How did you end up with a cockatoo?

[Nancy B]

So there are 2 Fred's!!

Yup my Fred is a Galah, or Rose breasted cockatoo

 

[Trent T.]

I have had my Cockatoo for about a month now. I initially went to the pet store with hopes of getting an African Grey as I was highly interested in the Grey’s strong vocabulary. However, at the store we met a surrendered Goffin Cockatoo by the name of Maggie. She was 21 years old and was surrendered as her previous owner had passed away and her family was unable to take care of her. My SO fell in love with Maggie almost immediately and wanted her really bad. At first I was unsure as I had not done research on cockatoos yet, so I went home and did some research and felt that a Cockatoo would be a good fit for us personality-wise. From there we went back to the store on three separate occasions to see her to get a feel for her personality, and then we brought her home.
Sadly, she was not taken care of all too well. Upon a vet visit with an aviary vet, we found that she was being fed the wrong food and was in a cage much too small for her. Since then we have upgraded and got her a large cage, put her on better food, and play with her daily. She is very friendly and absolutely loves to cuddle. When she’s not cuddling she spends most of her day on top of her cage on her perch yelling “hello” every time someone walks by the cage.
I was initially a bit iffy about a Cockatoo based on what I’d read about them being non-stop screamers, but now that I have her I wouldn’t trade her for the world

 

[BirdEE]

He's so handsome!

...reminds me of Milton...before his plucking started...

Thank you!

As cockatoo owners sometimes we gotta deal with that unfortunately. Some do it obsessively no matter their situation. Some can come from the worst homes and still not do it. I read something awhile back that I totally agree with. It said that all cockatoos are individuals when it comes to plucking. Some are just willing to take more crap before they start doing it. I honestly think mine is just willing to put up with a lot before pluking. Because he spent years without a home that loved him. And going weeks at a time without coming out of his cage. Heck, That would have caused me to start pluking! But he never did. As he spends more and more years with us though, time will tell. As you do, Milton, we will always love him regardless .

Handsome boy

Awesome pic, he is very cute!

Thank you both


These are all great stories by the way! Cockatoos seem to be a bird people more times than not have a story about how they acquired. They’re not like the smaller ones usually where people see a colorful bird in the pet store and just decide to buy it. That happens sometimes with cockatoos, and that’s unfortunately usually how we all end up with them. From typically well intentioned owners that realized they couldn’t handle a screaming fluff ball with an attitude for the rest of their life.

 

[lexalayne]

I was in a pet store buying crickets for my 6 year old son’s blue tongued skink and the next thing I knew there was a beautiful umbrella cockatoo on my shoulder saying I LOVE YOU ! I was hooked immediately and she was my first large bird and she was 12. I had 4 young children who were terrified of her because she chased them trying to amputate their toes. Now she and my then 6 year old son (now 24) are the best of friends.

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

my first bird was a g2 a bad plucker from a member the bird club who was going to put him to sleep if I did not take him in his name was Fred until he responded to Percy his choice because he was so loud I bought him a house later I got Little General and Anna after my stroke I rehomed all but Percy there was a rule no loud noises after 10 by this time I had Percy 15 years I could not afford the fines so Percy had to go

 

[macawpower58]

I've had Sweden (Goffin) over 23 years now. My first bird. I went for a cockatiel baby that was advertised. The breeder was feeding when I got there and thrust a small feathered cloud into my arms and said 'Hold her a moment'. She went and brought out the Tiel baby for me to see. That cloud was a 3 month old Goffin Too.

LOL You can all guess what happened, my $80 dollar Tiel, became a $800 dollar Too baby.

I have never regretted that impulse buy, though I pay for it daily!

 

[FlyingMacaws]

I had gone to my local bird supply store for my weekly food supply run when I heard a “Hey You, Come here” and that is when I met Cotton for the first time. After two months of seeing her in her tiny cockatiel cage and her condition just getting worse and worse my husband pulled out the card and swiped her $1,000 dollar hostage fee.
She has cost us (plus some) of her initial hostage fee on vet bills. Trying to figure out why she looked like a vulture and getting her weight back up to normal. And though she has without a doubt still loves me more than anyone else, my husband adores and puts up with her antics. She is such a love bug and such a comic. We just love her.

 

[Fia Baby]

I love reading these stories. They just go to show that impulse buys don't necessarily end in heart break - nor does poor planning, lack of knowledge, etc. Sometimes great relationships develop...

 

[Wthensler]

We got Miss Coco as a baby from Bird Paradise in NJ. We weren’t experienced enough to realize how many rescues are available. She’s been with us 9 years.

