Alumni story: Fred

Meet Fred, a beautiful Moluccan Cockatoo. It is very rare to see an adult fully feathered Moluccan Cockatoo in captivity, as they are among the parrots that suffer most in our homes. Though Fred was hatched in captivity, he didn't really have any exposure to humans until he was 8 years old. We suspect this might be the reason he is so well-adjusted now.Fred was adopted by a very patient woman who allowed him to come to her on his own. As stated above, he wasn't used to people, but he learned to trust his new owner. Soon, an amazing transformation took place as an incredible bond formed.

Fred had an adventurous summer several years ago. His owner was bringing him here for a nail and wing trim. She placed him in the carrier she always used. Being a cockatoo, Fred had steadily enlarged the holes in the plastic of the carrier and escaped through them while being brought to the car!

Fred ended up spending over a month outside, flying around the trees in Milwaukee. His owner never gave up hope and, with the help of friends and neighbors, managed to get him back. The vet bills necessary to bring him back to health after his escape totaled over $2,000! But he is back to perfect health now.

He serves as a reminder about how important to make sure your bird is safely contained while outside. His story had a happy ending, but not all do.

Fred was recently boarding here while his owner was on vacation. He is very mechanically inclined and managed to escape out of several different cages, despite our best efforts at rigging up a Fred-proof cage. Finally, we found a cage that could contain him. His owner told us that he has escaped from his cage at home on occasion as well!
As always, if you're thinking about adding a cockatoo to your house (not Fred -- he's got a home!) , please visit mytoos. As always, if you're going there at work, be aware that cockatoo noises will start while you're on the welcome page.