Cuddling love birds, homing pigeons, budgies and talkative Macaws all fall into this next category. Birds are one of the most popular pet choices in the world. In 2006 the Chinese had more than 71 million pet birds, making it the country with the most feathered friends. The United States was estimated to have over 18 million birds kept in more than 5 million homes.

Like their very distant reptile kin, birds can be relatively small and require little in the way of food and space, making them an enjoyable companion far less likely to traumatize your neighbors then a 6 foot boa constrictor.