the child is all smiles.... I have a very hands on 4 year old that would want to hold our bird or make faces at him, etc...because he's 4. I liked that this cockatoo has time spent around children since I read that some can just naturally not be inclined to like them because of how loud and fast they move....


So.... This whole topic post is about me REALLY wanting to know if some of these online responses are exaggerations to try and scare away uneducated people from owning a bird and just rehoming the bird from lack of experience and that owning a Goffin Cockatoo will really be a lot more enjoyable then some of this internet responses make it out to be?

I am really interested in giving this bird a new home and family but I don't want to put my 10 month old at risk of getting her eyes pecked out out of jealousy, or if in the event that my back is turned for a second and my 4 year old puts his finger in the cage to stroke the bird that its going to chop his finger clear off his hand with one bite... because that is what these sites are making it seem... My husband things it is over exaggerated and to not be turned off by it but I would honestly like some human interaction and opinion about these from people who are more knowledgeable about them before I turn this woman down out of pure fear.

Now this is not something I am jumping into blindly and I still have lots of questions about the breed itself and other things that I should be asking the owner before I commit but most importantly before I ask them I really need to know if owning a Cockatoo with young children is really always a horror experience and you should only be a single person be considering owning one or can you have a large family and still have a Cockatoo? Because the size of my family will only increase over time.

Thank you in advance. Any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated. And yes I would be paying for this bird, It's not overly expensive in my opinion and does include cage and I am more then happy to pay it because it's what I expected to put out for the bird we were looking for anyways and because of how serious the owners health is I am sure it will help with medical expenses for the owner. I also have questions about cage sizes and night time separate cages and such but before I get into all that I just want to make sure that I am not considering owning a death trap for my current child. As you can tell all the negative talk online has clearly put the fear in me and taken out the excitement.

 

[cassiesdad]

I don't have children,so I don't have experience with raising kids and birds together. The only thing I would say is that you can teach your 4 year old about having a bird in the family-that a bird is a living creature and not a toy.
I think having kids and birds is not a bad thing,just a very large challenge, IMO....

 

[Sierra_N_Fids]

I think Goffins are really nice birds my friend had two, the male Goffins, Elliot was really bonded to the owner and i could still hold him he was a really nice bird, he did have separation issues though and plucked, it was worse when i had to care for him. The girl who was less bonded loved me i really wished i could have had her when my friend later rehomed her due to Elliots jealousy. Sadly though for me (i can't have too's tiels or greys due to all the powder they produce). Both birds could be a little nippy but it was never a blood drawing bite. I never found the Goffins to be as loud, there were 2 macaws, a sun, a amazon, a pio and a grey. I would say the too's based on noise level were the 3rd quietest in the group.

 

[bygbyron3]

I'm glad you've done your research and know what the worst case scenario could be, that being said you really won't ever know what you'll get with a rehome without doing like a full psych evaluation and waiting for the 'honeymoon' period to be over. The vast majority of rehomes are great pets as long as there isn't serious abuse or neglect that occurred in the bird's past, and even then the bird can be rehabilitated but best not with four year olds poking it. I think it's a healthy fear you are experiencing given you're about to adopt such a complex animal capable of a lot of destruction and noise. I love the name Persephone by the way. Good luck!

 

[PersephonesMama]

I don't have children,so I don't have experience with raising kids and birds together. The only thing I would say is that you can teach your 4 year old about having a bird in the family-that a bird is a living creature and not a toy.
I think having kids and birds is not a bad thing,just a very large challenge, IMO....

A challenge I am definitely expecting, especially since I think he is very bonded to his owner. And I absolutely intend to teach our children about owning birds and safety precautions. I think with the little one just walking I will probably baby gate around the cage...

But my most immediate concern was just the negativity I came across online when people inquired about owning them, it was so harsh it almost comes off as if the bird community wants to scare you away! I just wanted some reassurance that Goffin Cockatoos are not as bad as people were making them out to seem. Because I really want to give this little guy a home, I have a ton more research and learning to do but I wanted to make sure the more knowledgeable crowd didn't think I was bonkers for thinking of bringing one in with small children around. While waiting for some responses I dug a little deeper into this forum and discovered that I am not the only one that has a larger bird with children! Which is a little more comforting.

 

[Sassyjaygrl]

I have a rose breasted too and 2 children 3 dogs, 4 cats, a hamster and another bird.

