[crazywiggy]

4Piggers

You seem to be missing the point of my post completely. I do not believe parrots should be kept as pets. I do not think it should be legal. Why the hell would I try to give advice on correct parrot care when the ONLY advice I believe is simply "don't keep parrots"?

Someone is going to read this...think....wow, I only have one parrot for the past 10 years....maybe she is right.

Right.... So someone is going to come onto a guinea pig forum, see a thread about how horrible it is that parrots are being surrendered and euthanised becuase no one can cope with them, read all the posts about how sad the situation is and how hard it is to keep parrots properly - and then decide to pick out ONE WORD in my anti-parrot rant and base their parrot care on that?

Pairs? and NEUTERING? This thread is just getting insane.

I repeat - "I'm no expert on parrots and never claimed to be."

And...this double standard that no one can make a bird happy in a home. Who is to say your pigs are happy?(just because you add an extra grid to their confinment?) Or your dog, cat, fish, horse, rabbit, sheep....I could go on....

Will you please actually READ what I am trying to say before jumping to conclusions?

All animals are different so they have "species specific" requirements. However, there are some basic principles that apply across all animal species. These include a proper diet, suitable accomodation, adequate exercise, the ability to exhibit natural behaviours, etc.

One thing that proves true across every species ever studied is that keeping animals in unnatural / impoverished / boring environments - or where they can not exhibit normal behaviours - causes chronic stress. This leads to a variety of health and welfare problems.

So let look at parrots shall we?

1) All animal should have a permanent home. Since many species live to 50-60 years, and Macaws even 100, there is a HIGH chance if you get a parrot when you are already an adult yourself, the parrot may outlive you. Personally - I do not think ANY animal likely to outlive its owner is a suitable pet.

2) Freedom to express natural behaviour. What is one, single most important natural behaviour of almost every avian species? FLIGHT! Not just pointless flapping, or hopping from one perch to the next, but actual flight. Birds in cages can not fly.

In my opinion keeping a bird in a cage that is too small for it to fly is no different to keeping a mammal in a cage too small for it to walk.

Keeping a bird in a cage which prevents flight is therefore likely to cause a lack of exercise, frustration of natural behaviours, and generally stress and suffering.

Parrots are also large as pet birds go. An aviary that would allow a budgie to fly is still going to be far too small for a macaw to fly.

Since very few people have enough land to actually provide a large enough enclosure for their parrot to actually fly, I would say that they can not provide the parrot with what it needs.

3) Parrots are a social species, naturally living in large flocks. You have implied yourself that parrots should be kept singly as they will then bond to their owners and not another parrot etc? But then many other people have the problem mentioned in the original article - the parrot wants the company of its human all the time - and suffers when this is not possible.

So look at it this way:
You take a bird that is a naturally social species that hates to be alone. It can not be housed socially under normal "pet" conditions because this causes various problems (ie stress and suffering). So the only alternative is to keep parrots singly which caues - yes that's right - stress and suffering!

So basically, it is not possible to meet the parrots social needs in a pet envirnment.

4) Natural behaviours part 2. These large, social animal are though to have the intelligence levels of a human child. They lead complex lives, in a vast and complex environment.

Are you seriously telling me that keeping such an animal in a cage too small for it to move, with only a cuttlefish, a mirror and a bell is adequate?

On the other hand:

Who is to say your pigs are happy?

Well let me see. In order to be happy and healthy my pigs need a proper diet, suitable accomodation, freedom to express natural behaviours etc.

My pigs are in a cage large enough for me to provide enrichment, and still have enough space to exhibit normal locomotor activity - inc walking, running, playing piggie trains, popcorning, etc. They can exhibit their natural behaviour of chewing (unlimited hay, and toys - cardboard, wood etc), hiding (at least one hidey per pig), social interaction (I do not believe in keeping pigs alone), exploring (I rearrange the cage, or swap toys around). They are not denied anything except the opportunity to breed - and seeing as they can not see / smell / hear any males around this is unlikely to bother them.

How do I know they are happy?

Well, not only have I provided for their needs, they also behave normally and show no signs of stress or suffering. Unlike many parrots my guinea pigs do not show any abnormal or stereotypic behaviour, over grooming, or self harm.

Let me put it another way. THOUSANDS of parrots suffer from poor care in pet homes. Thousands die either from that poor care or euthanasia. That is not to mention the thousands that suffer and die in the trade in wild caught parrots - a trade would be almost eradicated if parrots were no longer kept as pets.
There are very, very few people who have the knowledge and understanding, space, time, money, and dedication to keep parrots in a decent way that does not cause suffering.

I feel it is better to protect the lives and prevent the suffering of thousands of birds than the rights of the few pet owners who could care for them properly.