Brightly colored plumage and the ability to mimic are the things that come to mind when we think of a Cockatoo. Cockatoos are great companion birds, no doubt about it. They develop a strong bond with their owner. It is heartening to know that they are loving and affectionate.

But, like any owner-to-be, you may wonder whether it is really true that these charming creatures can be destructive at times. If yes, in what way. Let's check that out together.


There is such an abundance of information regarding avian behavior. This probably leads to more confusion than clarity when we try to seek help from it. So, our approach to this subject is a little different.Now, ask yourself a question. What are some of the more common bird behavior that worries you and sometimes even annoys you?

Well, it can be as silly as undisciplined potty behavior or something more serious like feather plucking, screaming and biting (sometimes that may even get on your nerves).

A traditional approach to any of these problems is to look for a cause. Even the veterinary fraternity looks for and attributes the problem to a 'single cause'. Most times the cause and the problem will seem to have no apparent relation. Often, most problems have more than just one cause. And many times, the cause of the problem is not even the bird. Frequently the problem is 'us'. Yes, shocking though it may be!

What is a good cockatoo (by your definition)? Don't look at the cockatoo for an answer; it's the one with the least knowledge of your expectations.

Perhaps, you can answer this. What is it to be a good child? A child knows. It may not be able to express itself in crystal clear terms. But it knows. How? Because of the child's constant contact with other humans in its natural environment, it observes and learns to differentiate good behavior from bad. And what it can't learn from observation is taught.

But, what about the cockatoo? It has no such opportunity to learn from its flock. In captivity, you and your family are its flock. Cockatoos are extremely intelligent creatures. They observe and would learn a lot more than you are willing to grant it.

To be able to address just this one issue "why do they resort to feather plucking?", lets consider the basics. What is a cockatoo? Once you know the answer, you will see for yourself that it's not a dumb question. A cockatoo is more than what you've taken for granted.

A cockatoo is a gregarious creature. And certain aspects of its psyche are hard wired. The need to keep with the flock. The need to constantly communicate with its mate or members of its flock. The need to feed together. The need for companionship and affection. And the need to feel secure.

These are just some of its needs. Often these are needs that a captive bird may not be able to fulfill themselves. So, it looks up to its human family to provide these basic needs. If any of these is not fulfilled that's when the bird resorts to feather plucking, among other things. So, it's necessary to anticipate the basic needs of the bird and to see that they are met.

Cockatoos resort to feather plucking for a number of reasons. The problem could be that the bird is not happy with its environment, us, or our environment. But often the cause is put down to one of these:

1) Insecurity
2) Hormonal fluctuations
3) Stress/ anxiety
4) Disease
5) Internal/ external parasites
6) Insufficient/ incorrect nutrition

The cockatoo's feather plucking can be because of any or all of these reasons, or none of them and something totally extraneous.Now that we have identified the cause (or causes), let's now see what your role is.

Cockatoo is a social creature. So, let's give it the assurance that it's not in solitary confinement. At every opportunity, let the bird know that it is a part of a flock and make it feel at home. Call to it as often as possible. Pet it. Take it in your arms and set it down whenever you get the chance.

Give its feed whenever the family sits down for a meal.

Don't get into arguments in your bird's presence. It is important for the bird to know that it's part of a happy flock. Cockatoos are so intelligent that they know when all is not well. This knowledge leads to stress and anxiety.Do whatever is necessary to keep the bird in good health. Make sure it's free of internal and external parasites. Provide it with the best nutrition.

Apart from these, causes like hormonal fluctuations should be treated with advice from the vet. This in turn, will do all that it can to strengthen your relationship with your pet.

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.

To say the least some people in this world can have some very weird tastes when it comes to the different things that they are willing to share their household with and their lives as well.

I mean, come on, we all understand it when people bring that cute little puppy or kitten home (they are just irresistible), and it can even be understood some peoples’ fascination with snakes and lizards, they just touch that inner something that fascinates us (usually men). But what are we to say when a person is found that likes and raises cockroaches, and not only that, when he keeps them as pets?