Diva can be nippy, she is 8 months old now, I brought her home in January, she is getting less nippy with everyone. She is very bonded to me. I was the first person at where I got her to not get eaten alive and for her to snuggle up to.

I work with her daily. She continues to get less nippy with everyone.

I work with animals every day not just my own though. I truely beleave the kids and animals belong together and that they can be taught to live in harmony together.

 

[PersephonesMama]

I'm glad you've done your research and know what the worst case scenario could be, that being said you really won't ever know what you'll get with a rehome without doing like a full psych evaluation and waiting for the 'honeymoon' period to be over. The vast majority of rehomes are great pets as long as there isn't serious abuse or neglect that occurred in the bird's past, and even then the bird can be rehabilitated but best not with four year olds poking it. I think it's a healthy fear you are experiencing given you're about to adopt such a complex animal capable of a lot of destruction and noise. I love the name Persephone by the way. Good luck!

Thank you! It's my daughters name


Those are big questions I want to ask when I get more replies back from the owner, I've made a list as to not forget anything. Ive read some horror stories of neglected birds and aggression

 

[PersephonesMama]

I have a rose breasted too and 2 children 3 dogs, 4 cats, a hamster and another bird.

Diva can be nippy, she is 8 months old now, I brought her home in January, she is getting less nippy with everyone. She is very bonded to me. I was the first person at where I got her to not get eaten alive and for her to snuggle up to.

I work with her daily. She continues to get less nippy with everyone.

I work with animals every day not just my own though. I truely beleave the kids and animals belong together and that they can be taught to live in harmony together.

how were your cats when you first brought your 'too home? Mine have never seen a bird...ever.

 

[JLcribber]

As long as your going into it with eyes wide open and without any preconceived notions you'll be fine. You have a healthy kind of scared which is well founded. They're a tough critter to look after. You have two children. You must have patience. You "are" going to be having another one. The reality is can you handle a kid that does not speak english meaning you need to do most of/all the learning and adapting. This bird is also going to need his own space just like anyone else your house. Much more space than you realize. Do you have the space and dedicated time to work with this bird. It will be about a year (at least) before he will reach the level of "family".

 

[PersephonesMama]

As long as your going into it with eyes wide open and without any preconceived notions you'll be fine. You have a healthy kind of scared which is well founded. They're a tough critter to look after. You have two children. You must have patience. You "are" going to be having another one. The reality is can you handle a kid that does not speak english meaning you need to do most of/all the learning and adapting. This bird is also going to need his own space just like anyone else your house. Much more space than you realize. Do you have the space and dedicated time to work with this bird. It will be about a year (at least) before he will reach the level of "family".

This was well put, thank you for your response. I read somewhere that a night time cage is healthy for them, I have an alcove in my bedroom that I thought would be perfect for that. As for space.... We're short on it... BUT I happen to have one of those rare talents where I can add more furniture to a room and some how make it look bigger, don't ask me how I do it... cause it surprises me every time! My biggest concern is that we are duplex for right, no near future plans on home owning because we like where we are at now and I'm not ready to commit to a home...at all... I'm really picky and theyre really not cheap.. My landlord adores us and already okayed a bird....but I don't think he knows that Cockatoos scream... I know there are some Goffins that don't scream all day if they are well entertained and not bored....but I can hear my neighbors when the house is quiet, they claim they can't hear us but even my landlord thinks they're just being polite.... I'm wondering if they might kill me in my sleep if I bring a G2 into my home.... Not that I really want to be make my neighbors happiness a determining factor but in the event that it was problem-some and the landlord asked us to remove him I think I would have to remove all of use with him, we're just not people that rehome pets easily, we get very attached....


So my next question, I know M2's are like jet engines some times.... Anyone have a Goffin and is apartment anchored? Or have a Goffin that never stops screaming and you can hear down the street?

 

[PersephonesMama]

Also wanted to chime in that I was hoping for large portion of day outside of cage activity but I'm concerned about my cats, especially since they are Rex's and can jump the height of my fridge, I know there will be an adjustment period as well for them but I'd like to have the G2 as socialized with use outside of cage as possible in the beginning so he doesn't get depressed..


