Let’s say you have a cockatoo. You bought him after months of careful planning and research, already weaned, and from a reputable source. You did everything you thought you needed to do to raise him properly. He’s a pretty good bird. A bit noisy, a bit needy, but not too bad considering all the horror stories you’ve heard. But when he does act up, you get worried.

You’re afraid you’re going to end up one of those people you swore you would never be: Someone with a difficult cockatoo. Should you really worry? Should you start looking for a new home for your cockatoo because he’s going to become a monster?

Cockatoos tend to be more intense than some other parrots, and people who can’t handle that aren’t likely to keep a cockatoo for long. There are lots of perfectly normal cockatoos out there just doing cockatoo things, and it’s the people who have the problem. These families give up because they had no chance to begin with. For other families, everything is fine for quite some time, years maybe, but one day it seems like the dam breaks and all the naughtiness the bird had pent up inside comes pouring out. The owners figure there’s no hope. They’ve been told it may happen, and it did. But it’s possible what really happened is that the cockatoo is the victim of a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you fear the worst, that’s often what you see.

Since good information about parrots is relatively accessible these days, most of us realize that cockatoos are one of the more difficult parrots to have. These birds can be extremely demanding, requiring a commitment to proper socialization and training that goes far beyond the baby parrot stage. But are cockatoos doomed to be naughtier than other birds? I don’t think so. Cockatoos are very smart, and their “smartness” may be what gets them labeled as bad, when what they really are is just trying to adapt to a world that’s confusing to them. The bird does what he thinks he needs to do--bites, screams, pluck his feathers, chases everyone’s feet--and we decide he’s bad. His behavior may be bad, but is he actually bad? Probably not. Out-of-control, maybe. But the situation certainly isn’t hopeless.

It’s easy to have an out-of-control cockatoo. Here’s how: Hold and cuddle the bird as much as possible when he’s young, preferably hand feeding and weaning him yourself even though you don’t know what you’re doing, allow your cockatoo to come and go from his cage whenever he wants, let him play on the floor and climb onto whatever furniture he wants, keep him up until the wee hours of the night, and just to be on the safe side, yell at him or shut him away when he’s the least bit noisy. Do all or even just some of these things, and you’re well on your way to creating a monster.

Sarcasm aside, cockatoo monsters are mostly made, not born. If you have, in fact, raised your cockatoo correctly by doing pretty much the opposite of what I just described, then if and when you have trouble, you’re probably not really dealing with a monster. Your bird might be having a rough day, or a rough couple of weeks. What you think is a mountain is just a molehill. But you get tense about it, your bird reacts accordingly, and soon everyone’s pants are in a bunch. Most likely, with a little extra structure and training, this temporary bump in the road will smooth out and everyone will feel a lot better. Pants will no longer be bunched.

Your relationship with your cockatoo is just like any other relationship. There are ups and downs, but you don’t have to toss it just because it gets difficult once in a while. You’ve done all the right things—struck a balance between providing attention and encouraging independence, set rules and limits, structured the environment to include proper exercise and sleep, and focused on reinforcing good behavior rather than reacting to bad behavior—so cut yourself, and your cockatoo, some slack. Don’t fear the worst because it probably isn’t.

The reason that people seek exotic pet insurance is to be sure that the health and welfare of any exotic animals owned by individuals will be covered, as well as to avoid putting extra financial burdens on the owner.

One of the reasons that such coverage is even more important for exotic animals, is that many species are more susceptible to more types of illnesses than the more common, domestic breeds.


The care for exotic pets is also more expensive, as some of these animals require a veterinarian with specialized knowledge and skills in order to properly care for the them. This is one reason why many owners of such animals seek out insurance. Some have even declared that they would never again be without such coverage because of the amount of money that they have saved due to unexpected veterinary pet bills.

Recent studies have reported that approximately 40% of all reptile owners have needed to take their pet in for an unplanned veterinarian visit at some point during the previous two years. The study went on to report that over one third of these cases ended up requiring three or more veterinary office visits during that same time frame. This is just one example of how pet insurance for exotic creatures is very beneficial, because for some people, such a level of care would not be affordable.

One of the common misconceptions about exotic pet insurance is that it only covers health related costs, such as veterinarian fees and prescriptions. However, most of the insurance policies for exotic pet coverage will provide for many additional benefits as well. Much of what is covered will depend on the type of coverage you choose and the cost of such coverage and how it fits within your own budget constraints.

Of course, the primary benefit of all pet insurance is the pet health insurance aspect. This is the part of the coverage that will pay for veterinary pet visits, vaccinations, health screenings, yearly checkups and booster shots as needed. Some of the policies will completely cover all of these costs. Other types of policies will only cover emergency types of care, such as surgery due to an accident. Some policies require you to make a minimum co-payment for each veterinary visit, while others fully cover such costs. Each of these variations, in addition to an annual deductible, will affect the cost of the insurance premium that you'll pay.

In addition to covering veterinary expenses, insurance policies for an exotic creature can also cover thievery, in case it is stolen. If you own a very valuable exotic pet, it is strongly advised by experts that you carry this type of insurance in addition to the pet health insurance coverage. You will want to be sure that the policy you choose provides for sufficient replacement coverage in the event of a theft.

Insurance can also provide coverage in the event of death of the exotic animals because of fire, natural disaster, accident, injury or illness. For owners who have invested a great deal of money in acquiring an out-of-the-ordinary kind of pet, this type of pet plan can help to offset the cost of replacement. Most policies will cover the value of the purchase price of the pet and some will even cover the needed vaccinations that were required. Of course, such coverage cannot compensate for the value of the relationship that has been developed with the beloved exotic creature, but it can minimize the financial impact of such a loss.

Most of the policies for exotic pet insurance coverage are written either for a one year period or are written as a lifetime policy. In general, a yearly pet plan is more budget friendly but it can also be riskier. There is added risk because they often provide lower coverage limits and there is also the potential that the pet insurance company could decide not to renew coverage, based on developing health problems with the pet or because of advanced age.

With the rising costs of health care, it should be no surprise that veterinary pet care costs are also on the rise. This has given pet owners renewed motivation to learn about their options in veterinary pet insurance. While pet health insurance is not new, it is certainly not as well-known as the health care insurance that is available for human patients.

It can be very helpful to do some background research on the insurance company itself, to see what kind of reputation they have. You want to be sure you are dealing with a company that has long-standing experience and solid history in pet health insurance. Asking your veterinarian about their experiences with the company and if they pay the claims promptly and reliably can also provide valuable insights into the company.