The most popular type of cockroach pet is the Madagascar Hissing cockroach, also called the Hissing roach or Hisser, this is one of the biggest species of cockroach and it can reach a length of 4-5 inches when full grown! As their name suggests they can be found off the coast of Africa on the Island of Madagascar. Their favorite place to live is in rotting logs, they are wingless but do not let that fool you because they can climb smooth glass with ease! The females carry the eggs inside of her until they are hatched and then she releases the little nymphs after they have hatched; they usually spend some time with the mother after they are born.

One of the things that helped make these little guys such a popular pet was the fact that they hiss, not to mention their big size and ferocious appearance. The hissing noise is in itself unique, they can make it through forcing air through some breathing pores that they have on their abdomen; it is believed that the Madagascar Hissing cockroach is the only insect on the planet that is able to make a hissing noise like this!

Almost all other insects make their hissing noises by rubbing different body parts together. These hisses are used by the cockroaches in two different ways, the first is the disturbance hiss, it is only cockroaches that are in the fourth molting phase that are able to make this particular hissing noise. All males can make the second hiss which is known as the fighting hiss; when they start making fighting hiss noises at each other, one of them will back down signaling the end of the fight.

This type of cockroach is very popular with the crowd in Hollywood, or better said the Hollywood movies, they can be found in the 1975 movie called "Bug" as roaches that make fires by rubbing their legs together, they are also in Dalmatian Alley (1977), in this movie they were portrayed as mutant killer roaches. Fun huh?

These little guys have even been turned into jewelry; they have been used on necklaces and broaches, expensive necklaces and broaches! They have been the driver of a roach-mobile and as everybody should know, these are the cockroaches that grossed us all out in the Men In Black movie (1997).

One of the things that simply amazed me was when I heard that the amusement park called Six Flags Great America has made an announcement that anybody that could eat a live Madagascar Hissing cockroach would get line jumping privileges (it was a Halloween thing). But not only that, the contestant that could eat over 36 cockroaches in 1 minute would receive season passes for four people! Now that is really something, I take my hat off to the person that was able to do such a gruesome thing!
One thing that’s worth mentioning, is the fact that there is a certain mite species called Gromphadorholaelaps schaeferi that lives on this kind of cockroach.

When keeping one of these bugs as a pet, you can rest assured that they do not bite, if fact they will try to hide from you if you disturb them. Coconut fiber or tree bark is the best thing to use for bedding, keep some branches in their rank to keep them happy and climbing…it is also a good idea to keep a heating pad under part of the tank so that they can choose the temperature that they like the most. If your roach seems to be kind of sluggish it is because it has been exposed to lower temperatures. Make sure that there is food in the tank for your pet at all times. Dried dog, cat or mouse food will do nicely and fresh veggies are a favorite of the roach. Keep a soaked sponge in a corner of the tank for the roaches’ water.

While most small animals don't want much grooming, guinea pigs are different. Their teeth, pelt, and nails all want some express attention on a common footing. A guinea pig's front teeth prolong to grow throughout their intact life. If they are allowed to grow without any limit, the guinea pig will find it upsetting to eat and will, therefore, halt intake altogether.



The best thing you can do is to give your guinea pig with hard equipment to chew on: carrots and other hard vegetables, chew firewood or blocks, or even tree brushwood. Even although you offer these resources, however, you will hardship regularly to confirm the guinea pig's teeth to make steady they aren't fitting unmanageable. Check to see if the teeth are spinning private because this is a show of undue growth.

If you do remark that your guinea pig's teeth are receiving too long, then you essential to take him to a vet and get them trimmed down. Never try to lower a guinea pig's teeth yourself! Your vet will have the correct tools and experience to safely sleek the teeth to a typical piece.

