What do you expect from your Cockatoo? When you bring one home, you expect him to be a “cuddle bug,” have talking ability, be intelligent, sociable, and give you unconditional love and companionship. This is what you want and this is what you can have. You need to treat your Cockatoo the same when you first get him as you would a year from now. They are highly intelligent creatures who can give you much pleasure and fun, but at the same time can be noisy and cause you frustration if not treated properly and spoiled too much. They will love you like no other. Any family members, neighbors, and even strangers will be able to come over and pet the bird. They love that. Larger Cockatoos crave a bit more petting than the smaller ones, but the smaller ones will still take as much as you can give. This is why you will need for the whole family to be able to pet the bird. They bond very strongly to their owner. In my experience, the larger ones are a bit more forgiving when it comes to unfamiliar people. Smaller ones can be a bit skittish if not socialized properly.​