Animals often don’t like going to the veterinarian. Whether they notice where they are going beforehand or once they walk into the clinic, it’s clear they don’t enjoy being there.
For Max, a cockatoo, he was told in advance of the trip he had to take and immediately threw a tantrum by hiding under a bench and talking back to his owner.
Max’s owner eventually was able to get him to come back out, but the video of his tantrum beforehand is hilarious.
The video begins with Max speaking in a deep voice as if he’s flustered and upset about something. He backs himself into a corner next to a shelf and continues to ruffle his feathers while releasing a throaty cry. At this point you can hear his owner saying “Let’s go, you’ve gotta go in your carrier.” To which Max replies in the same low tone, as if he is talking back to him. It’s as if he’s a child throwing a tantrum and who is arguing with their parent –– it’s hilariously entertaining to watch.
Max soon ducks under the bottom shelf as if he’s hiding away, and continues to mutter in his low voice, while obviously avoiding following orders. But do not worry about his occasional screaming and muttering, the seemingly odd behavior is just how cockatoos communicate, as they’re unable to mimic human words the same way that a parrot can.
It’s said that you can understand a cockatoos mood by the position of their crest. If it’s in a raised position it’s excited, alert, or agitated, while if it’s lowered the bird is feeling submissive or moving around. A relaxed crest means the bird is either eating, resting, or otherwise content.
Max’s crest is raised in the beginning since it is clear that he does not want to go to the vet. However, in another shot after he’s come out from under the shelf, we can see Max below a small table. Here his tone starts off the same –– using his deep voice with a raised crest –– but soon enough his pitch changes higher and his crest lowers. It’s almost as if he squawks about why he’s not happy to be going to the vet, but that he understands he must.
The showdown continues with Max throwing a major tantrum before his owner states: “You heard what I said, get your butt out here.” Max continues to bicker, but eventually the owner calls him sternly by his name, and Max appears to calm down a bit, with his crest lowered.
It’s interesting to see how a bird owner and their pet communicate when words aren’t possible. Max is obviously annoyed about the vet, but it isn’t the end of the world. He obviously needed to get something out of his system and explain to his owner why he was unhappy, but is now ready to make up and go see the veterinarian.
What did you think of Max’s tantrum? How would you react to a bird talking back to you like this?
