Why yes, I am new here~

[Reetno]

I figured I might as well try and join a parrot based forum since I think I could use advice before making the big plunge into the world of large birds...

I've only have budgies up until now, but I've always thought about getting a Cockatoo and now I think I might just be able to.

I have been researching near nonstop of a week now looking at all kinds of sites that have info on cockatoos(good and bad), or more so about Umbrellas since that is the breed I'm looking at.
I'm home all day long and I am looking for an evening/night based job, so even though I'm gone it will be when the bird is asleep.
I do have cats and one is a tad clingy to me, but only when I'm on the computer so I'm not sure if that could cause jealousy issues, though I'm sure that the cats wouldn't be a problem to the bird because I've had birds for a long time and trained my cats not to even go near cages. That doesn't mean I wouldn't watch them like a hawk though, lol...

I'm not going to be rushing out to get one, I most likely won't be able to get one much before 6 months to a year so I have plenty of time to learn all I need to learn and get everything that is needed together. I know this is a lifetime commitment and being that I'm only 25(in March) I have a lot of years still left that I can devote.

So if there are any cockatoo owners here that could shower me with some experienced wisdom I would definitely appreciate it~

Subjects I think I could know more about:
Training
Dangers I should look out for
Signs of illness
(and I'm sure there are other things, but my brain isn't bringing them up. So anything you think I should know would be great.)

~Amber

 

[jew1187]

Welcome to the forum. There is an abundance of knowledge you will be able to learn from these people. They are great, and all absolutely love their fids as you will find from their posts. Good luck on your venture with your U2. But just so you know, this is even a great forum for your little guys.

 

[Chris Winkler]

Matt has said it very well!

to the forum.. I don't have any experience with U2's but several members here do and will be here before long.

Until then you can use the search link (located in that blue bar towards the top of your page.) to find out some of the things you are thinking about..

Cockatoos - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community here is the too section of the forum. Asking there will help draw the attention of U2 owners also. In the mean time grab a chair

and read away!

 

[Reetno]

Thanks for the welcome, and I have been having fun reading around the forums so far and already have gained some insight on some things I was wondering about and will most likely be posting a more in-depth thread asking about U2s soon, lol...

 

[mtdoramike]

Welcome to the forums. First off, hwre do you live? If in an apartment or if you live fairly close to other people, a COCKATOO ain't for you. They are noisy birds. When I say noisy, go to Youtube and check out videos of Cockatoo's before you commit. These birds can live for 50+ years. So make very, very, very sure that you have the patience, to tollerate screaming, sqwauking like you have never heard before. Also, Too's as with most parrots require at the very least, 2-4 hours of bonding time as well as activities to keep the happy.

You usually will not know your bird is sick until it's too late. Birds in the wild don't show sickness because if they do, they get eaten first, so they hide it for as long as they can. If you bird starts acting different than before is the time to take them to the vet.

I'm not trying to scare you off, but research the various breeds of parrots before you make a bad mistake. Believe me, go to the pet section on Craigslist and you will see tons and tons of BAD MISTAKES that people have made due to knee jerk reactions, impulsive buying and lack of knowledge before hand.

Good luck, with which ever way you go. But please educate yourself and make the right choice the first time and realize this could very well be a LIFETIME commitment.

 

[Reetno]

Well like I said, I'm not going to be getting one for nearly a year so I have plenty of time to learn about them.

Where I live I have many animal loving neighbors and a few have loud parrots. I'm sure my closest neighbor won't mind it(too much) and I'm going to be telling her anyways because we do live in a townhouse, but I've also been reading and watching videos on how to train cockatoos to not screech as much. I know every one is different and I'm prepared for that(I hope).

Like I had also said in my first post; I'm home all day long so I have more then enough time to spend with the bird and I also think that it would really benefit me since I get pretty lonely during the day... cats are all in good, but there is NOTHING like bird love.

I know how old they can live for and I'm prepared for that commitment. I just hope I don't get the same heartache like I did with my last budgie though... she decided after all that time we spent together that she didn't like me anymore and started attacking me...

I also know that it is a VERY big step going from being a little bird owner to a big bird owner and that is the reason why I'm giving myself enough time to do my research and won't get one until I'm confident that I know all of what I need to know.

Now also on why I'm looking at a U2... after reading up on near every parrot I could find info on I found that even with the cons that come with U2s it seems to fit 'me' as a companion bird more then any other I've read about or interacted with.

But thank you for voicing your concerns on that~ But trust me, I've looked up sites that tell all the horror stories as well as ones that tell the nice stories on U2s~

 

[MikeyTN]

I love my cockatoo. Have you read about powder dust? They're very dusty birds. You should meet people who has them and be around them to make sure your not allergic to them. You can read about them all you want but the only way to really know is to be around one. You need to make sure your not allergic to them. Too many people get them then to find out they're allergic to them.

 

[Reetno]

Yes... I have read about the dust(and have seen it first hand when I interacted with some cockatoos) and though I do have dust allergies(normal dust/cat dander(not bad at all)) I think with a good cleaning routine I should be able to keep it down to a manageable level.
I just hope it could be possible to train a cockatoo to not be afraid of a hand vac...

 

[MikeyTN]

Your asking for it with the hand vac! No way they would like it!!! It doesn't matter how much you clean, its NOT gonna prevent powder dust. Its something they have naturally like cockatiels and african greys. That's why you need to be around them a lot to really know. Otherwise they are not the bird for you. I've picked up 4 Cockatiels and re-homed 2 because the original owners were very allergic to the powder dust.

