# Bird in a cage vs Fish in a bowl **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473 "2011-07-27T11:23:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charleythejanitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Charleythejanitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charleythejanitor)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/1 "2011-07-27T11:23:06Z")
If you had to be a bird in a cage, or a fish in a bowl,which one would you choose and why? I’ll start it off.I would choose the fish because I would be in water,my natural environment. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/2 "2011-07-27T11:43:57Z")
You joined to ask this? Well, befoer a Mod comes along to move it out of the Factual Questions forum, I would like to point ou that there is a very great difference between the cages for a canary and a chicken. What type of bird are you talking about? Bonus points for using a proper Linnaean binomial. A bowl is probaly the worst container to keep a fish in, and it wil be suffocating in its own waste in no time. Only bettas seem to survive, and they can extract oxygen from the air. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/3 "2011-07-27T13:52:38Z")
What about a fish that occasionally gets taken out for a ride in [disco shoes](http://mensplatformshoes.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/mens-platform-shoes-fish-filled-heel.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/4 "2011-07-27T14:16:14Z")
Moving to IMHO from General Questions. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/5 "2011-07-27T15:35:29Z")
small bird in a small cage it bring back memories of my childhood ---
**Author:** ![Bosstrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Bosstrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstrain)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/6 "2011-07-27T22:35:08Z")
C’mon guys, you know this is a serious question:), and personally I’d rather be a bird in a cage. Not just because the cage would be more comfortable and have a better view IMO, but because I’d get to peck the hell out of anyone who dared open it without having a cracker, or at least a peanut, in hand:D. Fish just get fish-food, unless your a freaking shark, then you’d get to eat some meat at least:cool: ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/7 "2011-07-28T00:41:32Z")
I’d choose the bird because most fish will not survive long in a bowl. It’s a tiny volume of water and most humans do not understand it should be changed daily in order for the fish not to be ingesting ammonia and other toxins. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/8 "2011-07-28T02:54:53Z")
I’d go with the cage. Even if there were bars surrounding me I would still be part of a larger environment - I’d be able to experience things like the temperature and the breeze and the sounds and smells of what’s around me. Whereas in a tank you’re just living in an isolated contained environment. ---
**Author:** ![Blackhawk441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@Blackhawk441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawk441)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/9 "2011-07-28T06:44:12Z")
And the bird would be in air, its natural environment… Although the bird doesn’t get to go for walks with 70s blaxploitation pimps, so that tips the scale pretty heavily in the fish’s favor… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/10 "2011-07-28T11:46:59Z")
I’d rather be a bird in a cage. Many bird owners, especially the owners of birds like budgies, parrots, and the like, give their birds generous amounts of time outside of the cage during the day, so it’s not like I’d be stuck there 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/11 "2011-07-28T13:58:40Z")
Bird in a cage, preferably a large parrot with an owner that treats me like their own flesh and blood. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/12 "2011-07-28T17:45:54Z")
I’d rather be the bird. If someone comes along and tips over a fishbowl or breaks your aquarium, you’re dead. Or were at a large risk to die and got lucky someone was able to save you. You _have_ to be in that bowl/aquarium. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Nene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/da6949/32.png) [@El\_Nene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Nene)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/13 "2011-07-28T18:55:35Z")
I’ll take the bird also. I’d switch lives with my parrot in a second. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-in-a-cage-vs-fish-in-a-bowl/590473/14 "2011-07-29T10:51:39Z")
A fish in a bowl. I’ve read that they’re so clueless that by the time they turn around they forget that they just passed that castle a couple seconds ago. I would never want to be a bird in a cage. To remember the lift of the wind under your wings but be stuck on a perch, pecking that hard white obelesk (sp) out of frustration? We lived on a 100 acre farm. I felt like it was big enough that the animals didn’t even know they were domesticated.lol But that’s why I don’t have pets now; I respect them too much. Reading Maya Angelou’s book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” touched me tremendously, and I’m glad for her. But I would be waiting for a file…