Also concerning noise I'd like to add that were not the quietest neighbors to begin with anyways, the youngest screams....for attention....like a bird and the 4 year old screams when he throws fits, my cats wrestle and body slam each other into the floors and it sound slike grown men wrestling (im sure my neighbors love it) I have a loud mouth....my husbands pretty soft spoken....dont ask me how he fits in lol So if this G2 is not a 24/7 screecher... I don't think it would be too much of an issue

 

[moonchild]

I do not have a Goffins, but I do have a rose-breasted as well as cats. And I live in an apartment. My rosie is not what I would describe as loud, at all -- he only screams in short bouts when he's excited or frustrated and the volume is not terrible. Thankfully, he does not scream for attention. I know some Goffins can be screamers, and some are pretty quiet. It depends on the bird.
I have to lock the cats in the bedroom when Boris is out, because they will try to pounce as soon as he does anything "bird-like." Fluttering, flying, etc...it triggers their hunting instincts. Only my oldest cat is sweet and mellow enough to be around him. All in all, living with a cockatoo does not have to be the nightmare that some people would have you believe. It CAN be, but not necessarily. I know most too parronts here would tell you that they love life with their fids even if it can be a challenge at times.

 

[SallyQZ]

It's always tough to answer these types of questions because it can vary so much from bird to bird. If you're prepared for the worst case scenario, then you won't have any unpleasant surprises.

I don't think a Goffins has the beak strength to bite off a finger, but it will draw blood and possibly do tendon damage. I would never let a small child handle a cockatoo because they are impulsive birds and who knows what could happen? Also, a child could hurt the parrot by accident - simply not understanding how fragile a bird can be. Birds do get protective of their cages too. A bird that might not necessarily be nippy when be handled can be a very hard biting bird if someone sticks a finger inside a cage. My male rose breasted cockatoo will draw blood if you stick a finger in his cage. But open the door and stick your HAND inside, he'll happily step up and give kisses.

As for noise, I'd be very reluctant to recommend a cockatoo to anyone who is in a duplex. A happy cockatoo is a noisy cockatoo, and sometimes they just like to blow off steam at the weirdest hours of the day. What will happen if you get one, and he/she turns out to be extremely vocal, and your neighbors complain? Here is a video of a goffins screaming - how do you think your neighbors would deal with this on a regular basis during the day, possibly starting at sunrise?

Screaming goffin's cockatoo - YouTube

I don't want to be a downer about this, just want you to go into it with your eyes wide open. The less illusions you have about cockatoo ownership, the better.

 

[Mirantha]

Wow, I can't believe the timeliness of this post, because I am wrestling with the EXACT SAME question(s) tonight!! I will definitely be keeping an eye on this thread
I am also considering adding a rehomed Goffins Cockatoo to our family. My family also includes children (ages 8 and 11). And although I am a very, VERY experienced "animal person" (Zookeeper/Animal trainer) I am by no means a "parrot expert" and have also been somewhat put off by the EXTREME negativity surrounding cockatoo ownership.
There are (in my opinion) so many amazing things about these creatures, so many things that I feel will work VERY well with a cheerful, high-energy household... I love that they are medium sized (yup, they can cause some nasty damage but realistically not as much as an Umbrella or Moluccan), clownish, smart, highly interactive, sometimes cuddly, and basically just have the potential to be a full-fledged member of this fun & quirky family. I think I have the experience & compassion to deal with behavioral problems as they arise. I think (no, I KNOW) that I have raised my daughters to be respectful of animals (yep, of course I will supervise them anyway), and I keep reminding myself of all of the species of animals that I have successfully worked with/trained (up to & including great apes) ...
And YET ... I am still nervous about a cockatoo !! So believe me, I feel your pain, lol... There is a ton of negativity, and I am sure it is well-founded (!!), but I am thinking (like someone already said) if we go into it with eyes wide open, and with realistic expectations, that it *can* work, and work well. I sure HOPE so anyway, because I have 3 different Goffin's Cockatoos to look at/meet next week (all adults in desperate need of rehoming), and I highly suspect I will fall in love with at least one of them...
Sooooooooo... wish me luck, and I will wish YOU good luck, and maybe we can be online "New Rehomed Goffin Owners With Kids" buddies if it works out that way

 

[Ziggymon]

You also need to be prepared and be careful to have the cats locked away whenever the Goffins is out of the cage - Goffins are small enough that I would never have a Goffins and a cat in a room together. That's a challenge when you have little kids who won't fully understand how quickly tragedy can strike if one of the cats slips through a door.