 

[Reetno]

lol... well it's not like I would use it ON them... just around the cage~ and I know it won't prevent the dust... it's something that will always be like it is with my one cat and her never ending shedding(Really... I can brush her for an hour and she'd still have fur coming off of her without any sighs of losing any) but with enough diligence one can make anything less of a problem~

I'm sure you keep a clean house right? You'd need to keep all that bird dust down after all...

(edit)
I would however like to have some more hands-on experience before getting one, however I don't know anyone where I live that have cockatoos or anyone that knows anyone that has one... about really the only time I've had hands-on with a cockatoo is when at a petstore that has one...

 

[MikeyTN]

Cats and Dogs sheds constantly, I know what you mean by never ending brushing....I deal with that everyday. We vacuum EVERYDAY! With my daily work load, it's pretty high....I don't mind it cause we love them... The 2 cats tracks kitty litter everywhere, scoop 2 litter box daily, Fresh food and water for everyone, twice a week I make water with RO/DI filter system for my saltwater fish tank and for the animals, twice a week saltwater reef tank water change, play with the birds and give them treats, give dogs and cats treats, work all day, summer garden work, cage cleaning, freshwater tank cleaning, I raise plants specialize in African Violets, and much much more. I keep all the birds in the same room unless a new comer comes along. That keeps dust down from the rest of the house in which that made the cleaning easier. That's why I don't sleep much at night catching up on stuffs to finish. When I'm on here giving advice to others is usually on my free time at work or in the middle of the night before bedtime. We devoted most of our times and money with the animals to keep them healthy and happy. So just understand what you are getting yourself into before you do. Some of my co-workers and my boss don't understand why I spent so much of my pay on my animals and willing to purchase a expensive aviary for my birds while I won't spend that type of money on myself. Birds are NOT like cats or dogs, they need special treatment! I have spent sleepless nights checking on my macaw throughout the night when he was hurt, then work all day 12hr shift then do it all over again. Before I got my Cockatoo over 5 years ago, I knew about them already back when I used to breed other types of parrots. So I was quite ready to have one, sometimes you have to deal with issues you get tag along with the Cockatoo. She was a plucker and was on a seed diet. You must understand how to deal with those type of issues. I got most of her plucking issues done pretty good, she only chews up tips of her crown so when she raise them you could see the tips are chewed off which is better then plucking them out, her chest was naked and rest of her feathers in bad shape and now only a tiny bit of feather that never grew back. She looks darn good after I took her in. IF your thinking about having kids, think about the birds feelings too, don't stick them somewhere where the lights don't shine, which is what happened to my Cockatoo, stuck in a basement in the laundry room just because they have kids that's why she plucked and have issues. Cockatoo's feelings are very sensitive, that's why you must find someone with one and understand them, seeing one at the pet shop is nothing like having one in a person's home.

 

[mtdoramike]

lol... well it's not like I would use it ON them... just around the cage~ and I know it won't prevent the dust... it's something that will always be like it is with my one cat and her never ending shedding(Really... I can brush her for an hour and she'd still have fur coming off of her without any sighs of losing any) but with enough diligence one can make anything less of a problem~

I'm sure you keep a clean house right? You'd need to keep all that bird dust down after all...

(edit)
I would however like to have some more hands-on experience before getting one, however I don't know anyone where I live that have cockatoos or anyone that knows anyone that has one... about really the only time I've had hands-on with a cockatoo is when at a petstore that has one...

Great idea, you have plenty of time. But if you know you have dust allergies going in, I think you will be in for a whole lot of heartache in the future. There are other breeds of birds that don't have dust issues like my Senegal, which is smaller, but just as much a parrot as bigger birds and I must say a lot quieter as well. He's actaully quieter than most Cockatiels I used to raise.

I hope I didn't offend you with my previous comments. But to me, I wished every potential parrot owner were more responsible amd do some research before jumping feet first into something they know little about. I applaud for taking parrot ownership seriously and researching all you can. This site has a wealth of information and a world of experienced parrot owners just waiting to help out.

Mike

 

[Reetno]

@MikeyTN: I know what you're getting at... at one time I had two budgies, 6 rabbits, a rat, three cats and two tanks of fish... so I know that whole cleaning routine you got there, lol... and I also sympathize with the money thing as well... people without pets always think people like us are crazy with how we spend more money on animals then ourselves.
Right now I have 5 cats(two decided they liked it here and never left) one rabbit and two tanks of snails~
But I have done my research, and I still think even with all the issues that may come a U2 is the bird for me... but like I also said, I'm not getting one until I know I can handle it. I'm going to be talking to my vet about it as well since he does work with birds, and see if he could refer me to an avian spe******t.
I know there is no substitute for hands-on training and I'd love it if there was someone where I live, or some place that could give me that, but there isn't, so the only thing I can to is research and make sure I have all the bases covered and know what to do if a problem arises... and I know what is like to have sensitive feelings and I'm not afraid to admit that I also know what it's like to want to mutilate yourself because of it... and I don't plan on having children...


@mtdoramike: Well as long as I clean at least every week I don't have problems with the dust, fur and dander. They aren't noticeable unless we don't clean for over that... So I really only notice when it is really bad... like I can see the dust everywhere bad... but then again everyone would end up having allergies to dust if it was that bad, lol...
And you didn't offend me~ I know you guys are just trying to let me know what I'm in for because you care more about the animal's well being~ The only way I would give the bird up(no matter how sick I might get) would be if they decided they didn't like me anymore... I know then it would only benefit them to find someone they would rather be with... but I hope that doesn't happen again... I don't think I could take the heartache of being rejected by a bird I loved again...
That's really the only thing that's making me have second thoughts about it...