• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

How long can a Large 'Too be left alone per day?

Is my situation okay for a cockatoo?


  • Total voters
    38

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,968
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
You guys are too much man. I suggest a snake, some species of which are possibly the lowest maintenance pets on earth, and I get flack (completely ridiculous) and somebody else suggests a rat, which actually needs companionship, and everyone's like "ooh a rat yesss"

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Let's all get off our high horses and have some common sense.

What are you guys going to come up with next? That scorpions crave human companionship?



Im rolling my eyes right now. What's out in left field is the wack-job reactions I'm getting to suggesting (obviously to everyone but you guys) much lower maintenance pets.

If you guys honestly think that a snake or a fish or a tarantula needs the level of companionship and dedication that a cockatoo does you're delusional to the extreme. And you're projecting your own emotions onto emotionless (except for fear. All animals experience fear) animals. You guys know that reptiles abandon their young and will eat them the next time they see them in many cases because they don't even recognize their own proginy right? Really intelligent animals.


This seems like really not the thread for this. It's derailing the thread completely. Realize that a couple of people disagreed with you, and the people who disagreed with you did not turn around and agree with the rat. In fact, only one person agreed.

There is no need to fling insults due to difference of opinion.

And not being maternal doesn't mean they are stupid.
 

Just-passn-thru

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/13/16
Messages
5,546
Location
Southern California
Real Name
Suzanne
You guys are too much man. I suggest a snake, some species of which are possibly the lowest maintenance pets on earth, and I get flack (completely ridiculous) and somebody else suggests a rat, which actually needs companionship, and everyone's like "ooh a rat yesss"

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Let's all get off our high horses and have some common sense.

What are you guys going to come up with next? That scorpions crave human companionship?



Im rolling my eyes right now. What's out in left field is the wack-job reactions I'm getting to suggesting (obviously to everyone but you guys) much lower maintenance pets.

If you guys honestly think that a snake or a fish or a tarantula needs the level of companionship and dedication that a cockatoo does you're delusional to the extreme. And you're projecting your own emotions onto emotionless (except for fear. All animals experience fear) animals. You guys know that reptiles abandon their young and will eat them the next time they see them in many cases because they don't even recognize their own proginy right? Really intelligent animals.
Birds eat their offspring too! They also throw them out of the nest .it's the matainence involved that is the issue here .
 

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
You guys are too much man. I suggest a snake, some species of which are possibly the lowest maintenance pets on earth, and I get flack (completely ridiculous) and somebody else suggests a rat, which actually needs companionship, and everyone's like "ooh a rat yesss"

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Let's all get off our high horses and have some common sense.

What are you guys going to come up with next? That scorpions crave human companionship?



Im rolling my eyes right now. What's out in left field is the wack-job reactions I'm getting to suggesting (obviously to everyone but you guys) much lower maintenance pets.

If you guys honestly think that a snake or a fish or a tarantula needs the level of companionship and dedication that a cockatoo does you're delusional to the extreme. And you're projecting your own emotions onto emotionless (except for fear. All animals experience fear) animals. You guys know that reptiles abandon their young and will eat them the next time they see them in many cases because they don't even recognize their own proginy right? Really intelligent animals.
There is no need to call names or get all upset ...I have a special place for reptiles and when some one has no idea about them and offers them up as a second choice because they are "easier" to look after I have to say something ...no one should get into any exotic with out research even a lil corn snake deserves research and human contact not 80 sec of a persons time ... some people on here say get a kitten or a dog instead of a bird and I have an issue with that as well no animal should be an instead of ..they all deserve to be 1st choice and researched before a person gets one ...an instead of animal or an animal bought as an impulse buy normally ends up in the system thats just how most people are ....:(

I say if you want a bird and are capable of keeping a bird in all ways then get a bird and stay away from the instead of animals ... ;)
 
Last edited:

