How to Put on a Cockatoo Harness

A harness will allow your bird to go outside and for walks with you without the danger of it flying away and getting hurt. The tamer your cockatoo, the less difficult it will be to put the harness on. There are two ways to use the harness; it can be used for either perching or walking. Each use requires the harness to be put on differently. The leash connects to the harness in the back for walking and in the front for perching.

Things You'll Need

  • Bird harness
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Instructions

  1. How to Put a Petite, Small, Medium and Large Harness on a Cockatoo

    • 1

      Petite and small walking harness: Hook the leash to the D-ring and unsnap the black quick-release snap on the harness. Slip the nylon to make a loop of the harness adequate to slide over the cockatoo's head with ease. Face the cockatoo away from you and put the loop over its head, with the leash hanging down the bird's back. Carefully tighten the neck loop until it snugly prevents the head from slipping out, and pull the loose strap up and under the wing, over the chest and up and under the other wing. Snap it shut.

    • 2

      Petite and small perching harness: Hook the leash to the D-ring and unsnap the black quick-release snap on the harness. Slip the nylon to make a loop of the harness adequate to slide over the cockatoo's head with ease. Face the cockatoo toward you and put the loop over its head with the leash at the front of the bird's chest. Carefully tighten the neck loop until it snugly prevents the head from slipping out, and pull the loose strap up and under the wing, over the back and up and under the other wing. Snap it shut.

    • 3

      Medium and large walking harness: Hook the leash to the D-ring and unsnap all three bolts on the harness. Face the cockatoo away from you and place a cross-section of the harness on the bird's back, with the D-ring and leash suspended down in the direction of its tail. Put the strap that now expands from the upper ring of the cross-section to the left of the cockatoo's neck (as the bird faces away from you) over the bird's shoulder, and hold the bolt of the single loose strap. Gently pull around the bird's neck and snap to the top ring of the cross-section. Bring the two lower straps to the front and under each wing, snapping bolts to the two rings on the bottom sides of the inverted cross-section.

    • 4

      Medium and large perching harness: Hook the leash to the D-ring and unsnap all three bolts on the harness. Face the cockatoo towards you and place a cross-section of the harness on the bird's chest, with the D-ring and leash suspended down in the direction of its feet. Put the strap that now expands from the upper ring of the cross-section to the left of the cockatoo's neck (as the bird faces you) over the bird's shoulder, and hold the bolt of the single loose strap. Gently pull around the bird's neck and snap to the top ring of the cross-section. Bring the two lower straps to the front and under each wing, snapping the bolts to the two rings on the bottom sides of the inverted cross-section.

    • 5

      Adjust the harnesses by sliding the small metal slide to shorten the strap to the suitable length; the harness should fit snugly on the high part of the cockatoo's body. It should not, however, be so tight that it rubs or so loose on the lower straps that the cockatoo can snag its foot in the strap. Always try to adjust the harness as much as possible before putting it on.