Lily is a 4.5 year old Umbrella Cockatoo. She is one of the largest of the Cockatoo species aside from the Moluccan and some of the Black Cockatoo species. Her guestimated hatchdate is June 15, 2002.
She was purchased from Parrot Farm (aka Parrots Canada) located just outside of Hamilton where Mike and Debbie did a wonderful job of raising this little cloud. She was already potty trained by the time I brought her home and a very well behaved little gem! She is definitely my little bundle of joy and I wouldn't trade her for the world.
The decision to get a Cockatoo as a companion parrot was one that I spent a long time making. It took me close to 2 years before I actually found a breeder with an Umbrella baby available, and it wasn't even guaranteed I would get her. They already had 2 interested parties and only 2 Umbrella babies at the time. So, although I don't 100% believe in fate, I think Lily and I were meant to be, and she was the Umbie I was meant to have as a part of my family. I will say that having a Cockatoo of any species is a LOT of work and you need to be prepared to live with a 2 year old for the rest of your life (especially since they could outlive you). I would suggest going to www.mytoos.com and check out some of their information. Now, a lot of their stuff is pretty harsh, but I went through that site more than a dozen times before I even found a breeder. It never turned me away from Cockatoos but it definitely made me more prepared for all of the ups, downs and in betweens of having a Cockatoo in your life. Don't take this lightly, they are wonderful little teddy bears but they can be easily spoiled and you will definitely regret that! If you don't teach them to be independant they will completely rely on you and in the end you'll most likely end up with an unhappy 'too.
Lily is my little bundle of joy, yes, but she isn't always a good little girl. Just like people, she has her bad days where is completely grumpy and fed up, and her other days where she is a huge love and wants nothing more than to sit with you all day. When she hit about 4 years old she started to get quite hormonal, which is normal. She gets her month or sometimes two where she can be a complete grump, ignores all step-ups and ultimately refuses to come off of her cage without nipping me a few times. Not all 'toos, or parrots for that matter, are going to act in this manner, but many of them do get very hormonal and it's in those times you really need to watch out! They want a little something that can't really be provided and this makes them frustrated and irritated. They will try to hump you, Lily does this when she's hormonal and I just completely ignore her, leave her on her cage until she decides to stop and THEN she can have all the attention she wants. That kind of behaviour should not be recognized as acceptable otherwise your bird ends up thinking of you as their mate and believe me, you don't really want that!
Another thing to keep in mind with parrots, especially Cockatoos, is that most times they want your undivided attention. I was sitting with Lily at the computer one day with her on my shoulder just sitting quite contently when all of a sudden she lunged at me and took a small chunk of skin out right beside my eye. She was mere millimeters away from my eye!! That's one good reason to never keep your fids on your shoulder, it's dangerous! You can never tell when they're going to get spooked by something or just suddenly decide that you aren't paying enough attention to them!
So don't think that having a Cockatoo in your life is ALL fun and games. They are definitely amazing companions for the RIGHT person! They are extremely demanding fids and you do need to be prepared to handle a bird with the mentality of a 2 year old for the next 80 years or so. I knew what I was getting into and I had to patiently wait until I was finally able to bring my little Lily home. She is really good for the most part and she'll even let me trim her nails with no quams, just the occasional disapproving squawk. She LOVES playing under the blankets with me, but at times she ends up thinking we're making a nest, lol, and that's when things start to go downhill and she gets carried away with it! haha. Unfortunately Lily does see me as her designated mate and when she's...frustrated...she will bite me without thinking twice about it! Fortunately for me, no serious injuries yet *knock on wood*!
Now that I think all has been said about 'toos in general and the way Lily can sometimes be...I will now provide you with an large array of adorable pictures of Lily!!! =D
Enjoy! -Sarah |
