This is a good post.

I can't tell the number of small animals I have taken home and properly housed when they would come into animal control or the humane society in horrible habitats.

I once built a cage for two rats that came into the shelter. These were BIG rats, mind you, probably the biggest ones I've ever personall seen. And they were living in a 5 gallon glass aquarium - two big rats, some cedar bedding, a too-small water bottle ... that was it. They could barely turn around.

I once basically forcibly took four budgies away from someone ... they were living in a little travel bird cage ... probably no more then twelve inches square. They had one perch, that they could all barely sit on together, and a food dish and a water dish ... that took up all the space.

I could on and on ....

BTW, I think this post belongs in "Pet General". It's not at all controversial, and more people would see it there, I think.