A Feathered Companion: How Boo My Goffins Cockatoo Impacted My Life for Over Two Decades

Looking back at my 23 year journey with Boo, my Goffin's cockatoo, I'm filled with a sense of gratitude and love?for the profound bond we've created. I was a mere 20-year-old when I made the choice to bring him home, an endeavor that required diligent savings from two jobs (while attending college) to accumulate over $1,500. Every long weekend shift, late night of trying to balance the two jobs and classes, was worth it the day I got to bring Boo home.

It was the culmination of a journey that started at the age of 12 when my cousin gifted me a budgie. This little feathered creature ignited my love for birds and set me on a path that led me to Boo. Alongside training Lemon, my budgie, I delved into Bird Talk Magazine, absorbing every bit of advice on bird care and training. Lemon and I had our special moments, including visiting a local nursing home, before his unexpected departure from my life. That year, at 14, was particularly tough, losing not just Lemon, but also my childhood cat.

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My late teenage years were a whirlwind of changes, moving out at 16, experiencing turbulence, and then finding solace in the company of birds. The local bird store was my haven, and hugging a big white cockatoo gave me an unexplainable sense of comfort. As I found stability, my then-boyfriend and I adopted a baby cockatiel from the same store. That period also saw me explore the burgeoning internet, reading up on the Pepperberg Studies about Alex the African Grey and realizing that a parrot would be my companion for life.

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The late '90s was an exciting time in the world of aviculture, with significant strides in parrot conservation, husbandry, avian medicine and nutrition. The Wild Bird Conservation Act passed in 1992 set the stage for captive breeding centers, companies like Zupreem and Lafaebers released pellet diets for birds (drastically improved nutrition from seed diets). My research extended to My Parrot, My Friend by Bonnie Monro Doane, Sally Blanchard’s Companion Parrot Quarterly, and various early online forums (and even usenet and AOL groups).

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Within the year, just as I turned 20, I had saved up enough to buy a "big bird" and the requisite "big cage", and was ready to make a lifelong commitment. I found R&R Bird Gardens and after a lot of thought, decided on a Goffin cockatoo. Despite advice from online forums suggesting a smaller bird or a different species, I followed my gut and chose Boo. I visited him nearly every week after I put my deposit down on him in February 2000, forming an early bond with him that only grew stronger over time.

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In retrospect, Boo’s presence in my life was a crucial element in my personal improvement journey. He gave me a sense of purpose and self-esteem, and the responsibility of his care prevented me from being self-destructive. He was my grounding force, my beacon of predictability, and my constant source of love. From a tumultuous start to my adulthood, Boo led me to a sense of stability and emotional strength.

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Today, almost exactly twenty-three years since making the final payment to the breeder and bringing him home, our bond remains unbreakable. Boo is not just a pet; he is my companion, my friend, and my family. As we step into another year together, I look forward to more silly pizza+dance parties, more mornings getting ready for work together (our most special time, every workday since 2000), and more shared moments of silence. Boo has been my partner in this journey of personal growth called life, and I can't wait to see what our future holds. Here's to many more years of companionship and growth with Boo, my feathered soulmate.