I did! And you're absolutely right, (depending on the species) they are obnoxiously loud. Bigger birds need hours and hours of attention and time out of their cages everyday, or they'll go crazy and get stressed. Unfortunately, many people don't realize this and they get a big amazon or cockatoo because they're 'exotic' and they're great talkers, but they don't realize how much time and attention they need to give the birds, and in some unfortunate situations they end up abusing the birds when they start screaming and squawking. That's why I'm loving working at this place once a week. I get to talk and play and take care of the birds for a few hours, then not have to deal with the noise and the other responsibilities that come with owning birds.
Do you think it's somewhat cruel to have a bird in a cage or in a home? I've always thought that out of all the caged animals, birds were the greatest travesty. I could be completely mistaken and there could be a very special relationship there that is in the birds best interest, but somehow I doubt that. What are your thoughts on that?
In a lot of cases, yeah, I'd definitely agree that it can be cruel. But there are also a lot of birds that prefer people over other birds, and love living with humans. And there are also birds like cockatiels and budgies that are generally quiet and mild-mannered, and will bond quite easily with other birds of their own species, and make really great pets when they're kept in pairs. Even the bigger birds that need lots of attention everyday can be happy and make great pets, but only with the right owners, of which there are generally not many. I'd say it can go either way, and generally needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis.