 Hello my snippers, my name is Marlene McCohen, this is Picasso, my mustache parakeet, and this is Jersey, my umbrella cockatoo. Once again, my subject of the day. Do you see how she won't even look at the camera like she'd rather have her head down? Yeah, and then she cries about it like she's a little angel, right? Today, we're going to talk about what it's like to own an umbrella cockatoo. If you really want to know what it's like having a cockatoo, I think there's one saying that says it best. It's like having an emotionally unstable pint-sized dictator with the uncanny ability to know just how far to push you towards insanity before turning into a little lovable cuddle monster. Yes, that's what it's like owning a cockatoo. If you don't know what I'm talking about, imagine owning three toddlers. I love Jersey. I love her so much. You guys know that. I love cuddling with her. I love playing with her. I love her dancing, and I'm not going to make this a video about why you should not get a cockatoo, but I will make that video for you guys and I'm going to tell you why. Because owning a cockatoo is so much work. If you have a full-time job or you're not home a lot, or even if you have other birds, I wouldn't recommend owning a cockatoo. That's not just because it's difficult. That's because it's not really fair on the bird. To have a bird like Jersey, you got to have a lot of time, a lot of patience, and a lot of love. You got to dedicate yourself to a routine where you wake the bird up on time. You feed the bird on time. You give them lots of activities. When the bird is done with their activity, you're ready to give them another one. You have lots of different activities around the house. Sure, do they sing and dance and play? Yes, it's so much fun. I love it. You guys know I love singing to Jersey, watching her dance. We make up songs together, right, baby? She plays hide and seek. It really is a lot of fun. Now imagine for a second you have a toddler to babysit. Have you guys ever babysat? And you have about four hours. The parents are going out. So you have to have a focused attention on that toddler, or you're feeling like you really aren't doing your job. Good thing is, after that job, you can go home and not have to worry about the kid again, right? Or maybe if you have your own kid, you can send them off to school. You can get them engaged with other kids and activities. With a cockatoo, you cannot. You have to be there for this bird all the time. You can't get a bird and keep him in the cage. A lot of times there are so many problems with cockatoos and people returning cockatoos and having so many different owners, because they realized that the bird was so cute in the store, and they saw them on YouTube, and they thought it was going to be the most fun, cute thing, a great companion for their child. And then they have all these complaints. The bird screams all day, I just can't take the noise. I'm going to get evicted and my landlord. These are the things that can happen when you have a cockatoo. And I know that I'm telling you a lot of the negative stuff, but I'm doing that because if you're watching this video, it might mean that you don't have a cockatoo and you're wondering about it. And the best thing I can do for birds in this world is warn you against something that you're going to abandon, right? Because these birds, they get so sensitive if they're abandoned or if anything has changed, you know? They resort to negative behaviors like plucking or screaming. But let's talk about what it's like to live with Jersey, because you guys probably know a lot about her, but it's so interesting how birds are. They all have their own personalities. But just because I'm saying that they all have their own personalities doesn't mean that you're going to get the one angel. It doesn't work that way. You have to put a lot of work into a bird. You have to think to yourself, do I want a kid right now? If you don't want a kid, you definitely don't want a bird because a bird will never grow up and will live for like 55 plus years. So if you think you can do 18 years and done, it doesn't work that way. And of course, if you're really doing great studying on birds, read up about parrot hormones or watch my videos on parrot hormonal behavior. You'll realize that there's these hormone times that birds go through and it can be very, very difficult for you and very stressful on the bird. So back to what it's like having Jersey. Jersey is a really sweet bird with the cutest little heart. She's a lot of fun to play with and she's a lot of fun to hang out with. It's really fun to watch movies with her and to cuddle and spend time with her and play games with her. I love to give her different blocks. She likes to put two things together. It's very interesting. Jersey likes routine, but she has no idea that she likes routine. Those of you who know about Jersey, you know that she has some anxieties and you know that she often resorts to plucking. I think she's gotten a lot better, but still she is a plucker. So the thing about Jersey is she does really well on a routine, but she's just like a child. She has FOMO. So even though she needs to go to bed at the same time every night, or you can see her building up anxiety, when you put her to bed, she screams her head off because she doesn't want to go to bed. She has FOMO. So we have to make sure that nobody is downstairs and that we all go upstairs and that it's very quiet for Jersey. These are just some lifestyle changes that you'd have to make. If you think your bird's going to be in the living room hanging out with you and then you'll put it to bed whenever you want, you can't do that. You have to establish a routine. The way you establish a routine with a child that has to go to school and has to go to their baseball game and has to go to their art class. That's how it has to be with birds. When do they wake up? When do they get fed? And I don't just mean like the food in their bowl. When are you going to make them something special? Their lunch? What about their dinner? They have to have certain things that you're making for them, certain vegetables, certain fruits. You have to be aware of what you're giving them in their diet. And you have to be prepared for a scream that is so loud it might put your nerves on edge. Even the most patient person can get on edge with the sound of a cockatoo's voice when they want something. Now on a different subject, you guys know I say that you can keep your birds fairly quiet if you're