There is a double edge sword connected with the private breeding of these animals in the United States.  On one hand, responsible breeding leads to helping the wanning population.  On the other hand, cockatoos are the most given up parrots of all.  Many sit homeless in bird shelters and sanctuaries across the states.  Tragically, they are given up because they do not make good pets.  They are destructive, scream as a loud as a jet engine (no, really, the decibels are equal), and have a bite that is 500+ PSI.  They have a very unpredictable tempermant.  So why own one?  I believe most people are just unprepared and didn't expect such sweet, loving animals that bond so easily to be so difficult and not do well in captivity.  They are utterly irresistable.  Some people are like us and have extensive experience with exotics and birds, so they make the leap to owning the most difficult parrot perhaps on the planet.  How can you resist a big sqweezable, fluffy, soft, animal who bonds unconditionally to you? And they talk to boot! 

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     Which leads to how Onni came into our lives. Once upon a time .... well how else am I to begin a story?  There was a couple named Scott and Rebecca who lived in TN and who loved each other very much. They owned many exotics along with two parakeets, one parrotlet and a Goffin cockatoo named Tika. Tika was a darling member of the family who was loved by all.  Tragically, the couple lost Tika to a terrible self mutilation syndrome.  This can occur unexpectedly to cockatoos. Usually there is a reason that can be rectified, such as a health issue or environmental problem. But some cases don't appear to have a reason other than a habit no different than a human picks or bites their nails.  Tika was taken to three different vets and to the University of Tennessee's exotic veterinary clinic.  They offered no hope. So poor Tika had to be put to sleep because she had to be kept inhumanely confined to a double collar to stop her from killing herself (she would bleed profusely when she picked). The couple tried to keep her alive and healthy for six years to no avail!

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     Scott and Rebecca were heart broken. She was the hardest loss outside of their parents. It was that bad. After nearly two years of healing they still had a large hole in their hearts and they knew they could give a cockatoo a good home. They searched for more than six months to open their hearts to an unwanted bird.  But because they did not want to dive again into a situation of a cockatoo that picks or plucks they could not find one in a shelter or from an individual that did neither. Crushed, they visited their family in NJ and while there they came across a baby cockatoo.  They could not resist the sweet boy and so home he went with them.

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    The couple could not settle on a name as he was both magestic and funny. Finally, Scott said if Rebecca could not think of a name by nightfall he was just going to toss a name at me to be kept for good. And he did. He ironically chose Onyx. Onyx is a black stone! Scott did not know this is and said, "Well, his eyes are coal black".  Rebecca laughed and said they could compromise and call him Onni.  The cool thing about the name is its a common Finnish name meaning luck and happiness.

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     Rebecca had long kept a Youtube channel to document memories and to share special and funny moments in her life.  Most videos were of her pets.  One day .... a video went viral with 9 million hits!! Thats more than some rock stars!  Rebecca is creative and makes good videos and now that she was finally  "discovered" she made more videos of Onni. People soon fell in love with the feathered monkey named Onni, who brought them happiness.

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    The couple facedmany hard challenges with Onni.  But he is still beloved and has a forever home.  To this day he enjoys the many experiences of traveling all over with the couple whether its to NJ or to the grocery store. He is an internet sensation and now loved by people from around the world!

 

The end.