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.