Introducing my budgie to our puppy

[Cardinal]

We've all read the procession of stories where 'I was only feet away' or 'I only turned my back for an instant' or 'It was a freak noise that set them off' or 'The kids slammed the door suddenly' or 'He's *never* done that before'. The unthinkable happens at a frighteningly frequent rate!

Another factoid is that dog and cat saliva are immensely toxic to birds, so even if your furry animal simply bites and draws blood, you could be looking at a fatal Pasteurella or Bartonella infection. I spent three weeks in hospital with cat-scratch fever and I can tell you: it *hurts*!

So, with all these good reasons *not* to allow species to intermingle, why would one want to risk it simply for the cuteness index?

Hear! Hear!!