Any ****atoo owners?

[Mr. Unique]

Im thinking of getting a ****atoo, can any one with sufficient knowledge and experience with these birds tell me what im getting myself into? What is their price range? and are they dificult to care for?
I heard they can live up to 60 years, and are very affectionate to their owner.

 

[penkitten]

we had a ****atil for about five years. we had to clip his feathers every now and then and he was wonderful. his name was bubblegum. we got him at walmart during one of those pet fair things .
he was trained to walk around the house and my brother who is blind stepped on one leg and broke it at least twice, other than that he was always healthy.
we played a tape over and over that said stuff like pretty bird and hello to teach him to talk.

****atiels live 15-2o years and are cheaper than ****atoos that live 30-40 years.

here is a link that is good. they have facts about ****atoos also .
http://www.****atielcottage.net/lifespans.html


anyhow our bubblegum walked across the kitchen counter to the sink where mom was doing the dishes and he jumped in the dishwater to play and it was very hot and he just flew out the door that was open.
poor thing never came back. mother was so upset because he never flew away before (was housetrained to stay in) but she had put off clipping his wings again and was going to sit down that nite and do it.

 

[wavejams007]

I haven't had a ****atoo, but I do have amazon parrots and ****ateils, and I had a peregrin falcon.

I have a large amount of experience and knowleadge on birds, so PM me if you have any questions.

****atoos are extremely noisy, although beautiful birds. Also know that they tend to be messy, as do all parrots. Parrots are moody, but can be very playful. ****atoos vary depending on the individual, but tend to be extraverted. They don't talk so great as other types of parrots.

I agree with penkitten though, I recommend ****ateils for more convinience. They can't bite hard, they aren't really messy, and aren't too loud.

Also, know this. Birds might be dumb, but they do remember if you mistreat them out of anger when they won't shut up. so don't hit the bird, or he won't forgive you for possibly a long time.

Again, PM me if you have any real questions.

 

[BrotherAP]

Ok, first the discouragement.

Parrots and ****atoos are very high maintenance pets. They require A LOT of daily attention from their owner as they are very social creatures and they will develop behavior problems if they do not get enough attention. You will want to spend time with it every day playing, talking, and training. They are very messy. They can't really be potty trained, they tend to make a mess when they eat, and their feathers will get everywhere. They are also very noisy pets, never hesitant to verbally let you know when they aren't getting enough attention, prone to squak in the morning and imitate vacuums and phone ringers. Taking care of a bird is a very big responsibility, much closer to having a child than a traditional pet.

That said, owning a bird such as a ****atoo or a parrot is like no other pet you can imagine. I've fallen in love with birds as pets. It's hard to compare any animal to a bird that will call your name when your gone. Each bird you'll own will have it's own personality. Most are fairly mischevious, and despite what you may hear birds are NOT dumb animals. In fact, along with dolphins and advanced primates, these birds are some of the smartest animals in the world. They can easily learn to unlatch things and are naturally curious, which makes for a wonderful time when your bird figured out how to escape from his cage and wanders around the corner waddling calling your name out. You can teach them to do tricks, to sing, to dance, even to count if you're ambitious enough. Birds are fiercly loyal, and tend to pair-bond with their owner so you're looking at a pet that will love you as much as you love it.

If you can handle the upkeep, then by all means go for it. Make sure that your bird was bred it captivity and get it while it is still young from a reputable source that will help you learn to care for it properly. Don't take it as a light decision, and absolutely do not get a bird that you are not willing to commit to fully. They are very complex and long-lived creatures that unfortunately suffer extreme mistreatment as often as not. People simply don't appreciate the fact that birds are not like typical pets. They are extremely high maintenance.

 

[DJDamage]

That bird is smart

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/26051/talking_parrot/

 

[italostud]

The bird in the clip is an African Grey parrot, which are renowned as the best "talkers" of all birds. Incredible animals. I was thinking of getting an African Grey a while ago, but I decided to wait until I can be totally prepared to handle one. Like someone already said, they're comparable to a child with the amount of attention you have to give them.

 

[OzyBoy]

man those birds are noisy, there are sometimes 10-20 just outside in the trees making terrible noises and stealing all the passionfruit growing in the backyard. i just want to shoot them sometimes.

 

[Desdinova]

imitate vacuums and phone ringers.

LOL! That would be funny having an Electrolux in a cage.

Dude, just get a Parakeet. You can teach those things to talk, and you'll have it for maybe 4 years instead of 40. They 5hit, feather, and make bird food mess just like the others.

