I want a cockatoo!!!

Okay so I was trying to convince my parents to sell my African Grey because she (Nike) is the devil incarnate. They don't want to part with her. So in total I have 3 pets (not including my brothers): an Orange Winged Amazon, the Grey, and a Black Lab.

I love my amazon, butttt I always wanted a cockatoo!! I am ready to dish out the money to buy a huge cage and a baby umbrella cockatoo from a breeder. My grey has it's own room and I can easily put another cage in there. My problem is that my parents think that we have too many animals and the cockatoo will require too much attention that we cannot give it.

Do cockatoo's really require that much more attention than grey's or amazons? I know they are social birds, but my family takes our birds out in the morning for breakfast to eat, during lunch if someone is home, atleast 5 times during the day (we have 2 purches in the kitchen and upstairs where they rest), and at night they sit on my dad's shoulders while we eat dinner (and they eat too on their special plate or from his); its quite humerous.

Anyway, what I am trying to get at is that we are always interacting with our birds when we can. During the school year there might be 5 hours when no one is home, will this pose a problem for a cockatoo? Do they really need constant attention?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post. I really want to build solid points as to why a 3rd bird wont be a problem in my house.

They demand attention really bad!!! I, when i went to check out a breeder for eckies, she had the cutest Galah cockatoo and i just wanted to take it home. She breeds them aswell and they are extremely entertaining, but very demanding. She talked me out of getting one.

Please go to a breeder, if they just want to sell the baby to you dont take it. Usually they should explain all the pros and cons of owning these stunning birds and often they would discourage about taking one home.

If they dont get enough attention they tend to become either screamers or feather pluckers. So be very carefull when oobtaining a too. I would myself wanted these stunning birds, but then i would have to be at home more often.

Do your homework, thats all i can say, i love toos and it seems like you do have enough time for it. But please do more homework on these stunning birds, they do have special needs.

I've got 5 birds, 5 guinea pigs and 2 dogs!!! And they are all mine, my mom also always go on that i have too much but i take care of all of them! GOOD LUCK!

Hey, thanks for your reply. I am definately going to start doing some research. I am fascinated by umbrella cockatoos. I will talk to my breeder that I got my other 2 birds from.

thanks

I am so glad that your parents have decided to keep Nike. If ever I can be of any help you can always email me.

Anyway back to the Too. (I feel a mother moment coming on..... Sorry)

Please think very carefully.

Yes they are pretty, yes they are awesome, but yes they need a lot of attention and while you have the time now, what happens when you decide to move out of home, and are working and want to spend evenings out with mates. What about the time you baby Too becomes hormonal? I know a lady who has had her Too for about 13 years, but this year in his hormonal stage he took a real big chunk out of her leg. These are all the things that need to be thought about and thought about carefully. For the time being forget about all the good points, and try to find out about all the bad points, All birds have them its all part of their personality, just like us humans.

If your Too should turn into a screamer, chances are that when he starts it will start all 3 of them off. Thats what usually happens here and I have 10 of them, its really ear piercing. Anyway please think very carefully and find out everything, even things that MAY happen. Let us know how you get on. Please.

lets just say that although every too i have been around has been great - they are what helped me learn to be comfortable around big birds - I've been glad when I could hand him back to is owner all the time think like it's haveing a 2-5 year old want ton be with you all the time right on you no personal space at all as opposed to some of the other birds who are like a 7-9 year old who like a little of their own dependence but still need you. ( just an analogie LOL)

Cockatoos are great but They are very demanding.so make sure you think long and hard and ask lots of quetions.good luck.

hey guys,

thanks a lot for your comments. unfortunately, i've decided against getting a cockatoo . I will be getting another bird, maybe a double yellow

Its better in the long run. Good luck and keep us updated, we also want pics!!!

Thanks for all your comments. I agree with eclectica, its better this way.

here is something i found on youtube, check it out...haha

[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=RA3do8epMJo&mode=related&search="]http://youtube.com/watch?v=RA3do8epMJo&mode=related&search=[/ame]

I agree, Toos can be alot of work from what I hear. Me, Me, Me, all the time; and LOUD!

They also have lots of featherdust, bleh.

I'm so glad that you've decided against it for the time being. A few years from now, you can have another think about things. Never give up on your dreams, and if owning a Too is a dream of yours then one day you will have one. Good luck on the DY

I have an umbrella and cant even imagine having another bird. There is only so much bird love in me and he takes 110% of it.