How to Care for a Cockatoo
Before deciding to get a cockatoo as a pet, know what you are in for. The bird, which originates from Australia and its surrounding islands, can live more than 40 years. It is a loving, curious, intelligent and active pet that requires a lot of attention, interaction and affection. If you ignore it, the bird can display bad behavior and form bad habits such as plucking his feathers and uncontrollable screaming. To keep your cockatoo healthy and happy, provide it with the proper care and attention.
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Things You'll Need
- Cage
- Cage paper
- Perches
- Seeds and pellets
- Fruit and vegetables
- Cheese
- Bird toys
- Shower head
Instructions
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Find an appropriate place in your house for your cockatoo. Choose a location near a window that is exposed to sunlight and also offers sufficient shade in which the cockatoo can cool down. Pick a room that is often frequented by the family because cockatoos are social animals and enjoy a lot of attention. Position the cage at eye-level and away from drafts.
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Provide a cage for your cockatoo. Look for the largest cage you can fit; the larger, the better. A small cockatoo, such as the Goffin, can be happy in a small cage that measures 3 feet in width, depth and height. Measure three wingspans of your bird to get an estimate of how large the cage should be. The cage must have horizontal bars for the bird to climb, a snap closure and a grated bottom so bird droppings fall in the tray below the cage. Line the dropping tray with cage paper to make clean up easier.
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Place perches of different izes in your bird's cage so it can sit on them and exercise its feet. Keep the perches away from the bird's food and water so these don't get soiled with bird droppings.
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Hang fresh chlorine-free water in your cockatoo's cage every day. Feed it seeds and pellets and offer it a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Include pieces of seedless pear and apple, and give your bird broccoli, peppers and lettuce. Remove left over fruit and vegetables after 24 hours. Offer your cockatoo hard boiled egg pieces or bits of cheese as an occasional treat.
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Provide bird toys for your cockatoo. A new toy can keep it busy the entire day and will also keep it from getting bored and mischievous.
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Replace the soiled cage paper twice a week and wash dirty perches and toys weekly. Give the cage one overall cleaning per month. Scrub and wash the cage thoroughly to remove droppings, feather dust and spilled food.
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Shower your cockatoo once or twice a week to keep it clean and eliminate excess powder. Hold a handheld shower head over the bird and allow the water to come out in a similar fashion as the rain, because cockatoos enjoy showering in the rain. Wash the bird early in the day so it has the remainder of the day to dry its feathers.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider getting two cockatoos because one will demand a lot of your attention and time. Two cockatoos will keep each other company.
References
- Photo Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