giving them what it is that they need or if you are really in tune with them. I have a pretty quiet household, but if you didn't grow up with birds and you don't know every single thing that your bird wants, it can be really unnerving because it's a mystery to figure out what it is that your bird needs at that time, right? So that's what it's like having a cockatoo. Then you have their intricate personality. Well, you know about Jersey, right? When she sees a man walk into the house that she doesn't know, she flirts with him and she says hi. And that's so cute, right? It's the cutest thing. If they're not scared of birds, they love it. If they are scared of birds and they don't accept her advances, then she wants to bite you. She wants to completely attack the guy. So I have to say pet her really quick or she's going to get upset. How do I even know that? How do I know that my bird has a five second window before she starts to attack you because you did not respond to her advances? These are all things that you're going to be spending your days and your time figuring out. Jersey left, so Picasso left and figuring those things out has to become a priority because if you don't, you're going to have guests being bit. You're going to get bit yourself. You're going to have a screaming bird. You're going to have an unhappy bird. So these are the mysteries that you're going to have to deal with all day just to prevent accidents from happening. Now let's talk about biting. I want to say that Jersey doesn't really bite. I haven't really got bitten by Jersey. Most people haven't got bitten by Jersey, but it does happen. She's never drawn blood on anybody, but she can get really mad like the video where she chases around Jenna's boyfriend. That's another thing. Having a cockatoo is like having a jealous girlfriend in the relationship 100% of the time. What if you have a significant other and the bird doesn't like it? What if you don't like your significant other falling in love with the bird and then the bird doesn't love you? These are all things that you would never even consider before you get a cockatoo. Nobody tells you about this. Let's face it. Most of us are used to having dogs and cats. I know my dogs are not this much work. They want to go inside. They want to go outside, take them for a walk, and that's how I deal with my dogs. Do my dogs communicate with me? Of course they communicate with me in so many different ways, but they don't have the complex emotions that a bird has. They don't have, oh my God, the picture is moved a little bit to the left and now it bothers me. Let me scream until you figure it out. They don't have, oh, the TV is on or the dishwasher is making a noise, so let me try to match it like it's my flock. Try to figure out why I'm screaming. You have to be a detective with a bird. Now if you've had birds, you'll know this, but I also think that if you do have birds, a cockatoo is not a good addition to the family. I think cockatoos do best when they're the only bird in the house. It's kind of like they need to be the center of attention. And then of course, if you watch my video on the pecking order, those are other factors that go into having any bird, but especially cockatoos. What is their pecking order? When you come home, did you greet bird number one first? Is your cockatoo bird number one? If my sister comes home and greets the dogs first, Jersey's not going to talk to her. Jersey is not going to let Jenna touch her if Jenna goes to the dogs first. And Jenna's first instinct is always to go to the dogs first because they run up to her. And I always say, let the dogs run up to you when you're in the hallway. Don't let Jersey see it. But Jenna makes so much excitement about the dogs and then Jersey's seeing it and she's looking and she's thinking, oh my God, I thought she was loyal to me. This is how birds think. These are the mental emotions that you have to deal with if you want a cockatoo. Do you still want a cockatoo? There's so many cute cockatoo videos. You'll come home and the cockatoo will be excited to see you and it will greet you or maybe it won't because now it's mad at you. Maybe it will bite you. Our cockatoo, Ty, bites my brother. Every time my brother goes away for a few days and comes back. No, Ty was not alone. Ty was with the rest of the family. But if my brother goes on vacation and comes back, Ty is angry about it. I don't live with them. So whenever I go back and see Ty and I haven't been there for a while, Ty bites me. It's like his thing. Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a while. You're my family. Now I'm going to bite you. These are things you may have to deal with if you get a cockatoo. Can you get the perfect bird? Probably not. One thing I will say when it's all said and done is that I think umbrella cockatoos, which is what Jersey is, have some of the best temperaments out of all of the cockatoos. Jersey is a lot calmer than Ty. And for whatever reason, Jersey is not as loud as Ty. Jersey has a lot of quiet behaviors for a cockatoo compared to other cockatoos. So it's pretty interesting. I did get lucky in that way. When Jersey wants something, she runs back and forth like she's doing right now. She's saying, mom, I want to get out of here. I want to see what's downstairs because someone just walked in downstairs. So you're always going to be conscious of what your bird is doing and what your bird needs. Here's another thing that's important to note. If you already have a bird, you'll know this. But if you don't have a cockatoo, you don't know how serious this can get. You probably know already that birds have to see you all of the time. That means that you can't just go hang out in another room and work or go watch TV while your bird sits and waits for you. Oh, no. The bird is going to scream the house down until you include the bird in every single thing that you do. Jersey showers with everybody in this house at different times. If she hears the shower and somebody didn't bring her, she's going to throw a Jersey tantrum and scream the entire house down. I'm telling you all these little tidbits because it's important that you know all the possibilities of things that can happen. And if you do have a cockatoo and you're struggling, these ideas might give you some of your own ideas on what it is that your bird is having a problem with. Now, can you have an amazing, loving relationship with your bird? Of course you can. On the good side, parrots give you so much that I feel you can't get out