I am very very very very unlucky.
why?, because i decided i want a big ol' cockatoo.
I cannot make this part of me go away no matter how many times i hear about how they're "nightmare birds", "the worst pet" and a lot more, the main reason why is because...
a lot of the statements i hear are very very generalized, to the point of seeming like hyperbole
"Cockatoos scream for HOURS on end"
Don't they need 4 ish hours of undivided attention? during which they don't seem to be screaming at all?, most fits i see are minutes long, and they are not awake for a long enough time to be "literally" screaming for "hours"
"You won't have any nice things left"
I know they have strong beaks, but does that really mean NOTHING will EVER be safe?, it seems like this again an exaggeration, i doubt that a cockatoo will destroy things that are safely kept away from it
Another reason is the sheer amount of inconsistent advice i hear, there are so many examples i could list but it's generally very difficult for me to find completely identical answers to the same question, some people are very calm about owning a cockatoo and treat it like no issue, and others will post about how miserable their life is because of their owning of one, and that's not even getting into behavioural tendencies and general care guides, it seems like cockatoos are very inconsistent?, as in some birds aren't particularly fiendish.
I just really want a comprehensive understanding of what taking care of these birds is like, the minimums and maximums WITHOUT any exaggeration please, negative or otherwise, i want to know how long i can leave it alone (You will NEVER travel again vs You can just let someone take care of it for a week), their behaviour (screaming as stated above), and literally any other thing about owning a cockatoo!!!
P.S I am thinking of getting a Moluccan, Triton or Umbrella Cockatoo.
why?, because i decided i want a big ol' cockatoo.
I cannot make this part of me go away no matter how many times i hear about how they're "nightmare birds", "the worst pet" and a lot more, the main reason why is because...
a lot of the statements i hear are very very generalized, to the point of seeming like hyperbole
"Cockatoos scream for HOURS on end"
Don't they need 4 ish hours of undivided attention? during which they don't seem to be screaming at all?, most fits i see are minutes long, and they are not awake for a long enough time to be "literally" screaming for "hours"
"You won't have any nice things left"
I know they have strong beaks, but does that really mean NOTHING will EVER be safe?, it seems like this again an exaggeration, i doubt that a cockatoo will destroy things that are safely kept away from it
Another reason is the sheer amount of inconsistent advice i hear, there are so many examples i could list but it's generally very difficult for me to find completely identical answers to the same question, some people are very calm about owning a cockatoo and treat it like no issue, and others will post about how miserable their life is because of their owning of one, and that's not even getting into behavioural tendencies and general care guides, it seems like cockatoos are very inconsistent?, as in some birds aren't particularly fiendish.
I just really want a comprehensive understanding of what taking care of these birds is like, the minimums and maximums WITHOUT any exaggeration please, negative or otherwise, i want to know how long i can leave it alone (You will NEVER travel again vs You can just let someone take care of it for a week), their behaviour (screaming as stated above), and literally any other thing about owning a cockatoo!!!
P.S I am thinking of getting a Moluccan, Triton or Umbrella Cockatoo.