(09-13-2013, 11:33 PM)Ram Wrote: "Birds are meant to be flying about"... I can't understand you. Would you say "cats and dogs are meant to be running about"? It just like when people "release" a dog or a cat, it is actually unethical to do that because these pets are unable to fend for themselves. You release them, you are dooming them to death. You are not "freeing" them by any means, you are in fact abandoning them. Abandoning is the right word to use.
You've got me entirely wrong. When you keep a dog or a cat at home, do you put them on chains and keep them tied to a place? They do walk and run about, don't they? You even take them out for walks. If caging a tiger is seen as "animal cruelty", why isn't it the same for birds? As human beings, are you kept bound within limited boundaries?
See, I have two squirrels, they are meant to be in the open. But having rescued and raised them indoors, I know releasing them would put their lives in danger. So we've kept them but we haven't caged them. They are allowed to roam freely about the house, their movement isn't restricted. Instead we take the pains to keep the windows closed as much as we can for their safety.
Similarly if one is going to pet birds, it shouldn't be just for one's happiness and enjoyment. Since you love your pets, you have to think about them too. Why not get an aviary? If you have no provision for that, I'm sorry. You shouldn't consider a bird then. I know I can't change the past, but I can do something about it now, right