AIBU to say that no one should own a caged pet?

[Time2change2]

My parents loved animals and hated to see caged pets ie rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs etc. I did end up having one or two of these as a child but they always hated it really.
Now I have DC and they ask regularly for a rabbit, hamster etc. I just can’t agree. I think it’s so cruel. Hamsters gnaw on the bars all night to try in vain to get out.
Rabbits stuck in hutches or small runs all day.
Many people claim to love animals but how can they when they are caging animals? I can’t even stand to see fish in a tank!
Hate house cats too. Also think it’s cruel.

I think all hamster cages should have tunnels. I'm certain this is why ours last so long.

These animals have been bred as companion animals and live far longer happier lives than they would in the wild (providing owners do their research).

Time2change2 thanks he was over 11years when he died in his sleep. His mother was a large domestic white rabbit owned by my friend and his father was a wild rabbit who broke in in my experience rabbits are smarter than you think and love being with people if they haven't got other company.All animals need food & shelter but also need company and enrichment in their environment.

Completely agree OP. I have very strong views about animals kept in cages. Definately against young kids being bought a rabbit that is stuck in a small hutch in a garden. Makes me rage and cry. Bloody awful

I agree an Alaska is probably suitable for an elderly, less mobile hamster. Yes it is bigger than most of the cages at PoH but the PoH cages are mostly woefully inadequate. An Alaska is barely adequate at best for an active hamster.

"Also rabbits don’t want human interaction"

Have you ever lived around wild rabbits? Once they work out that you , or the local cats aren't a threat, they do come and interact. Not all of them, it depends on their personalities.

I think that you need to study some animals more. Rabbits and rodents are territorial and don't just wander for miles. They should have enough room to be active, but their environments can be made enriching enough for them. A lot of people don't, which is the problem.

I've currently got dwarf lionhead rabbits. I got them as rescues. They come to us to get brushed and head rubs. They are litter trained and go and wake my Adult DD up, if she isn't up by 11am. Their outdoor run extends over soil, as well as grass, but they don't dig outside. They like their paper digging box better.

Likewise it depends on the breed of dog and your lifestyle. I used to go camping regularly with my dog and we spent the days when I wasn't at work, walking coastal paths etc. We have good local walks as well. I had a German shepherd and he was happy to be left.

I agree with you about birds and deliberately getting an non pedigree indoor cat. I also don't support breeding. All of my pets have been abandoned.

Zoos should be about conservation, most are now and take part in global breeding programs. We have a local rare breed farm and the goats, lambs and piglets (who aren't killed) are happy to interact in a 'petting zoo' way.

I have a dilemma over the races, because The Grand National brings in a lot of much needed income for Liverpool but the industry behind it is one of extreme cruelty. Likewise grey hound racing.

Years ago I had two cockatiels, they had a huge cage in the house, but they were always out of the cage in the daytime.They use to follow me about,sitting on my shoulder,even when I was making the bed upstairs, and would even sit on the vacuum cleaner when I was hoovering. Cockatiels tend to walk about, and not fly around.

At about 9pm. they would both go into their cage on their own, and one of them would hook onto the cage door, and pull it shut for the night, before they slept on their perches.

My rabbits are from rescues, they are inside from the end of October (before the fireworks start) and then go back outside in the Spring/Summer when its warm enough, they have a whole bedroom inside and outside they have 24/7 access to over 100square foot of runs, they no longer get to free roam as the last time they did a Magpie swooped down and blinded one, thankfully I was in the garden at the time to see what happened and my bun was at the vets within 5 minutes which saved her life. But I personally think it would be pretty irresponsible of me to continue to let them free roam as you prefer, especially as the magpies still nest nearby.

I'd love for there to be a day where animals are no longer bred willy nilly for pets and all rescues are shut as they are no longer needed, but until that day happens I'll continue to rehome animals that need a bit of help, love and care ... and sadly in some cases a cage

I got my son a leopard Gecko after much begging, it's my first and last caged animal and if I could safely release it I would. It feels terrible cruel, and it eats live crickets which are kept in a plastic box - also cruel.
It' weird that this post is here as I was thinking about it an hour ago and saying to myself that I will never, ever, have a caged animal in my home again, not fish, nothing, it is very cruel.

Our guinea pigs are rescues. Kids really wanted a pet. I’m not a pet person but relented as at least we are giving the whines pigs a better life than they may have had.

They have a massive cage At least 6 times the size of the larger pets at home cages, it’s open topped, so more of an enclosure and takes up half of our good sized conservatory. They also have a run and small hutch outside for nice days.

Cats are kept indoors for their own safety, where I am people bait the ferals and there are many of them. Also the safety of the native animals.

We had fully free range chooks, we regret that now as a stray dog wiped out whole flock, if they had been locked up, they would be alive.

It's not hard to have a big rabbit hutch and then also a moveable one so you can give grass time. Plus round here, she would get eaten by the stray dog or Cats, or even the foxes. We see wild rabbit bodies daily on the roads

This no pets crap has a very militant vegan feel to it.

I had two rescue cats which were Persian-type breeds and the laziest creatures known to man 😅 They had previously been house cats and kept in quite a small space indoors and starved of human interaction. They were absolutely beloved and I adored them. I tried to tempt one of them into the garden - the other one was just too nervous - but he just wasn't interested. They liked to laze in the sunny conservatory and slept on my bed. They were very content just hanging out and had zero interest in doing anything outside.

