I am not a bird person.. I don't know what this bird wants!

So my dad moved this old lady into a retirement home and she asked him to find homes for her plethora of pets. His idea of finding a home was bringing them to live with us... sadly. We're now the not so happy owners of 2 skiddish cats who run every time they hear footsteps (they chill in the basement) so even if we found someone to give them to, there's no hope of ever catching them; 2 happy little parokeets (no problem there); and a LOUD screaming umbrella cockatoo... My dad forgot to ask some very important questions before he willing accepted this monstrosity into our home.. Like the age, sex, what it likes to eat, what it doesn't like to eat, general likes and dislikes... anything at all would probably have helped. WE KNOW NOTHING about this bird and it hates us all!!! Everytime you pass the door to the room we have it in, it starts swaying back and forth and hissing. I love animals. I'm good with animals.. I want to love him/her/it, but its IMPOSSIBLE!

I've looked online on how to get them to stop screaming and all the tips and suggestions are for a bird that knows and likes you. It seems to want attention, because whenever someone goes and looks at it when its screaming it stops, but it doesn't seem to like our presence.. it just does its little dance and hissing routine, so why is it screaming at the top of it's lungs??!?!? I got to the point where I was going to place a classified ad on a bird site and try to give it away for free, but I don't know who/where it would end up and I know at least its safe with us.

(I'm moving this to the questions and answers section, since it might be more appropriate..m)

Anyway, all rambling aside... can anyone help me attempt to get this bird to like at least one of us? I know it likes bananas so I try to feed it a banana through the bars so maybe it might get the hint that I'm not trying to hurt it. Nope. It flies to the other side of the cage and sways and hisses till I leave. I would just leave it alone if it wasn't for that awful squaking when my kitty and I are trying to sleep >_< HELP ME PLEASE!!!

Have you tried leaving the cage door open and talk to him/her? Sit by the cage and talk calmly. It takes time to get a bird to trust and love you. Read through the forums as there are a lot of helpful ways to deal with this type of situation.

Yes, we've tried opening the cage and talking calmly.. how often would we have to do this for it to show results? We're all kind of busy and can't really find the time to sit with him for for than 10-15 minutes at a time.

If that's the case I would suggest you to give the bird up for adoption. They need more then 15 min of your time to get adjusted. Not trying to be mean about it but they need time and lots of patience. You have to make sacrifices to make it work. I think it would be for the best interest for the bird to go to someone that can give'em that kind of care. Good luck!

I don't take offense at all... The plan was never to keep him, we just don't know who to give it to

Where are you located at? Perhaps find someone in this forum that's interested in adopting in your area? Just make sure the new home is suitable and have experience with Cockatoos.

Massachusetts

Im sure there's someone on here that's in your area that can care for this baby! Don't just give him to anyone!!!

I second Mikey in that it might be a good idea for you to rehome the bird. You can place an ad on here or on sites like craigslist. However, please do not post the bird for free on craigslist. There are all kinds of people on that site who do not have the animals best intentions at heart. I suggest you put that there will be a rehoming fee and if you do not feel comfortable taking money for a bird you got for free you can always donate the money to a rescue in your area.

Kudos to you for trying and realizing that you may not be the best forever home for this bird. Is it possible to talk to the previous owner about the birds likes/dislikes before rehoming him?

How do I make sure he's going to a good home? I'd hate to send him off to someone who doesn't have good intentions >_<

Also, is $50 too much to ask for the rehoming fee? I'll probably donate it to the second chance shelter that took in my sick kitty when I could no longer afford to give her the medical treatment she needed

I never thought of this before, but would a shelter be a possible option? They'd probably have a better chance of finding a good home, wouldn't they?

Perhaps, but sometimes they can be in there for a long time. Most shelters don't give them the care they need. Cockatoos are very sensitive to change! IF you look for a bird rescue center near by you, that's a better choice! Have you looked into your local zoo?

jennamew said:

Also, is $50 too much to ask for the rehoming fee? I'll probably donate it to the second chance shelter that took in my sick kitty when I could no longer afford to give her the medical treatment she needed

Click to expand...

I do not think that $50 is too much at all, especially for a cockatoo. You do not want to give him away for free because he might end up with someone who doesn't know how much time and dedication he deserves. Until you find a good home for him, you need to be patient with him in order for him to start liking you. He is probably very upset from leaving his previous owner and needs time to adjust. Hope everything works out well. Good luck!

I suggest you contact an avain vet as ask these questions. Often, one of their customers would take in the bird.

massachusetts avian veterinarians