 

[melissasparrots]

Short version, if your afraid of you or your child getting bit, don't get a bird.
Long version: I think it depends on what kind of mommy you are. If your one of those people with the mentality that says: If that bird bites my baby, it has to go. Then I would say don't get anything bigger than a cockatiel. And even then it will probably bite your baby at some point.

That said, goffin's are little stinkers but normally they are not as bad as the adult male umbrella and moluccan cockatoos. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by that sweet umbrella you met years ago. That was a snapshot moment in time. Mature birds all have their moments. I have a large sulfur crest and a goffins and have never been really severely bitten by either. However they are both girls and they have both bitten me and drawn blood.

A goffins would be bratty enough to land on your child and give them a good bite. Especially if it thought it was going to get a big drama reaction from it. Like you inefectually chasing it around trying to get it back to the cage after the bite and the kid screaming like crazy because it hurts. That senario would be a grand good time to a lot of cockatoos. Or, it would be trust destroying for both you and the bird and lead to fear reaction problems.

As a species, large parrots will learn to take advantage of your insecurities. My female cockatoos are mostly just a little sadistic with their sense of humor. Sometimes trying to catch me off guard and get me just for fun. Other species (like my amazons) are more aggressive about it. They will actively test you and if you fail the test, they'll just keep upping the aggression level until it gets out of control.

These are not domestic animals. You should not be envisioning that wonderful world family where everyone piles onto the couch and watches a movie while playing pass the snuggly bird. Of the cockatoos, a goffin's is probably one that is slightly more likely to work in this situation. But it can just as easily go the other way, where you end up having to keep the bird caged while the kids are out because it discovers its fun to dive bomb them and give a little nip and fly off again. In such situations, it can be made to work by taking the bird out after the kids going to bed. When the kids get older and better able to control their responses, then you can experiment with letting the bird out around them. Goffin's rarely give a really nasty bite, but it can bleed and hurt like heck.

Kids that are raised around bird and taught the proper way to handle them often become really good with animals. There is a certain way to be that they learn from being around exotics that they don't get from cats and dogs that are artificially bred to have personalities that please us. With parrots, its all about lowering your energy level, slowing your negative reactions and reflecting positive energy. Even when it hurts like he** and your bleeding. People that can do that, have birds that just bite once in a while and usually because your doing something to push your luck. People that can't control the energy they give off are more likely to have bitting or repetitive behavior problem birds. Kids that grow up with birds and see their parents demonstrate calm and steady behavior, learn that themselves. So its not like kids and parrots don't mix. It has more to do with how you handle the situation. They can be an outstanding combination to make for really great adults that really understand wildlife. On the other hand, if mommy is trying to make that ultimate utopia happen where everyone gets along and takes unnecessary chances with letting bird have access to baby's face, and then gets negative and angry when birdie bites the kids face, then your going to have problems. Its up to you.
Its up to you. And in case your thinking it, a macaw, amazon, eclectus or african grey won't necessarily be better. Its just that mytoos.com got everyone going about the cockatoos. Nobody published the website yet showing nasy amazon or african grey bites. I've seen some pretty nasty things from female eclectus bites and with macaws and the beak size...enough said. They can all do it. Its not just those nasy cockatoos.

 

[Vickiesbirds]

I have a three year old goffins named lily. I have owned many birds over the years and she is one of the best natured I have had. I purchased her from a small family owned pet store that only carries one parrot at a time. So she received TONS of attention as she was free to roam her play top in the store all day. She was exposed to children as well. She is absolutely not like what a cockatoo is stereotyped to be. Her moods are even, she is relatively quiet... My caiques make 10000 times the noise she does. Her worst behavior is throwing her birdseed on the floor, to be quite honest. She's very friendly and enjoys being touched and petted. Loves human contact in general, and from everyone in my family... Not just one person. I have two younger brothers aged 10 and 8 (I'm 20) and she does great with them. They handle her just as much as the adults in the household do. What I think you should know is that this CAN be a good experience. There's always bad stories. I think those are more to scare away those who haven't thought things through or done their research... But clearly you have educated yourself and are continuing to. I think a bird is great to consider... They make wonderful family members and live long lives.

