Dogs and cats get most of the credit when people talk about pets, but let’s not forget there are animal companions out there who don’t have fur. Last week, The Bold Italic* ran a photo essay on six San Francisco bird owners and their beloved feathered friends. That adorable canary in the photo above? His name is Sherbs and his human is Alysia Sebastiani. What an adorable pair!

Read the whole story to see more awesome photos, learn more about how birds make loving companions, and read the fun(ny) stories their humans have about living with them.

*Full disclosure: I work at The Bold Italic and I helped produce this story.