I have always felt sorry for caged birds and vowed never to have them. But when Ron and I met he already had two male cockatiels named Him and Him. They were juveniles at the pet store and someone made a mistake in identifying the sex in one of them. They were supposed to be Him and Her. Anyways, they were not getting any younger and last night when we went out to their bird room (a small addition on the side of the garage with lots of windows)one of the Hims was deceased. Well, I just couldn't let the remaining Him be without a feathered friend so I went to the pet shop today and got a Her. I am quite enamoured with her. She already sits on Ron's finger and eats millet calmly. I guess if she never knew what it was like to be free she can't miss it. But part of me still feels a little guilty. muddy
I never liked caged birds either but if you have a nice big space it is better than in the tiny ones in the pet store. I feel the same about the feral cats Sharon and I feed we have the ones we can catch fixed but the others are contributing to the problem its a catch 22. Don't feel to guilty
Sorry to hear about one of the Hims Muddy. I'd bet the remaining Him doesn't know how to behave now that he is 'under the thumb' with the new Her I think a bird room is a great idea. Any chance of a piccie?
Muddy I don't think you should feel guilty in the least for having caged birds - although I admit they should be in the wild ideally. YOU didn't bring the original birds into the country and surely it's much better to have a caring home than stuck in a pet shop or mistreated by someone who doesn't know how to look after them properly? Sorry to hear about 'Him' but I'll bet that the other 'Him' is delighted with his new companion. :-D
I'm sorry about Him Muddy. I also have never liked caged birds, although Grandma always had a parakeet or two and a friend of ours had cockatiels. They are lovely birds.
I had the most wonderful African Grey Parrott, Togo. He was 7 years old when he was attacked and killed by Donna's niece's spitz. After that, I stopped allowing Donna's niece in the house. Togo talked and made sense...more than most people.
I have always had birds. When I get them as babies their wings are usually clipped and I take them out side with me. When their wings grow in I open their cage and let them fly around the house in a semi-supervised way.(No big pots of boiling water on the stove) They never seem to miss outside and once they can fly I don't feel I can clip their wings. They seem to be very happy. 8)
I have three parakeets and I've never seen their cage as a "cage" - it is simply their home, and they love it. I open it on a regular basis for them to fly around the house but sometimes they just don't want to leave it. They prefer to hang around their 'house' and happily go back in when I tell them "Go in - time to be done flying. Go in!" One is a real 'perch potato' and we have to make her get out to fly. She'd rather just sit in there and eat. Their cage makes them feel safe - they don't have the ideas about 'bars' that we have to make it negative for them.
The fact that a wild cockatiel can live to 40 in the wild compared to 12 to 15 or 20 (if you are lucky) in a domestic situation does concern me. I know she is better here than in a pet store but I can't help feeling the way I do. I still can't get myself to think that it is ok to keep a creature that would soar the skies had her ancestors not been captured from the wild. I know it could be pointed out tht I ride horses but I really don't think that the way most people keep horses deprives them of an essential part of their "horseness". I don't doubt that these caged birds are perfectly satisfied with their cages and I am not judging anyone that has a different opinion than mine. When I have more time I'll take a pic. muddy
