keeping parrots (merged)

Gingham_Ribbon

Sorry. I used to keep budgies when I was much younger and really did enjoy them, and I know that people usually really love their pets and look after them well, but I don't believe that birds should be caged - whether it has bars or 4 walls.

Same for indoor cats, same for fish in tiny bowls. And the trade in birds and fish when you just scratch the surface is not good at all. (I kept fish too. And would be happy to keep fish bred here in a large aquarium. But not ones netted or drugged, damaging their habitat and killing most of them in the process.)

I don't buy pet supplies or garden plants from anywhere with caged birds or tropical fish.

I don't want to offend dedicated, considerate pet owners as I'm sure their individual pets are probably happy. Just looking at the big picture.

meher

Tojo_Ralph wrote:

IMHO it is indeed cruel to domesticate wild animals for the amusement of humans... Man may well be atop the food chain, but that's no reason to abuse his position.

As for a hand reared bird not native to these shores or its climate not lasting two minutes in the wild if released, that is of course a given.

Absolutely - I liked that point addressed very much - man domesticating animals just for the sake of amusement - so sadly true.

I appreciate and it's a fact of life that bigger birds and some animals kill little birds but then nature has provided for animals ways of protecting themselves too and it's unbeleivable and fascinating that they do learn to care for themselves with their physical traits, instincts and behavior. Wish people let animals and birds enjoy nature and learn to watch them enjoy nature which is what was intended in the first place.

Having said that I've noticed that some of the animals lovers have greatest characteristic of being humane and of benevolence and even little children seem to learn to care and nurture at a very young age.

pennineman

Is it cruel? Yes. Very. Think for once before you buy.

tankgirl - any animal caged in any way is cruel.

urban_spirit

I have a friend that has a parrot. Not only is it kept in a small cage, she clipped its wings so it couldnt fly when it was out of the cage. Very 'inconvenient' for her it flying (!) I went absolutely ape-sh** and asked how she would feel if her legs were made unusable! etc

Keeping parrots? Cruel.

(Do some garden centres sell animals?)

nelly_2

Its cruel to keep it as cheap labour, like a receptionist.

Quincy_3

I have a Chicken In the Freezer, I think thats cruel as he's dead now.

Gingham_Ribbon

urban_spirit wrote:

(Do some garden centres sell animals?)
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The one near us only has some goldfish in ponds. But the one near FIL has a wide selection of exotic tropical fish which may have been farmed in the way I described above. Pet supply stores often have small animals and birds in tiny cages.

juno

My parrot's hardly ever in his cage. He thinks going in it (apart from for sleeping or eating) is a punishment! Is that cruel?

Rikki

Quincy wrote:

I have a Chicken In the Freezer, I think thats cruel as he's dead now.

:eek: I hope it was when you put it in too. :rotfl:

Gingham_Ribbon

juno wrote:

My parrot's hardly ever in his cage. He thinks going in it (apart from for sleeping or eating) is a punishment! Is that cruel?

My budgies spent most of their time outside the cage too. But they were still in a cage. My living room. I think they were happy but with hindsight I think they would have been happier if they were free.