I've never had a bird but I would like to have one, and often take my 12mth old baby girl to the petshop to look at them (since she loves the ones she sees in the street so much).

I'll never forget teaching a life-coaching course a couple of years ago and one of the students (not the most outstanding by any stretch.. say no more... ) on the last day, got up to give her speech about what lifecoaching meant to her. She went on and on and on and on and on with irrelevant details as she normally did, not connecting with anyone (she never did), being all about herself as she always was. Anyway (judgemental cow aren't I?) her story was about a bird she bought for her grand-daughter against her daughter's (ie the mothers) wishes. That was enough to get my goat.

The story went on about this bird and how the grand-daughter loved it. Long story short.. the bird was left outside in his cage on a freezing night and was found dead the next morning. This she thought was an amusing anecdote.

I had to get up and leave the room I was so upset. Anyway - that's a longwinded way of saying I agree. Birds are under-rated. If a puppy or kitten was found dead the next morning there would have been shock and sadness, not the twitter of giggles I heard that day. I'll never forget it.