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
Please don't take this the wrong way but I'm honestly a bit confused. In previous posts from a couple of months ago you said you were in your early teens and were being homeschooled - and now you're in your early twenties, live with roommates and their pets, and have a job? Are two people using the same account?
Yes, I had thought this also @GabeCast ?
 

theocnoob

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
739
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Pablo and George
There is no need to call names or get all upset ...I have a special place for reptiles and when some one has no idea about them and offers them up as a second choice because they are "easier" to look after I have to say something ...no one should get into any exotic with out research even a lil corn snake deserves research and human contact not 80 sec of a persons time ... some people on here say get a kitten or a dog instead of a bird and I have an issue with that as well no animal should be an instead of ..they all deserve to be 1st choice and researched before a person gets one ...an instead of animal or an animal bought as an impulse buy normally ends up in the system thats just how most people are ....:(

I say if you want a bird and are capable of keeping a bird in all ways then get a bird and stay away from the instead of animals ... ;)
Snakes have no desire for human contact, or, in most cases, contact with other snakes. You are projecting your own emotions onto emotionless animals. Please find me one article by an actual herpetologist where the need for human contact is mentioned. This is ridiculous.
 

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
Snakes have no desire for human contact, or, in most cases, contact with other snakes. You are projecting your own emotions onto emotionless animals. Please find me one article by an actual herpetologist where the need for human contact is mentioned. This is ridiculous.
Not trying to derail this thread anymore ... but I dont have to find you anything my 25 plus years of experience shows me that in most cases reptiles like contact with their care giver ..Im not projecting my own emotions ....when you have worked with 95 different species of reptiles for as long as I have maybe you will see that they are not mindless animals but animals that require allot more than 80 sec of contact to thrive ...now can we get back to what the OP started this thread about ...;)
 

Motherof'tiels

Strolling the yard
Joined
6/4/17
Messages
112
Thinking about this more... you should NOT get a cockatoo. They are ear splitting loud, so expensive and they will ruin your social life. If you want a bird that will suite you look at going to a local adoption center or rescue with birds and look around and hang around them. I adopted my tiel since he really enjoyed me and was curious. You can learn the parrots personality before you adopt.
 

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
I've read this whole thread, I'm gonna be completely honest here,,,NO! No bird, no snake, no rat, no nothing right now. Your young and still don't know what your future holds. WAIT untill your settled on your own to get a pet, of any kind, the roommate thing, the other dogs and cats thing,,, scares the bejezzus outta me. Meanwhile, if you have the time,,, volunteer at a wildlife rescue or a dog and cat rescue, or even..most importantly, a bird rescue..trust me honey, you will see good and bad things that you couldn't possibly have dreamed of. Being said that, while you volunteer, you will love, hurt, cry,,but you will also be making a beautiful huge difference in an animals life. And while you do this, you will learn what you really want in a pet,, who knows? You may find your special Dog,, Kittie, or bird on your ventures. I wish you only good things!
:hug8:
 

lupe

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/18/12
Messages
8,422
Location
S.Florida
Real Name
Lupe
Hi Gabe!....I brought my Elvis home in Oct. of 2012. He was roughly 8 months old and I had zero large parrot experience. I was 53 yrs old, lived in a rental apartment and had a stable job.

Through a tough trial and error we have established a comfortable routine. Thing is Gabe, I since have had to make extreme sacrifices in order to keep Elvis. My life really changed! The expense, the mess, the destruction , the time needed to invest is exhausting and overwhelming at times. Not to mention the loud factor. Nothing prepares you for this other than the real thing.

Don't complicate your life hon! We are really just trying to avoid a situation where you would fall in love (cause you will!) with the bird and things don't work you will get your heart broken and yet another cockatoo recycle begins.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey hon!:hug8:
 

janicedyh

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/24/16
Messages
1,821
Real Name
Janice
"emotionless"? So you really thing birds are "emotionless?
 