 

[melissasparrots]

My cat has never been overly interested in my goffin's. I wouldn't trust her out in the same room with the birds unsupervised though. Some goffins think its great fun to attack dogs and cats. Mine seems to have a healthy respect for them. Although I can see the wheels spinning sometimes with my dog. She's thought about it, just never followed through. My cat was wet for most of the first week she was here. She got a stream from the spray bottle every time she remotely thought about swatting at or stalking a bird. I also don't leave her in the house with the birds very often when I'm gone. It wouldn't take much to slip a paw through inch wide bar spacing and scratch one.

For screaming, my goffin's screams intensively for about 10-20 minutes in the evening. When I first let her out she flys around like crazy screaming her head off. Then she calms down and is quiet again. Just know that you cannot go running to quiet the bird every time it screams. If you do that, you will train it to scream for attention and then your neighbors really will have a problem with you. You need to be in a living situation where its okay if the neighbors might hear the bird screaming for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a day. If that might be a problem, you are likely to alter your own behavior by jumping, worrying or trying to "handle it" in such a way that you accidentally reinforce screaming. It seems a cruel twist of fate that people in a living situation least able to handle a screaming cockatoo, are exactly the people that have a badly screaming cockatoo. On the other hand, people like me with their own house and a pretty high tolerance for noise...my big sulfur crest is the quietest bird in the house. I was just thinking this morning that she hasn't screamed at all for a few weeks that I've heard. My goffin's goes for hours without making any noise you would hear through the walls. Its just that when she gets going, its intense and she keeps it up for long enough a sensitive neighbor might complain. If you think you and your husband could have a 20 minute top of your lungs screaming fit at each other every night for months on end without anyone getting annoyed, then you're probably in good shape.

 

[Buckbeak]

I do not own a Goffin, but I work in a store that has a consignment policy and we will attempt to rehome birds for owners that cannot care for them any longer. That being said, we see MANY MANY cockatoos. Goffins are more popular, so we see a lot. It is about 50/50 on whether they are a screamer or not. I should make it a note that these birds that scream are usually coming from homes that were NOT good owners, while the ones that do not scream are coming from homes that have lost their incomes/original owner passed and the bird couldn't be kept in the family. How the bird is treated will speak volumes (literally!).

A screaming Goffin will make you want to go deaf. They have a horrible, agonizing screech when they want to.

A quiet Goffin will make you melt into a mushy-gushy pile of bird loving goop. They are cuddle bugs.

I realize this post has a bit of a terror aspect to it and I'm sorry! This is exactly what I would tell to anyone who was interested in buying a Goffin from the store.

 

[jaimmorr]

Hi! I have an 8 year old G2 named Ricco. I got him last year, so I don't have THAT much experience, but I'll tell you what I know.

mytoos.com is really directed toward the big 'toos, not the smaller ones. Not to say that the smaller ones are not work, they ARE. Just informing you.

I honestly believe that all the negativity towards Cockatoos (as well as pit bulls) is because they can easily fall into the WRONG type of persons' hands. They are are huge commitment and should not be taken lightly. (Which obviously, you aren't taking it lightly, I'm just explaining lol) I had the same reservations as you before getting Ricco.

I, personally, don't think that a Cockatoo is suitable for a home with children... But that's my opinion, and I don't know how your children behave or how the bird behaves. There are plenty of people that don't think a bird is suitable for a home with dogs, but mine are just fine. It all depends on the situation. But you really need to consider this: This bird is a LONG-TERM, LIFETIME commitment. It deserves better than to be shuffled around homes. So please remember that before agreeing to get the bird. No, a G2 probably won't be able to take off a finger, but they CAN and WILL bite. And it HURTS. I've never even been actually bitten by Ricco, only playful bites and they HURT. He took a chunk out of my grandma's arm for (apparently) no reason. (They always have a reason, it's just not always clear to us!) A child is not going to understand how to read the body language of a parrot, and they're not going to understand not to "fight back" if/when they get bitten. This could result in an injured child and/or an injured/dead bird. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just saying it's important to exercise extreme caution in this particular situation.

Ricco hates pretty much everything/one but me. He's a "one-person" bird. I live with my partner, and he tolerates her. He hated her for a long time, but they have finally reached an "agreement" lol. They just tolerate each other now. But he doesn't really like the dogs, he HATES the rabbit, and he HATES my rats. He hates all visitors that come into my house, with the exception of my brother and his roommate, which he tolerates, and my friend, Michael, whom he adores for some unknown reason lol. Other than that, he will lunge, bite, and/or ignore everyone else depending on the level of hatred he feels on that particular day.

