Did pirates really have parrots as pets?

    This is the question that popped into my mind the other night.  In hopes of not losing any more sleep, I decided to do some investigative research on the subject.  "To the Internet!!", I announced in the same way Batman announces his decision to take the Batmobile.  Google, being my search engine of choice, supplied me with a plethora of information.  First stop, http://www.straightdope.com/ .  StraightDope is a collection of columns written by a man by the name of Cecil Adams.  Now, I haven't quite figured out if the site claims Cecil is the smartest human alive or if Cecil himself claims this.  Either way, SD encourages visitors to just read his columns and decide for yourself.  His columns consist of the average Joe asking for answers to questions that range from, "Does God exist?" to "What's worse for your health, Bacon or Cigarettes?".  And he answers them.  Apparently he has been trying to "eradicate world ignorance" since 1973.
   So he has a answer for "Did pirates really have parrots as pets?".  It is always reassuring to find out there is a high number of people who have the same questions you do.  On the flip side though, it is personally awkward when the entire Internet does not have an answer for your odd question.  But back to pirates.  According to Mr. Adams, pretty much all the pirate stereotypes are true except for the one concerning the parrots.  Let's take a look at a stereotypical pirate:

Eye patch.  Peg leg.  Hook for a hand.  Parrot on the shoulder.  Mr. Adams states that it was not uncommon for a pirate to get injured during battle or bad weather, and in the case of major limb injuries, amputation was the primary treatment.  The ship's "surgeon" would have to tie off the injured extremity, saw off any dangling parts and then cauterize the wound.  Ouch!  A tattoo would feel pleasant after that!  Losing a big portion of your leg would be a hard one to survive, so that stereotypical peg leg was not really that common.  But loss of an eye, finger, or tooth, would be the equivalent of us getting a paper-cut at the office. 

    It was Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island that had a huge influence on what was to be a popular perceptions of pirates.  Yes pirates on occasion possessed parrots but they also had dogs and cats and pigs and monkeys.  Pirates traveled all around the world acquiring exotic animals and other rare souvenirs and would sell them for a good price.  Parrots were probably the most exotic of the pets and seemed to stand out to Stevenson. 

    Parrots were not the only thing that Stevenson made the norm for pirate life.  Such things as the "X" that marks the spot in which treasure was hidden and the impending token of doom, the Black Spot were just literary devices invented my Stevenson.  The popularity of the novel only fueled the cliches.

  Other sites like Wikipedia, WikiAnswers, YahooAnswers, and http://piratemaster.wetpaint.com/ (I guess CBS has a pirate reality show now?) all agree that though some pirates might have had some parrots amongst other small exotic animals, who would really want an animal that pooping on your shoulder and mocking you all day.   And now we know, and knowing is half the battle.