To the people who are always whining about us keeping our birds in cages...?

Question

I'm curious. Why do you think this way, what brought you to this line of thinking?

Are you involved at all with PETA? Do you have animals of your own? If you do, what kind are they and how do you differently keep your animals to live up to your (forgive me) Bleeding Heart Liberal sense of direction?

I ask because I keep seeing answers to all these questions about how keeping an exotic bird is sin and evil and cruel...I just want to know VALID reasons why you think so. Once we've got those answers, we can take a few of those and give our sides of the story...

Just wanted to say that so far these are all great answers...I too agree that people in general don't know enough about them before buying them. But, I think we can change that. And...I don't agree with catching wild birds and trying to domesticate them either. I only agree with hardworking breeders and the decent pet stores out there that work hard for their babies and to provide these awesome companions to us to live with and enjoy life with.

Answer 1

if birds are bred as pets (exotic bird breeders or pet stores) I have absolutely no problem with people owning them as pets. What I am concerned about is if an exotic bird is taken out of the wild to be smuggled into the country specifically to sell to someone as a pet. Or if an endangered species is taken out of the wild for that purpose. It is very important that people REALLY know WHERE the bird is coming from. Even pet stores can obtain birds illegally to sell as pets. If you are contributing to the decline of birds in the wild, especially endangered species, then YES, I am very concerned and against people getting those birds as pets. As long as there is a demand for exotic birds as pets, they will continue to be taken from the wild illegally for that purpose. And, no, not affiliated with PETA in any way.

Answer 2

Hi there. I think that many people that are against caged birds have many valid reasons. Birds live in flocks, birds forage for food and fly at will. I don't believe the exotic bird market is going to go away. Many people don't feed their birds properly and they die from malnutrition or through compromised immune systems. Many people will not utilize an avian vet so the bird suffers. Many birds are abused or abandoned. They view birds as cute ornaments. I think education is the key. If breeders and pet stores would take the extra step to provide free information,it would be a good start. Yes, I am a bleeding heart,tree hugging, hippie, pinkofag liberal. My birds are well taken care of because since they are forced to be caged birds, I try my hardest to give them the best life ever. Have a tweet year and thanks for posting this.

Answer 3

I wonder that too.

Many people are totally unaware or ignorant (for lack of kinder word) of birds' needs and instincts. Birds are so notoriously curious that they can and will get into anything and everything if given a sliver of opportunity. Good bird owners buy spacious cages for their captive bred pet parrots (I also agree with one of the answers above that wild-caught birds are significantly less happy because the wilderness is what they know - not being behind bars in a strange place) so that they have room to fly anyway. Mental stimulation is satisfied with varieties of toys, foot pain and other pains are avoided with proper research, care, variations of perches that simulate the wild, and proper avian vet care. Not only that, but many birds get tons of time out of the cage anyway interacting with their humans and free-flying a bird-safe room under the careful, watchful eye of a supervising human should something ever happen.

I don't at all see it as a jail, and I don't think my birds do either. They willingly go back to their cages because it's their home and it's where they feel safe. Saying this is like a prison to them would be the equivalent of saying cavemen would hate to be locked up in one of our modern-day houses where everything is provided, but that's obviously not what cave people knew.

People aren't aware of all of the safety hazards in a human home. Parrot proofing is far more than baby proofing or dog proofing. We have to consider all of the wirings, on the ground, on the ceiling, everywhere in between. We have to consider the places they chew, what they have access to, what could and could not potentially harm them - and the list of potential harms is virtually endless. Even so much as leaving a glass of water unattended for two minutes could wind someone up with a drowned bird. And even though birds are vocal, that doesn't mean they can't get lost. They can and will be silent and can squeeze through crevices you couldn't imagine jamming a couple fingers through.

And FYI - this is an example of why we need cages for our pet birds: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoeKSHkwfho_odfinY_DJcDN7BR.?qid=20070128193100AAddnxw
I like to think the fate of that bird could have been changed and it would be happy and healthy if it had something securing it from the rest of the house, and even specifically, from bathroom cleaning fumes and kitchen fumes from cooking and maybe even possibly overheated non-stick cookware and other airborne hazards.

Answer 4

I will tell you why, but first I have my own question. What makes you think that people involved in animal welfare are all part of PETA? I know nothing about PETA, yet I work in animal welfare, anyway to the point.

The most natural thing to birds is flight. Therefore this should not be taken away from them. Would you like to be put in prison for doing nothing wrong? Probably not. If they live in large avaries where they have the room to fly, I do not have any problem with this.

My main concern with people buying exotic animals is that they rarely know anything about them, and they end up in rescue centres in an awful mess. We had a pionus with gout due to being fed nothing but peanuts who had to have a toe removed and a bald red mitred conure living in a so-called budgie cage living on nothing but sunflower seeds, who had plucked himself raw as he was so bored. Now tell me what is not cruel about this? These are just two examples.

Answer 5

I am a bird owner, and my birds each have their own cage. They are in their cages when we are not home or when we are cooking because they are both curious little guys and they want to help cook dinner. They come out almost all the time other then that except when they are being exceptionally naughty or when there are people over who are scared of them.

I don't agree when people buy birds - no matter what kind of bird - just to keep it as a decoration. They are animals, they are living beings, and it's not fair to them to be confined to tiny quarters. I can't say I whine, but I feel very bad for the poor animal. I agree with putting them in their cages when there is a crowed over, or when you are not home or cooking... But to keep them in there all the time with out ever letting them out to play with you and love you is comparative to a criminal in jail. Always confined to one cell, which is where he eats and sleeps and lives and poops. Not fun.

Answer 6

i share my life with many types of animals.i raise my children to love and respect animals as well as people with different views as us. i have 7 parrots, i did my research for a while before i purchased any of my parrots. everyone of my parrots have their own cage and they share tree stands my husband made. my husband makes a joke to his friends that the birds eat better then he does. i do not work outside my home so, my birds are only in their cages at night when we are sleeping. they talk, play and bath with us everyday and they taken to the vet every 6 months for check ups. some people just aren't happy in less they can find someone to pick on. yes i agree, some people do not know how to take care of parrots and that upsets me as well, but i do provide for all of my animals and they are very well taken care of.i do agree that these people have some strange views about us parrot owners but, i know i'm not evil or cruel, so we have to try and turn the other cheek!!!!

Answer 7

conserving chicken interior the cage and offering spectacular circumstances nutrition, toysz stimulation and out of doors cage time are no longer merciless. take a glance what's happening in nature, many parrots went extinc by using looking, starvation, pollutants, categorised as pest, deforestation , international warming , sickness etc. in captivity those may well be noticeably much prevented .