I had wanted a cockatoo for so long and then got the chance to babysit my friend's bird for a long weekend. The bird was absolutely wonderful but you are so right about dealing with a toddler. The 4 days was enough for me to change my mind about wanting one. Every time I left his sight he would scream. We live on 10 acres and the sound would echo through the woods at night. It got so bad that my neighbor actually called me and asked if everything was alright. She thought someone was getting beat up...lol.LOL! Oh gosh -- yeah, guys, it's not like she has two hundred gorgeous cockatoos just randomly kicking around. We just fell in love, and CPL gave us her blessingHe's a riot! He's more of an attention hound than my cats. If anyone ever thinks they want a cockatoo or other large parrot, PLEASE research what you're getting yourself into first. You're basically signing on for 40+ years with a very active, inquisitive, easily bored toddler.