I also had a rabbit, many years ago now. He was toilet-trained and was a house rabbit. He had the full run of the house etc and again, seemed very content. Bunnies do this funny little kick thing when they're happy so you can tell! Every night about 3am he'd get the zoomies and go chasing round the place. I'm a night owl so it didn't bother me in the slightest. He had a hutch that he could retreat to for peace if needed but he was never confined to it. He particularly liked to sit in front of the TV while we were watching it, lift a leg and very leisurely lick his own genitals. Such an exhibitionist 😅 Having seen the effects of fly strike, I'd never keep a rabbit outside. Or in a cage. Lots of house rabbits need to be rescued - usually lots looking for homes if anyone is interested!

How about rescue animals so you're not buying into the whole "new caged animal" dilemma?
These animals are already in need of a home, so the caged part is abit moot -still cruel prehaps, but they already need love, affection and time.

Reading this thread I feel so sad for the animals I had in cages in the past 😢

I had very beloved rat but he was on his own (i know now this is awful) he lived forever and unfortunately as I got older i lost more interest ( think 11 years old to mid teens) and he used to come out of his little door and sway waiting for me to pick him up, wish i could rewind time now and tell my teenage self - who genuinely didn't realise how sad the little fella was.

Also has made me worry about DS pets at his dads. They have a blind rescue rabbit in a tiny little cage in a kids bedroom. There's hardly room for the poor thing to move and the kids are hardly the most compassionate of kids (not my DC hes lovely, but half siblings too young/emotionally void to realise)

AIBU for wanting to break in and rescue? Lol!

I wouldn't have a caged animal either, and I particularly hate seeing caged birds.

I also thought that keeping cats indoors wasn't fair on them but then I rescued a cat and discovered that some don't want to go outdoors. Ours is a nervous type and runs away shaking if she comes into the kitchen and sees the back door open. My outdoor cat doesn't have a collar as I don't think they are safe.

I totally agree with you OP. I've seen a few rabbits as pets and they seem to hate it, scared all the time. Living in a small cage, unable to burrow, and cuddling with large predators aren't natural behaviours for them.

I slightly disagree on cats and dogs, they threw their lot in with us a long time ago. As they are true domestic animals who have been living with us for 50 000 years (dogs) and 5-10 000 years (cats), I think they can have happy lives with humans. In the case of dogs especially they have evolved/been bred to enjoy that. In a way that a prey animal like a rat or rabbit never will.

we have rabbits. The garden is large and sealed- they are out freely hopping all day. My plants are penned off.
At dusk they hop to their run/cage (huge) and go home for the night. They are let out as soon as I get up.
They love human interaction, are very happy and healthy and nudge us as we walk around the garden.
Nothing cruel about their life (they were rescue rabbits)

It really depends on what you do with the pets. i had rabbits from about 15 years on until about 25. I got them from rescues, and i got the ones that were incompatible with other small animals (one was seriously aggressive- she bit my parents dog who was sleeping at the time). I housetrained them, and they were free in my flat, and in their (massive) cage over night. They had a pretty good life.
don’t forget that natural life for most small animals is pretty cruel, so as long as they are clean, have enough interaction with whoever they prefer, and space to run and dig, climb, nest, its a good life.

I love seeing animals free roaming. My Gran and Grandad had a Macaw parrot in the 1980s that sat on a perch in the corner of the room never in a cage. They would take it outside with them in the garden and it would go off flying for half an hour then come home. It was the happiest animal. I hate caged birds most of all.

Whoever talked about pet slavery would change their minds if they saw my cats. They do exactly what they please, when they please (indoor or out) and they do absolutely nothing round the house or to earn us money so would definitely be fired as slaves!

My lizards and snakes would get a bit nippy if they roamed the house all the time

Have a Quaker parrot and two budgies. I raised the budgies from when they hatched. They have a massive cage, plenty of toys and I leave their door open all day.....they come out for five minutes, poop on the table, come over for a cuddle with me then go back in..on their own. Quaker parrot is out too and sits with me watching TV, playing at his toys or shouting at the wind. Also has a massive cage. I appreciate not every parrot or caged animals owner is the same and it infuriates me. My birds needs come before mine.

Outdoor cats are an invasive species and a menace to native wildlife. They also catch and share disease and are injured from fights and cars. You absolutely should keep your cat indoors.

I think you've missed the point, @BeyondDreamsOfBeyondFourWalls

Yes, I always wonder about a lot of it too but then some pets really are happy out when they're treated well. As for the house cat thing, the people next door to us keep all their cats out, and 2 of them come over to us and you can tell they'd adore to be in all the time being petted and wandering about. I've always felt for rabbits in cages but my sister has a huge run in their shed which seems to do the job. I actually find it a bit sad you have a dog but think it's like it's in slavery

@Time2change2 If a cat owner lives within a mile of a road it isn’t safe for the cat to roam, it also isn’t safe for a cat to roam if the area has foxes, badgers or dogs. Advocating for outdoor cats in towns and cities is advocating for them to suffer painful deaths. Cat proofing a garden is very easy and very cheap, I did mine at our last place, our cat never noticed as she went outside one to investigate and never went out again. £70 well spent