Hello!

[SenecasSlave]

Hi! I recently took in a rescue Cockatoo (on Saturday) who is a bad feather plucker. He is about 41yo and was with his first family about 38 yrs when they decided to move and dumped him. A nice lady with several other parrots took him, but he has SEVERE separation anxiety and needs to be with someone all the time. I work at a vet clinic and my vet is more than happy for him to come to work with me. So far it seems as if he is settling in nicely. I still have him in a smaller cage for traveling until he adjust to the bustle of his new home. I do wildlife rehab, but this is my first non raptor large bird. Any help or advice would be great. I am providing shredding toys and busy stuff for him. And he is eating Kaytee Fiesta (what she was feeding) and Zupreem Pure Fun. He desperately needs a nail and beak trim. I am a little hesitant to let him on me until he does. His beak is sharp and those toe nails are deadly! He is scheduled to have that on Wednesday. Anything I need to adjust or helpful hints? I will post a pic of Seneca when I figure that part out, lol!

 

[Squeekmouse]

Welcome welcome!! Thank you so much for rescuing Seneca!! He's so lucky to have landed with you. Sounds like you are already off to a great start with the love and interest in his well-being.

Here's a few threads with great info:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
Regarding his diet, it would be great to add some fresh veggies to his diet. Pellets are a much better choice than the seed mix (Kaytee Fiesta), but not all pellets are created equal. I recommend avoiding ones with artificial colors and flavors, the colors can make it hard to tell if he is sick or if his poop just looks funky because of the rainbow colored pellets. Personally, I love Harrison's for my guys. Another helpful link: https://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/using-our-foods/large-bird-conversion/

Good luck!

 

[SenecasSlave]

Oh, that was extremely helpful! I will start changing his diet as soon as I get the pellets in! He LOVES peanuts, but I had read that those are really not a good treat for 'toos, so I am going to start working on something else to motivate him. And I LOVE the idea of clicker training!