 

[wavejams007]

The bird in the clip is an African Grey parrot, which are renowned as the best "talkers" of all birds. Incredible animals. I was thinking of getting an African Grey a while ago, but I decided to wait until I can be totally prepared to handle one. Like someone already said, they're comparable to a child with the amount of attention you have to give them.

Yes, they are the best talkers, but they are usually very intreverted as well, so forget about them talking in front of your friends, family, strangers.

 

[italostud]

Yes, they are the best talkers, but they are usually very intreverted as well, so forget about them talking in front of your friends, family, strangers.

Exactly.

If you want one that will entertain your friends and not be shy, look into the Amazons, like a double yellow head. The only problem with them is that they're louder and are prone to aggressiveness at maturity.

Either way, there's pros and cons.

 

[backbreaker]

I had one, for about the better part of 3 months. Actually funny enough, this chick I was messing around with gave it to me as a present. He grew on me.

As far as HM, I have had worse. At the time I had Mikey (the ****atoo) and Rico, an Alaskian Husky.. I had way more trouble out of the dog.. then again, he was just 2 months old.

Mikey for the most part, just wanted some damn attention. I hardley ever kept him in his cage, unless I had company or I was getting ready to eat.. I have this thing about birds flying around while I am eating. He usually just stayed on top of the cage, or when I would go into another room he would follow me, espically the kitchen.

He did real good with the ladies.

One day, I was cleaning his cage, and I forgot I had the window open... never saw him again. I felt bad. Even rico missed him

He really did have his own personality. he was quiter than most birds I have seen. He liked to investiagte **** all the time, and he seemed to act calmer around women for some reason. Some people he wouldn't let near him without raising a coo. My two best friends would come over, I would have to put him in a different room, or else he wouldn't shut up.

He had this habit of basically sitting on my stomach while I was laying on the couch, we used to chill and watch TV together, at least I did, he basically pecked at my hands looknig for food and barked at me until I feed him.

Anyway, I missed mikey, he was a cool bird.

 

[mahon83050]

Im thinking of getting a ****atoo, can any one with sufficient knowledge and experience with these birds tell me what im getting myself into? What is their price range? and are they dificult to care for?
I heard they can live up to 60 years, and are very affectionate to their owner.

For the bad part!

I am a parrot owner and by no means an expert, but DO NOT get a ****atoo! They are the loudest birds in the world, have the worst bite and need constant attention. It is like having a child who stays in the "Terrible 2's stage. Alot of people think ****atoos don't belong in captivity. Check out this website, it will steer you away from getting a ****atoo!

http://www.mytoos.com/

I am an owner of an African Red-Bellied Parrot and they are great birds! I would suggest getting one, but they are smaller-medium size (not sure if you want a big bird or not)

Here are some things in general I learned about Parrots:

1. Parrots are exotic: It is so cool having a colorful exotic animal in your home, you feel closer to nature.

2. Parrots are noisy. Parrots are social animals and most make noise. My bird is one of the "quieter" species, but still chatters most of the day and can be loud.

3. Parrots are messy: Expect half of the food you give him to end up on the floor of his/her cage or outside of his cage.

4. Parrots are smart: Someone mentioned on this post that parrots are dumb, well they are not. They are smarter than cats and dogs and some are as smart as chimps and dolphins.

5. Parrots are good acrobats: Some are better than others, but my bird does somersaults, climbs with his beak and hangs upside down on one foot at times.

6. Parrots are mischevious: When my parrot wants something, he will do anything in his power to try and get it, even if it means being disobedient.

7. Not all parrots need the same amount of attention: Some parrots like ****atoos, African Greys and Eclectus need constant attention and will develop behavioral problems if they do not. Others, are happy as long as they have plenty of toys:

8. Parrots love to chew: They love to chew on things and will destroy some valuable stuff: Some things my parrot has gotten to: Wooden models, TV remote, lampshade, shoelaces etc.

Well, I would consider looking into getting any of the birds from the Poicephalus Group: Red-Bellies, Jardines, Senegals, Brown-Heads, Meyers. These are African birds that are closely in shape and size and are on the "quiet" side. African Greys are not related to this group.

 

[BrotherAP]

If you want a quiet pet, don't get a bird. Get a snake. Snakes never talk. Too high maintenance? You could also consider a tarantula - you only have to feed a tarantula twice a month.

 

[mahon83050]

If you want a quiet pet, don't get a bird. Get a snake. Snakes never talk. Too high maintenance? You could also consider a tarantula - you only have to feed a tarantula twice a month.

You could not pay me to own a tarantula. Spiders are the most scary and freaky things on this planet. Anything that has more than 4 legs and has more than two eyes is quite scary.