Bokkapooh

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/18/09
Messages
25,464
Location
Pacific Northwest
Real Name
Mercedez
Snakes have no desire for human contact, or, in most cases, contact with other snakes. You are projecting your own emotions onto emotionless animals. Please find me one article by an actual herpetologist where the need for human contact is mentioned. This is ridiculous.
My snakes enjoy human contact. We've had them their entire lives (or just about) and are familiar with us and our handling.

Most herp people will also tell you that there are things yet discovered about reptiles. Their psychological statusand emotional state when in certain circumstances is yet truly understood.
 

theocnoob

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
739
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Pablo and George
"emotionless"? So you really thing birds are "emotionless?
Obviously not. Read what I wrote. But I do think most reptiles are emotionless... other than a fight or flight response. They may have a sense of comfort or familiarity but they are not capable of feeling love or friendship IMO. Birds are the opposite.

"My snakes enjoy human contact. We've had them their entire lives (or just about) and are familiar with us and our handling."


Snakes enjoy the opportunity to get out and explore, and they like being on people because we are giant heat sources. They're not thinking "Hey it's my friend Jeff, I like Jeff". When you take a snake out of its enclosure it's not thinking "Hi Mom! Let's hang out!"... rather it is instinctively appreciative of the opportunity to explore and the fact that you are a giant heat rock. I don't think that any animal that is born/hatches knowing everything it'll ever need to know can be considered intelligent, emotional, etc.

At best a snake will smell you and it's brain will say "I know this smell, this giant heat rock is not going to eat me". It's not thinking "I love this person. Let's hang out"

I'd like to say I'm sorry if I have offended anybody with my opinions on reptile minds. I did not intend to hurt anybody's feelings by disagreeing with your views on what reptiles think or feel. We are all passionate about animals here, and I have never mistreated my animals. My snakes got lots of human contact and exercise and were kept in huge enclosures and I never kept them in containers in racks. I just have differing opinions on their mental and emotional capacity. That doesnt make me a bad person, and I'm very sorry if I have offended any of you. If I have I apologize 100x over. That was not my intent. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, nor do I want to insult your pet reptiles or your experiences with reptiles. :)

I fully admit the possibility that my perceptions have been wrong all these years, but I, and most herpetologists, do not feel that these snakes emote to the extent expressed by some people in this thread. I hope that nobody feels like my disagreeing with them was meant as an attack or disrespect in any ways.

Sadly I had to find new homes for my reptiles when I was financially destitute some years ago and forced to move in with my grandparents. My grandmother refused to allow the reptiles into her home, so if I had not re-homed them I would have been on the street and completely unable to care for these creatures. This was years before George hatched.
 
Last edited:

janicedyh

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/24/16
Messages
1,821
Real Name
Janice
I guess I read your post wrong and was not connected the two statements. My opinion is that all living creatures have emotions. Just because they can't communicate them to us doesn't mean they don't exist. You asked for opinions and a lot of people have given them...its up to you to make it part of your decision process or not. Defensiveness is not helpful.
 

Ribbit21

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
6/20/11
Messages
2,879
Location
Minooka, IL
Real Name
Keri
Completely ignoring other posts, I would say think about YOUR situation, what you are looking for in a small companion and pick the species that works best for YOU. There are no starter/easier animals. Reptiles, birds, and other small animals all have their own requirements and difficulties and emotional needs. If your initial research led you too a cockatoo, then perhaps do some more research about cockatiels. Perhaps look into fostering or volunteering at a rescue. People can be quick to judge young people and their lifestyles. I play video games (although I don't consider myself young LOL) and about half the time I either have a bird on my shoulder, a cat in my lap, or even a hamster crawling around in my hair. Not all at the same time though LOL. They all offer companionship, just in different ways.
 

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
Ehhh sorry :o: I think I just got a little excited about pet rats and forgot that the OP might not have the time to tame and keep one. I wasn't against any of the reptile/amphibian/arachnid suggestions.
 

AvianCrew

Sprinting down the street
Joined
10/17/16
Messages
383
Location
California
Real Name
michelle
Top