Ummm, a little bit spoiled, but otherwise a good girl. And she’s got a gourmet addiction.

 

[Wthensler]

 

[HolliDaze]

I took college zookeeping classes while I was a junior and senior in highschool. I already had a cockatiel, who I loved dearly. My teacher used to own a bird rescue, and one of the subjects we learned about (spent about 4 months on) was bird husbandry. She and I got along great. I sat in the front of the class during this time, discussing things with her. Towards the end of the year, I told her I wanted to buy an African grey. She knew me well by this point, and insisted I'd be able to handle a 'too. After my graduation, my grandfather (now passed) gave me $5,000, which I used to buy Dexter.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

View attachment 292938

Shes adorable, i can tell shes a happy loved part of the family / flock.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

We got Miss Coco as a baby from Bird Paradise in NJ. We weren’t experienced enough to realize how many rescues are available. She’s been with us 9 years.

Ummm, a little bit spoiled, but otherwise a good girl. And she’s got a gourmet addiction. View attachment 292937

I had a "CoCo" Moluccan Cockatoo . He was my first Cockatoo. I miss him everyday. He went to Rainbow Bridge 18 years ago.

 

[BirdEE]

I love reading these stories. They just go to show that impulse buys don't necessarily end in heart break - nor does poor planning, lack of knowledge, etc. Sometimes great relationships develop...

So good hearing those stories!

 

[klcarr892]

I raised tiels and lovebirds in high school but had to find homes for them when I went to college.

About 6 months after graduation, I was with my dad at his friend’s pet store when a couple came in trying to “trade up” their little too for a larger parrot.

When my dad’s friend refused they for some reason opened the carrier door and she flew toward the woman who then backhanded the poor scared too into a fish tank.

I’m usually a quiet person but I freaked and offered them $400 if they let me take her home. Next thing I know, I’m going to the bank and taking out most of my savings. Edith and I are BFF’s to this day.

 

[Sylvester]

I raised tiels and lovebirds in high school but had to find homes for them when I went to college.

About 6 months after graduation, I was with my dad at his friend’s pet store when a couple came in trying to “trade up” their little too for a larger parrot.

When my dad’s friend refused they for some reason opened the carrier door and she flew toward the woman who then backhanded the poor scared too into a fish tank.

I’m usually a quiet person but I freaked and offered them $400 if they let me take her home. Next thing I know, I’m going to the bank and taking out most of my savings. Edith and I are BFF’s to this day.

Wow, why in the world would she do something like that. Edith was so lucky that you were there. You two were meant to be together.

 

[faislaq]

A few months after our beloved green cheek conure was taken by a hawk, hubby and I began looking for another bird who would help us begin to heal the hole in our hearts. We adopted our macaw Buzzard, but he began to bond with me instead of us which wasn't fair because Pistachio had been our bird. I was healing, hubby was not. So we began searching for any species of bird as long as that individual preferred men. (That proved to be a more daunting task that we thought!) After almost a year of searching a woman contacted me about our ad on CL. She and her husband had a well-loved goffin they were unable to spend enough time with so they were looking to rehome her. She assured me she was a man's bird so we went to meet her. She was 100% infatuated with my husband; preening him and dancing for him then hopping across the sofa to nip me then right back to him for more flirting! It was instantly clear to all of us that they were very good together. They brought her and her cages, etc to us that weekend, and hubby and the brat have been inseparable since. There is no doubt that she is his heart bird and no matter how much she pesters me all day, I wouldn't change it. Watching the two of them together is so amazing.

Skipper was nothing but cuddles and Chaos

What a great way of putting it!

But I made a promise to Zyda to be her only home for all her years. I had to keep going.

And I'm so glad you kept your promise!

As my boyfriend and I got ready to leave that day, I remarked about how cute I thought Beaker was

I checked back through your posts -she's beautiful.

When I arrived, her and one of the pet store workers were chasing Reggiei around as he hopped around on top of all the cages the had for sale yelling, “Step up! Step up!” gleefully!

his name was Fred until he responded to Percy his choice

Thank you for saving Percy, though I'm still so sorry that you had to rehome him. I cannot imagine how hard it still is. It isn't fair.

The breeder was feeding when I got there and thrust a small feathered cloud into my arms and said 'Hold her a moment'. She went and brought out the Tiel baby for me to see. That cloud was a 3 month old Goffin Too.

Oh my, I just searched "3 month old goffin". What an adorable little fluff!