A day in the life of a 'too owner?

[PaperLantern]

Hello again!

I just posted last night about possibly fostering an Umbrella 'too until I can find her a good home. I feel like I may be biting off a bit more than I can chew, but as of right now, it looks like I might take her.

So I want to ask everyone here who owns a 'too...whether it be Umbrella, Muloccan, or Goffin. What is life like with a 'too? From morning to night? Pro's and con's!

 

[Mare Miller]

Pros; I have a life and it is my bird. Cons; my life is my bird! I read your post to my kids who are visiting me at the moment and that was their response, they crack me up!

I live with an umbrella cockatoo and my husband. I do have a very full life and Amigo is definitely part of it! He's very intelligent, expressive, loves to be where the action is. After waking in the morning, I bring him to his living room cage, where I feed him his favorite morning foods. We interact for an hour or two, then outside he goes, weather permitting. I free flight him. He's very concerned about who is in his territory at ALL times. He comes in to the house for company, food and water although he can also find food and water in his outside cage. If there's any kind of action in the yard, he's all over it, just to supervise. I love my bird but the bummer is, I'm the only one that can handle him. Everyone else has been bit hard enough that they have a hard time getting too close to him.

 

[NuttyFeathers]

I just posted a reply on your other post but I feel the need to answer this too (my blog is totally dedicated to life with a 'too, just started but more to come every day)

Let's start with the bright side. She makes us laugh, hourly, constantly. She lights up our lives, forces us to wake up early and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Having her encourages good eating habits all around the house. We tidy up and put things away more religiously because she's a goffins, and HIGH energy so she gets into everything. I stay home all day, she provides me with incredible companionship. She is affectionate, and always willing to return a cuddle. My partner loves her so much he emails from work to see how she's doing, shows "Dancing" (Cockatoos are great dancers) videos to coworkers and brags about her intelligence. As a professional animal trainer she keeps me on my toes, keeps me thinking and helps me grow at the same time.

The cons? We live in a large detached house. My neighbors can hear her. I don't just mean her tantrums (those are LOUDER), but just joyful "LIFE IS WONDERFUL" screams. When she sings along to mustang Sally... when the dogs make her laugh (she has the worst laugh in the world, and we love it). Worst of all, she HATES bed time with a burning passion. Some nights I can't sleep until almost 2am, and it gets better... because she decides it's time to get up around 8:30am. She can deliver a crushing bite, and is DESTRUCTO BIRD. I make her toys (tutorials on blog and some other sites as well), so it's not SO expensive but it's costly. When we have company over, we can't "hush" her. Infact she gets louder, and I know it makes guests uncomfortable. If she gets on the shoulder of a "new guy" (she loves men), she can hold them hostage for hours refusing to get off. She's messy, and it takes a couple hours of my time in total just cleaning, offering toys and feeding her. Vacations are almost impossible, it's really hard to find someone we trust who is willing. Plucking is an issue with these guys and while she's improved I'm ALWAYS watchful. It really is like having a child, she is equal amounts of work to BOTH dogs, BOTH cats, Elwood, and our SEVEN bearded dragons. I spend just as much time with her as I do with them... combined. Including the work hours I do with my dogs.

Is she worth it? For me, ABSOLUTELY. I'm going on to specialize in Parrot Behavior, working with animals in my life. She's a rescue, so she's a little bit of extra work. The bird you're looking at is double if not triple. I have a single love bird as well... and after getting her, his maintenance seems on par with watering plants. Cockatoos are my LOVE, luckily my partner is enthralled. In his opinion, when all the other animals pass away... he'll miss them, but he doesn't need more dogs or cats or reptiles. What does he want? SAVE THE BIRDS! More time for MORE BIRDS! And we wouldn't have it any other way. You really have to consider what's right for you, keep in mind my bird is half or even a third the work and commitment your is and remember ALL of this when you're looking for a new home. Most importantly, read, read, read. Check out All About Cockatoos - MyToos.com these guys are SERIOUS about 'toos, know their stuff and tell it like it is. You can get some AMAZING help on that board and while they may seem harsh, it's tough and much needed love for these incredible creatures.

Best wishes!