Why do people have birds as pets? Isn't this cruel?

Question

Unlike a cat or a dog, a bird seems to be totally oblivious to its owner and to shut up a bird in a cage seems to run counter to a bird's nature. Why don't people who cage birds just become bird watchers instead?

Answer 1

I have an umbrella cockatoo that loves human contact so much he becomes depressed when I work a long day. He loves his cage becuase it means safety and home to him. He has food provided and water. He knows no animals will ever attack him for food. He loves to snuggle with me for hours. When I open his cage door and let him out he usually chooses to stay inside unless I pick him up, then he just wants to cuddle. When I take him outside he clings to me. He is not at all oblivious to me. His world revolves around me. He speaks in my voice and preens my hair and tries to feed me. He thinks I am his mate. He loves living in his cage, and I don't think he would be any happier in the wild.

My Derbyan parakeet rules the house. She knows where everything and everyone should be and if you're out of place she will let you know. She gets breakfast at the table with the family on a small table perch. She sits on your shoulder when you are on the computer. She spends most of the day on the top of her cage, telling everyone what to do around the house and demanding attention from all who pass her. She will go outside after a shower to dry off and walk around the yard like she owns it. The dog follows and protects her, shooing all wild birds away (becuase our dog knows the difference between a pet and a wild bird), then when she is dry and has had enough fun in the yard she will come to the back door and scream to be allowed back in to her home. She is the queen of her house and she loves it.

Some birds are just as domesticated as a dog or cat. Handfed babies are completly different creatures than their wild family. Someday you should go to a real bird store (not petco or petsmart) and talk to the people there. Get to know some of the birds. I think you will be plesantly surprised at how much they like human contact.

Answer 2

Its cruel for most people to own a bird, but not for the reasons that you describe. Birds need a home, and when domesticated the bird does see the cage as its home. The place where its safest, where it knows it will get food and water, where it can sleep not having to worry abou predators. The reason that it is cruel, is that unlike your comment about being oblivious to their owners, birds in fact become highly bonded to their owners. The cruelty is that many people live too hectic of a life to be able to give their bird the type of attention that they require to maintain a high quality of life.

Answer 3

No, it is not cruel. I have a 15 year old cockatiel who is a spoiled brat. He spends 60% of his time outside of his cage. His wings are un-clipped, so he has free range to fly and walk around the house as much as he likes, but he's fine just hanging out on my shoulder. Like other have said, having a bird like that safe inside a home is the best place for him to be. When something scares him, he looks to me as if I was his mother, and I "protect him". He eats with me, sleeps with me, and even showers with me (as strange as that may seem lol).

When he was about 6 years old, he got loose for 11 hours in the February snow. We found him in a tree at the end of the day, and he was freezing. Neighbors helped us track him down, and told us that he was being chased by a crow. We searched for him non-stop for the whole day.

We only cover him at night, and he wakes up with us bright and early every morning. He is the happiest bird, and he is loved like he is a child, not a pet. I cannot imagine how this can be called "cruel". I will agree, some people that have birds and keep them caged all the time.. that's wrong. Clipping their wings, and not giving them attention is a horrible thing to do. They are family-oriented like humans, and need constant attention... this can be why they scream all the time. No one should have a bird if they are not prepared to give it attention.

(As for the person ahead of me, who speaks of letting it fly outside, or shooting it with a shotgun... maybe someone should do the same to you. If you don't like it, tell your father to give the bird attention, or give it to someone who deserves to have a bird.)

Answer 4

I'm no fan of having a pet bird but we had parekeets when I was growing up. We would let them out of the cage all the time. They showed emotion. They would come to us when we called.
We would leave the cage open for hours and when the bird was ready, it would go back into the cage.
Sometimes, birds want the human contact.

Answer 5

I agree that the freedom of the skies seems a better option but sadly the hard reality is that we are destroying their habitats and the only chance of continued survival might be in cages (hopefully in zoos or with people that care about protecting them). If the Dodo existed today, we would lavish care on it and provide ideal environments for them...but we are too late...there are many more...they also are in the past. Freedom is not always a sign of safety. Tigers are endangered in their native lands, the Sumatran rhino is bordering on extinction, the orangs and other primates are fast vanishing. is it better for them to be a photo in a biology book or as a surviving species. Many bird fanciers are breeding their pets and thus insuring their survival Many finches, and Macaws are threatened but captive breeding insures that your great grandchildren have the chance to see the beauty of nature

Answer 6

I have always thought that this was the greatest form of playa haterism ever. The thing could fly, so you clip its wings and keep it in a cage? If I was someone's pet bird, I would just sing sweetly and look cute waiting for the day they left that cage door open. Then its eye peckin time.

Answer 7

Birds like other pets have individual personallities and if you have ever owned one and spent time with it you will know that they are not totally oblivious to their owners most inter act with them on a regular basis. the variations in personalities of bird species is great finches for example do not have the ability to speak and thus they interact differently withtheir owner than say a parrot. as for birds who are just caged they have shorter life spands than ones who are allowed to fly in either an avary or a secure room in the house from time to time. Do your research by reading birds owners guides and talk with avid bird owners. bird watching is a particular favorite activity of mine but their is no substitute for my social interaction with my parakeets.

Answer 8

It might seem restrictive, though that doesn't make it cruel. That's too strong a word.

It seems like human nature to want to possess pets, for reasons including people's own enjoyment, companionship, security or for wider social reasons. Of course, it's not just limited to birds though. People keep primates and all sorts.

I've sometimes wondered how we might respond if we were captured by a species stronger and more intelligent us, and kept as pets in their habitats.

When Golden Lion Tamarins were discovered, they were plentiful. But people started collecting them to keep as pets. Now, due to humans destroying most of their natural habitat, in the Atlantic Coastal Forest, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by logging, they're on the endangered list.

Someone once rightly said that they were victims of their own beauty.

Link:
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Leontopithecus_rosalia/

Answer 9

Cruel to the human. I am a SLAVE to my birds. Cooking, cleaning, being a human chew toy. That being said, I wouldn't ever trade them for anything in the world. They're like my children.

Answer 10

Yes, it is, because my dad owns a cockatail (sp?). It's the most annoying thing in the world because it won't stop sqwaking and we usually end up covering the thing up with a blanket in daylight. It's screams are so loud, it feels like it can physically pierce through my eardrum. So many times have I thought about just letting it fly out of the house or taking a shotgun to it just to stop the pain. But that's just my two cents.