Another tricky that sometimes arises with guinea pig's teeth, particularly if they aren't receiving all the vitamins they poverty in their diet, is that the tips of teeth may solve off. This can also make it tough for the guinea pig to eat. Take the cavy to your vet and nosh him a softer diet until the fang grows back suitably.

Guinea pigs' mustache also needs to be taken nurture of commonly. Keep in tended the guinea pigs with longer coat are vacant to require more grooming than little-haired cavies.


For dumpy-haired guinea pigs, you necessary to acquire a small brush and then use it on their wool at slightest once a week. The combing serves numerous purposes. For one, it prevents their whiskers from matting up and tangling. It also removes any chunks of dirt that may become varied up in the fleece. Because their pelt is passing, you maybe will never necessity to slim or cut it.

Long-haired guinea pigs are a different story. They necessary to be thoroughly brushed at least once per day every day. If you neediness to go out of civic for even a fasten of living, You will should to desert your long-haired guinea pig with somebody who can brush it for you since it doesn't take long for the locks to get horribly tangled. In actuality, even combing it once per day won't be enough to impede all the tangles from forming.

You will also should to do something with the curls when it gets too long since it grows another crawl in chunk every month. If you intend on viewing the guinea pig, You will should to wrap up the garnish curls so that it doesn't get trapped up around the animal's feet or mixed up in the urine and feces. Special wraps are presented, but You will want to link a breeder or guinea pig bash to find out where to goods them. If you don't idea on screening your guinea pigs, You will need to edge your guinea pig's curls every pair of months. Don't cut the curls too small. You want it just tiny enough so that it won't interfere with your guinea pig's movement.

Regardless of the font of guinea pig you have, You will also want to do periodic inspections of its coat to test for bedbugs. Lice are small sallow parasites that look like tiny worms. Guinea pigs often contract bedbugs from hay and from other guinea pigs. If you do see bedbugs on your guinea pig, you don't have to be alarmed. Generally, the bedbugs will sojourn on the guinea pigs and will not soar against your children or into your home. However, the lice do need to be treated rapidly. Your vet should give you with a shampoo that will slaughter the lice. Shampoo your guinea pigs and thoroughly hygienic their cages, then recap seven living later. You must recur the manner because it takes a week for lice eggs to produce and you want to make really to execute any of those remaining babies.


Finally, your guinea pig's nails need to be trimmed regularly also. While rowdy guinea pigs' nails are obviously worn down to an appropriate strip, this does not appear in enslaved guinea pigs. Lengthy nails can be sore to the guinea pig and to the people who practice him, bonus they can decode off or get snagged which can begin promote injury to your cavy.

You should tolerate your vet or professional guinea pig groomer to show you how to clip their nails the first time because it is more complicated than extra your fingernails. Like most animals, guinea pigs don't like to be restrained. It makes them feel vulnerable, and they'll resist as much as they can which makes garnish their nails tiring. Your vet will be able to show you ways to restrain the animal so you safely downright the garnish.

More importantly, the guinea pig's nails contain blood vessels much like a dog's. If you neat too brusque, You will cut into one of those vessels and your guinea pig will bleed copiously. When this happens you must impede the flow immediately! It won't take long for your small pet to bleed to casualty if you do nothing. Many pet supplies advertise a powder that stops the bleeding promptly. You may want to ask your vet what he recommends.

If you're anxious about hurtful your pet's toenails too short, you may be better off trimming them just a little bit but more frequently.

Except for combing the guinea pig's pelt, all other parts of the grooming process should be done by an adult, not a youngster. Clipping nails, trimming hair, and inspecting teeth should never be done by a teen. The guinea pig could become uneasy and could puncture out of fright for their own security. Or the child could make a misstep that could ground nuisance or injury to the guinea pig.

A small caviomorph rodent native to Chile is the Degu. The caviomorphs are characterized by their large heads, plump bodies, slender legs and short tails. They are also distinguished by the formation of their jaws and massafer muscles. The degu is sometimes also called the glitter-tailed rat though it is not related to the rat family.