If you've ever lived with an umbrella cockatoo, you know they're basically feathered escape artists. These birds are ridiculously smart, sneaky, and always looking for ways to cause a little (or a lot of) chaos. So, what happens when one actually manages to break out of their cage? Well... let's just say it's an adventure.

One minute, your cockatoo is safely in his cage. The next? The door is swinging open, feathers are on the floor, and there's not a bird in sight. Cue the immediate panic. Is he hiding under the couch? Did he make a break for the kitchen? Worse, did he somehow get outside?! If you have an umbrella cockatoo, you already know they don't do "subtle". Odds are, you'll hear a proud squawk from somewhere up high, because of course, they always go for the hardest-to-reach spot in the house. You turn around, and there he is, perched on top of a cabinet, puffed up like a little king, acting like he just pulled off the greatest heist of all time.

Now comes the fun part: actually, getting him down. You grab a treat, his favorite, obviously, and hold it out like a peace offering. He stares at you. Bobs his head. Maybe even gives you a cheeky little "Hello!" before side-stepping away like you didn't just catch him red-handed. Try to grab him? Nope. Offer a perch? Ha, good luck. At this point, you're basically part of his latest game: Watch the Human Try to Catch Me. It's frustrating, hilarious, and a little impressive all at once. Eventually, after enough bribery (or just when he decides he's done), he'll let you scoop him up and return him to his cage, where he immediately starts plotting his next escape.

If your cockatoo breaks out once, you better believe he'll try again. So, double-check those latches, add extra clips, and maybe give him some more playtime so he doesn't feel the need to "explore" on his own. At the end of the day, having a cockatoo means expecting the unexpected. Sure, they keep you on your toes, but honestly? Life would be way too boring without them.