Timothy - A Mollucan Cockatoo

A WORD OF WARNING: COCKATOOS ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE!!! PLEASE VISIT http://www.mytoos.com BEFORE YOU BUY A TOO!

Doo bee doo bee doo ... I'm a cockatoo!!

Timothy is our newest member of the flock and is around 10 years old. He had lived in a pet store for at least 5 years. The owner would tell anyone who asked that he was already sold, so eventually, people stopped asking. In the summer, he would be wheeled to the curbside to attract customers, often staying out in the 110*F heat all day, with just seed and a little water in his cage. He had no toys and no freedom to roam, always stuck in his round filligreed pig iron cage. When he was in the store, he was always hidden between the front door, which was propped open, and the puppy cages. It was hard to look at him because of all the stuff that was piled around his cage.The owner looked at him as a commodity, not a living being. Remarkably, Timothy never became phobic and never started plucking. He did learn how to scream and make a multitude of dog sounds, which he delights in making at full volume!

One day, I noticed that the shop had changed ownership. I immediately went in to see what had happened to this creature and all the other birds that the previous owner would never sell ( 3 Blue and Gold Macaws, 1 Scarlet macaw, 1 Green wing macaw, 1 Quaker parrot, and 1 Goffins Cockatoo) All of them looked bored and malnourished. Their cages looked like they hadn't been cleaned in months with 3 inch piles of doo-doo caked on the floor. The new owner had managed to change their diets, adding fresh vegies and fruit and a few pellets, but hadn't had enough time to upgrade the cages, yet. I asked about the M2 in the corner, she said he was now for sale. It took a few weeks, but with the help of my sister, (who had always wanted one of these majestic pink clowns) we finally succeeded in giving him the home he always needed.

Poor Timothy didn't know what hit him! First stop was the Vet and a full work-up. Riding in a carrier and a car was a new experience for him and he DIDN'T like it! He moaned and rocked back and forth and whispered "bad kitty", over and over. It's about a 40 mile trip to the Avian Vet. He calmed down about halfway there. He thought it would be a good idea to investigate the carrier. Here's a tip, folks: Never use a plastic carrier to transport a bird that has enough beak power to break bones! I noticed he was WAY too quiet, so I pulled over to the side of the road to see what he was doing. He had the back of the door locking mechanism in his beak and was merrily shredding it to bits! I panicked! I held his beak for the rest of the trip. He regurgitated all of the fresh food we had given him that day and I was sure he had eaten some of the plastic and would require surgery to remove it. We rushed into the vet's office and I explained what had happened. He was examined while I waited for him to poop and tried to piece together the bits of plastic. Thankfully, they were all there. We got his nails trimmed and the blood work started and headed home.

He came home to a large 5 ft high x 3 ft deep x 4 ft wide cage, filled with toys, food, and different sized perches. Over the next few weeks, we taught him how to step up, play with toys, eat healthier, and play in places other than his cage. We are teaching him songs and words and what he can and can't chew on. He still thinks the baseboards look good, but he's learning that we'll give him plenty of wood to chip and toys to destroy. He gets snuggles , playtime away from his cage, fresh food and water, every day. He goes outside, under supervision, but not all day, like he used to, and we take him inside for a cool drink every half hour. He's learning how to fit into his new flock and seems happier.

Now the down side. Mollucan Cockatoos are one of the largest birds kept in captivity. Their beaks can break bones, hard plastic and woods, and dent hard steel. Below is a picture of an accidental bite, one that was not intended. If he had really been trying to bite me, I have no doubt he could have taken the whole finger. This wound took two months to heal. PLEASE, consider if you have enough patience not to punish a bird that can do this to you, BEFORE you buy.

UPDATE: In May, 2002, Timothy went to live with a person who works at the local zoo. It's hoped that by letting him live there, he will have a better chance to breed, which is all he ever wanted, anyway, except for his beloved wood to chew. We decided this was the best option for him as he was becoming increasingly harder to manage and the breeder was looking for a wild-caught male to breed. We get information on him from time to time about his progress. He's happy and he's got a girlfriend!