of so many animals. I really do. I love... I would be happy without Jersey in my life, but that's me. I grew up with birds and I'm used to it and I have the patience to deal with it. Do you? Do you like loud noises? What about dogs barking? It's so much worse than that. You know when your dog wants something or he's outside and you're worried he's going to disturb the neighbors. That's kind of what having a cockatoo is like, except it's always your responsibility. I think the reason I stress so much about cockatoos and all the bad about having a cockatoo is really because they're the most given up for adoption birds. They have so many owners. Because they have two owners before they're even three years old. And it really hurts to know that people don't put the time and research in because they thought that a bird was just cute and fun, something that they saw on YouTube. So if I can prevent that, I feel like that's my job. I feel like that's what I can contribute to the bird world. I really want to tell you all the amazing things about Jersey. I mean, just if you knew her heart and how she loves to play and how she loves cuddles and how she loves to hang out and be included in everything, she's the type of bird that I take her for walks outside and she's happy to greet everyone and get to know them. She's terrified of children though. She doesn't want to go near a child, huh? If you guys just watch my Storytime Sunday, that might give us some clues too about her previous family, because I don't really know much about them, but she hates being near children. She hates it. If she sees a child, she panics. She just panics. If a child comes into this house and they look like even remotely under 10 years old or not actually under 14 years old, then Jersey is just going to stand in the corner and be quiet all day long. As long as that child is here, Jersey is not going to make a noise. She doesn't want to get involved with them and she does not want them looking at her. That's all right. She doesn't have to like children and you can get a bird like that. You could get a bird with any kind of problems. Vinnie doesn't want to go anywhere near dogs. If Vinnie sees the dog, he screams his head off like a complete girl. The dogs are smart though. I say, Sandy, Harry, Vinnie's here and they hide and they literally go behind couches and things because they know that Vinnie doesn't want to see them. And that's only when I'm traveling with Vinnie, kind of like down the stairs. Other than that, Vinnie's fine if the dogs are around him, but he doesn't want to move past the dog. So it's not like a consistent problem. He's more scared of Harry. He just doesn't trust Harry's face. But what's so funny is if I say Sandy, Harry's here. Sandy would like put her head down and like close her eyes. Like as if to say, if I don't see him, he doesn't see me. So if she can't get fast enough behind a couch, she does that. I'm like, keep going. So it's really funny. A lot of birds come with all sorts of different problems. And if you're not a great detective, you might not even know what it is. Have you ever had that one friend that's just like a depressive and little things bother them all the time? That could be the cockatoo that you get. You just never know. I just don't want to lie to you and make you guys think it's all fun and games. The fun and the games are pretty cool. I love Jersey so much. But look at right now how I told you she wants to go somewhere. And she's my boss essentially. That's what it's like owning a bird. And you have to keep in mind too, you can't just cuddle a bird all day long because that's not healthy for them either. You have to keep this bird engaged with toys, forging toys. You have to keep them healthy with different vitamins, good foods. You really have to take care of your bird like you're taking care of a child. And if you're busy and if you're working and you don't have time to have a kid right now, you definitely do not have time to have a bird. Let me tell you. Tracy just had a baby and she has it easier than I do with these five birds. That's not a joke. She will tell you that. And I'm not downplaying the difficulty of having a kid because you guys know I have no right to say that. I don't have a kid. It's just from the mine and Tracy's experience. I know you guys have been watching that. That's what it seems like. She's just chilling with her baby man. And I'm just like, I got to go. I can't be on the phone. Oh my God. Also, I should add that you have to be prepared for cockatoos to chew things up all the time. Chew your keyboard up, chew up your mouse, the ball of your mouse. My shirt has a hole in it. This is definitely from Jersey climbing on me. All my shirts have holes in them. All George's shirts have holes in them. Jenna's shirts have holes in them. You're dealing with chewing. You could deal with the chewing of furniture. My couches have blankets on them because I don't want her to chew them. You got to be aware and ready. Sometimes people ask me, hey, how do I get my bird to stop chewing something? You keep it away from them. That's really the only way. So in a nutshell, owning a cockatoo is like owning the most rambunctious toddler you could ever have and having to be focused on that kid 100% of the time because it's your job and it's never going to end. It's like making sure they don't chew something, making sure that they're fed, making sure that they're entertained, making sure that they're occupied, making sure that they're having fun. Of course, playing fun in games with them too. And yes, a little bit of cuddling, but in a nutshell, it is a full-time job. You want to keep your bird happy and keep your bird busy. And on that note, you see that my baby wants to go somewhere. Right, Jersey, where do you want to go? So I'm going to take her downstairs and let her see whoever it is that she wants to see who just came in. And that is it. That's what it's like having a little Jersey bird. Very, very busy, very, very active. Thank you guys so much for watching. Please subscribe to my channel. We love new subscribers. It means that you guys care about taking care of your birds. Jersey, you're so cute. And please come join Parrot Station. That's my Facebook group where you can come share your birds and your stories. I love reading them. Then I'll get to see all of your birds, which is so much fun. Please like, comment, and share this video. Right, Jersey? Jersey's so going to climb right up the camera right now. Well, thank you guys so much. Bye.