Cats and dogs are domestic animals, and they thrive best when they are cared for as our pets, which is how it is supposed to be. It is true that there are populations of stray cats living without any help from humans, but the lifespan of these cats would be very short compared to that of a house cat. They are prone to diseases and are bad for the environment. Therefore, it is ethical to keep cats indoors and rescue them from shelters.

Pigeons are as domestic as cats and dogs. They were one of the first birds ever domesticated and have been living alongside humans for hundreds of years. They have been bred to have many different traits, and even helped develop the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin.

Sadly, because pigeons have been so heavily bred, there are many types that don't even function as birds. An example of this is the parlor roller pigeon, whose wings have a deformity that causes them to be unable to fly. Instead when these birds are frightened (or tossed into the air) they attempt to fly, but end up somersaulting forwards uncontrollably. There are races and contests held where these birds are tossed onto the ground, and the one that rolls the farthest is the winner. Since these birds have been bred only for their ability to roll and not to have healthy genetics, the breeding of this bird is very unethical. However, there are rollers that can control when and how long they roll—these types are ok.

There are many more unethical types that are bred to have long necks or completely round bodies, but there are also many healthy breeds like the old German owl pigeon or giant runt. I don’t think it's right to breed unhealthy birds, nor do I think it is right to keep wild birds except for special circumstances. Birds like pet parakeets and finches aren’t usually wild caught, but captive bred.

Still, these birds don't live as easily with humans as pigeons do. It's not hard to replicate a finch’s natural habitat in your home if you have done proper research, but it’s much harder to do this with parrots—especially the larger kinds. Many parrots end up in shelters because owners misjudge their ability to care for them. For these reasons, parrots are not an ideal house pet for many people that buy them on impulse.

Pigeons are well-suited to life in a house and, in case with the fancier breeds, are not capable of living wild outdoors. Adopting a pigeon would be like adopting a dog: you are taking an animal into your home that should not live outdoors anyways. Many breeds don’t have strong flight capabilities, and pigeons will not miss being outdoors because they are domestic.

To let a pigeon fly free outside would be cruel to the bird, as you are forcing it into an unfamiliar environment full of predators that it has no natural instinct to evade. It’s not cruel to keep them inside, the same way it isn't cruel to keep a dog indoors or on a leash. You don’t release your pet dogs into the wild because they are related to wolves.

Domestic pigeons are pets. They do not belong outdoors and many breeds cannot live outdoors. Pigeons deserve a home just as much as a stray dog or cat!

<aside> 🐦 Fun fact: the messy gross pigeon poop you see everywhere outside is only messy because the birds live off of eating literal garbage. An indoor pigeon is much, much cleaner.

</aside>