I don't know about other G2s, but Ricco IS LOUD. He is ear-splittingly loud. Louder than a baby screaming. Louder than a child screeching. Louder than cats definitely. LOUD. He is not a "screamer" per say, as in he does not scream out of boredom. But he screams for every other reason. He screams when he wakes up. He screams when I leave the house. He used to scream when I left the room, but now that he is flighted, he just flies to me. He screams when he's happy. He screams when he's mad. He screams when he's playing. He screams when he's excited. He screams when a car goes by the window and startles him. He screams at the dogs if they're doing something "bad." I did LOTS of research before I got Ricco, and I still was not prepared for how loud he is. There is no video that does it justice! The only thing I can compare it to, maybe, is this: Hold a computer speaker right up to your ear and blast some metal music.

The next thing is that G2s need A LOT of attention and stimulation. They need one-on-one time. If you bring the bird home, and it is not getting one on one time, but your kids are, it's going to get jealous. No doubt about it. And when it gets jealous, hell will ensue, and it will not be pretty! Ricco is out of his cage at least 8 hours a day usually, if not more. And he has one-on-one play time and training time. He will also usually sit on my chest and preen for about an hour before bedtime. Which is the closest he ever gets to "cuddling!"

Which brings me to my next point... Cuddling. Don't expect this bird to be anything like the U2 you knew! I don't know if it's just Ricco or not, but he is NOT a cuddler. He doesn't want to cuddle at all, ever. Lol. Unlike my friend's U2 who wants to be babied and held ALL THE TIME. Ricco IS, however, a "velcro bird." He has to be on me all the time, no matter what I'm doing. On the toilet? He's there. In the shower? He's there. Doing dishes? He's there. Vacuuming, cleaning cages, letting the dogs out, folding laundry, on my computer, doing homework, reading a book, watching TV? He's. There. There is no escaping him! Especially since I keep him flighted. (Which is a very controversial topic, but IMHO, it's really important...)

Next point to consider: Expenses... I don't know how much money you have, nor am I going to ask (obviously!), but I will say this: Keeping a parrot is pretty expensive. Ricco's initial expenses were around $2,000. And he was a re-home, not a baby! By initial expenses I'm referring to: Cage, toys, perches, food, toys, miscellaneous purchases like shower perch, carrier, and harness, he himself, and the initial vet costs. Now, I'm not going to lie, I kind of went all-out when I got him lol. I stocked up on toys/perches heavily, I have a whole closet full almost! But still, you have to consider the initial costs as well as the monthly/yearly costs... Vet visits, food (not just seeds, but high-quality pellets AND fresh foods daily), new toys and perches (they shred them to bits in the blink of an eye!), etc.

Now, I'm not trying to talk you out of it, or scare you, or anything. These are just the facts that I have come to know in owning a G2. There are, of course, good points as well! He really is my best friend, the love of my life! He makes me laugh/smile when no one else can. The other day, I studied for an exam for 10 hours and then proceeded to completely fail it. I was REALLY upset about it. I came home, and my SO tried to console me, to no avail. Finally, I just sat down on the floor and got out a few foot toys for Ricco and played with him. Within seconds, he had me laughing so hard I was crying because he was trying to perch on a tiny foot toy and when it fell over, he'd get all angry and throw it angrily down onto the floor. It made me instantly happy again.

He is a huge goof-ball and loves to show off how hilarious he can be. He is also so sweet (to me, at least!) that he could give you a cavity He gives me kisses, and attempts to preen my hair for me. He dances his head off to music, and he sings at the top of his lungs to Disney songs (his favorite being Kiss The Girl ) He bounces up and down on his boing and yells "WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" He's a super fast learner, and he's learned (so far) a dozen words, to give a kiss on command, to bounce/dance on command, to spin, and to wave. He's also flight recall trained, which is fun and good exercise for him and me! We play games like hide and seek and tag. And all this really does make up for him screaming his head off when I'm trying to sleep in, or biting the heck out of my toe because I forgot to pick him up off the floor before I exited a room!

So... What I'm saying is this: THINK. Think long and think hard about this decision because it WILL impact your life. It may impact it for the better, it may impact it for the worse. Just make sure you are prepared for either. Good luck!