A woman purchased him at a flea market. She already owned a cockatiel and thought it would be cool to also own a cockatoo. After all, how much extra work could a too be than a tiel? (If you're thinking about getting a too, you must visit MyToos to see exactly how a too is different! Beware -- cockatoo screams start up when you go to that website, so be careful if you're at work!)
Less than a week later, she surrendered Scooter to us, after he bit her, and she realized that perhaps she'd bitten off more than she could chew. Cockatoos are wild animals and are not suitable companions for most homes.
We placed Scooter in a home, but his new owner started showing allergies and couldn't keep him. They tried selling him on craigslist. However, our adoption contract clearly states that any bird adopted from us must be returned if he can't be kept. We try very hard to place birds in homes where they can stay for the rest of their life; however, we know that isn't always possible due to changing circumstances. For that reason, we insist that all birds be returned to us so that we can do screening of homes and try to find the best home possible -- to try to stop the cycle of these parrots being sold from home to home.
To make a long story short, Scooter is back at the Center and once again looking for a new home. He hopes that this time, he'll be lucky and find someone who will take good care of him for the rest of his life!
3 comments:
Hello!
I've been doing a lot of research about lesser sulphur crested cockatoos, and I think that Scooter is gorgeous!!! :D
My name is Emma and I'm 13, and I own a lovebird, Sherbert, which I adopted from you (a.k.a., Tuffy)
I'm curious about Scooter, about how he acts, and I also like Lola and Lucky, your other cockatoos.
I'm not really sure about adopting him, and since I'm only 13, I don't have a lot of money, but I'm willing to save up!!!
This comment is just saying, I'm curious about Scooter, Lola, and Lucky, your cockatoos, and I think they would make wonderful pets. Are they all tame? Would you recommend them for a second time bird owner? Thanks!!!
(P.S. I've been on www.MyToos.com)
xxEmma :D
Can you please answer my first post?
Thanks!!!
Emma :D
If you've read mytoos, you know that cockatoos do not make wonderful pets. They are wild animals and suffer greatly in captivity. The best we can hope to do is provide a good captive living situation for them. Even in a good, loving home, cockatoos can bite, scream, attack, pluck their feathers, or exhibit many other "problem behaviors" -- because they belong in the wild and not our living rooms.
Cockatoos also have a life span that is close to that of a human. With good genes, diet, environment, and luck, a cockatoo can live to be 60+ years old. Because of these factors, we cannot adopt cockatoos out to children. At 13, you have many life experiences yet in front of you and, no matter how big your heart, are not in a position to provide a stable home environment. Every year we get several birds surrendered to us that had been purchased for a child. When that child graduates from high school and goes off to college, joins the service, or gets an apartment that doesn't allow pets, the bird is given up.
Parrots are creatures of habit. Every time they must adapt to a new home, it can affect their ability to trust, and make it a little more difficult for the next time. Our goal is to place them in a home where they can live out their lives. We realize that you may have the best of intentions, but 13 is too young to make that kind of lifetime commitment.
We admire your enthusiasm, and you are always welcome to visit the Center. With a parent's permission, you could also volunteer, by helping to clean cages or change foods and waters.
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