Is keeping a parrot as a pet inhumane?
I have always wanted to have a parrot, specifically a cockatoo. Recently, after watching several documentaries on the subject of birds as pets, I am finding it quite distressing and struggling with the humaneness of keeping one; even though I know there are parrots out there that are completely bonded to humans and need adoption.
I believe its inhumane to keep a parrot as pet because these birds are meant to fly and we cannot cut their wings so we are promoting slavery.
I am not positive, but I believe that most captive parrots have their wings clipped to prevent them from flying. However, I agree clipped or not, it does feel like slavery.
yes my dear....i know parrots are very intelligent and responsive but the nature has made them to fly and should not be kept as slaves
What animals do you recommend that I can keep as my slaves Josh?
You sound unsure that a horse makes a better slave than a parakeet. What did the poor horse do to deserve slave status? Actual human slaves didn't have their body parts clipped, so why is it OK for horses and not a bird?
There is a huge difference between a horse and a dog. Wild dogs are coyotes and wolves. Wild horses are just wild. The meaning of breaking a horse is just that. Breaking them of their natural instincts to run free so that we can ride, pack and race.
Yes there is a huge difference between a horse and a dog. One is a horse (Equus ferus caballus) which is an odd-toed ungulate, the other is a dog (Canis lupus familiaris), a canid (none descended from coyotes).
Well my point was that I would never look at a dog as a slave. I am not making it do anything. But with a horse, the act of breaking it to ride or pack or whatever...definitely slave like.
well there are uses to both animals. Horse was used in traveling for centuries and dogs were kept for protection. You are not just making them salves inside your homes. If incase this technology rolls back then how would you be able to travel?
I don't think keeping any bird as a pet is any more or less humane than any other type of pet. If what Josh said about clipping their wings is the reason you're wondering, you don't have to do that. I've known people who had parrots and let them fly around the house.
Actually what mostly bothers me is the abandonment issues that parrots suffer from when they are separated from their bonded love, which is suppose to be another bird rather than a human. They can live 90 years. Many have a dozen owners through life.
I have read about that - the bonded love. I see what you mean. That would also bother me.
If you don't like that parrots swap homes then don't get one if you aren't fairly sure it will be your lifelong pet. There are plenty of birds in rescue, including older ones, that will have a shorter lifespan. My old bird, a cockatiel, would only fly when startled. He was generally confused and flustered after it. My current bird, a green aracari (not a parrot) almost never flies for long, just short bursts to get to forbidden places like the area where my aloe vera plant is to try and eat it. Flying is not as important to them as people like to assume. It is far more important to them to have socialization.
I am sure that I will adopt a lifelong friend when I am ready. I just really feel terrible like I am contributing to the problem, even if I am adopting and rescuing. I will definitely make the choice to get a bird that matches me in age.
All you would be doing is denying a bird a home that needs it, just like not adopting a dog because there are puppy mills.
Not really inhumane, but those birds should not be kept as pets because they are some of the endangered species out there. so, it's better to free them on the wild. Just choose other pets.
There is no way a parrot can go from being a pet back to being a wild bird. They cant learn to properly hunt and forage as pets, making them targets to other predators for sure.
Bird ownership is often misunderstood due to peoples' romantical idea that birds want to fly all the time. But how do we know that a bird wants to do that? Simply because it has wings? Because a dog has teeth designed to kill other animals doesn't mean that it longs for that - and even if it did, would we let them do it? A bird is so much more than the sum of his primary flight feathers, and clipping them is not only cruelty free, it is also a safety precaution. Birds get around just fine without flight, and they live safer lives on average. They are more handleable, generally more trusting, and easier to train. Clipping the feathers of a bird is no more cruel than trimming the nails on a cat to keep it from scratching everyone, or shaving the fur off a dog to keep it cool during the winter, or keeping a dog in a fenced yard. We are helping animals help themselves and this in no way hinders their ability to live happy, wonderful lives.
I work at an exotic vet clinic where the majority of our clientele are birds, I work with them all day, every day. They require a lot of attention. Constant enrichment. A good diet. Close supervision. The list goes on. But birds make fantastic, wildly rewarding pets. Their antics are endlessly entertaining. Their beauty and intelligence is awe inspiring. And their personalities are familiar. We often see ourselves in them. They enjoy cuddling, they understand laughter, they dance, they get angry. Every passionate emotion we feel, they seem to express it too. It's no wonder that people bond to them so easily, and they so easily to us.
I do not think that by watching animal documentaries, which are often times laced with the personal agendas of the directors/producers, you are getting an accurate idea of what bird ownership truly is. I would recommend familiarizing yourself with real life bird communities instead. Talk and meet bird owners, attend conventions or meetups, speak with vets who regularly see birds, etc. You will find, using your own eyes and ears, that bird ownership is anything but cruel, instead of just taking in what a documentary wants you to take in.
Some documentaries are great sources of information, but you must remember that the word "documentary" doesn't really mean anything in and of itself. "UFOs In The Third Reich" is also a documentary, and I think we can all agree that there are some things on TV that are really just out there to cause a stir, or to promote an agenda. Be mindful, stay smart
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