The Truth About Pets
Published March 02, 2006
But they could not be trained at all. They wouldn't respond to even the simplest of commands. At best, it was hoped they could be socialised to accept humans, and not be scared of them. Perhaps if many generations of them were raised in human society (captivity) they could have that bred into them, but currently they are not a domestic animal.
The dog or cat that lives in your house is as far removed from the wolf or any of their wild cousins as you are from a Neanderthal. They may still display instinctual habits like hunting and killing birds in the case of cats, but how many of them do it for the sake of a meal? True there are cases of cats and dogs going feral, but how often does that really happen and what are the circumstances that brought that about?
In most cases, domestic animals that have returned to a wild state have been in environments where they have been living a semi-wild existence already. Barn cats live fairly independent lives hunting rats and mice in the farmyard and milking barns. But that is what they've been bred to and lived like for generations.
Wild cats in the city are the result of animals surviving being abandoned and neglected. If one generation is partially wild and breeds, its offspring will become a step further along the road away from domesticity and so on.
But it is not natural for them. How many healthy strays have you ever seen? They are usually pathetic creatures that survive on garbage and the occasional small animal that they are able to catch. The average domestic cat or dog can not survive on their own no matter how many inspirational movies are made about them crossing the country to be reunited with their families
So, this means when you bring one of these beings into your house you are assuming responsibility for their well being on all fronts. Feeding them, providing them with shelter, and keeping them healthy. The question of an animal's health also brings up the bigger question of sentiment and anthropomorphising your pets.
Don't do the animals a disservice by imposing human characteristics on them. True they are sentient beings and have feelings and emotions like all creatures, but that does not make them human. If you start imposing your feelings on to them, you can end up causing them as much harm as if you neglected them.
Richard Marcus is a long-haired Canadian iconoclast who writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees it at Leap In The Dark and Epic India Magazine.
- The Truth About Pets
- Published: March 02, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Family and Relationships, Culture: Home and Garden, Culture: Society
- Writer: Richard Marcus
- Richard Marcus's BC Writer page
- Richard Marcus's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Nancy, sounds like you are a creepy cat lady.
I agree with everything in the article, you should be stating the obvious, but sadly you are not. As far as putting your pet down, I wish people would put sick Grandmas down as well.
Here, here! The Wife to Whom I am Married and her sister volunteer weekly at a no-kill cat shelter here in our area. Take care of your pets, people, and get them fixed.
Good Job! Animals are not disposable items put here for our pleasure to be thrown out like yesterdays trash when they do not or can not meet our expectations. What a different world we would have if people would just understand that domesticated animals are "domesticated" and wild animals are "wild" animals and all depend on us humans for their untimate survival, HELLO!. Why is this so difficult to understand? Keep spreading the word.
So true. Animals are not trash to be tossed out when you are done with them. It just amazes me how people can do that. When I get a dog or cat, it is here until he/she passes on. They live inside with all the comforts that I give myself. We domesicated them. So we should be responsible for them. Spay and Neuter.
Great post! A lot of times, I see people getting animals(usually dogs) b/c it feeds their ego to be able to control and lord over another creature & keep it in its place. It feeds their ego to be 'above' the animal.
The whole not neutering/spaying thing is just plain ignorant & lazy.
Also, I am so tired of looking in the paper and seeing ads for puppies- usually its 'Pit Bull Pups' or whatever particular breed is IN right now- currently its also Chihuahua's b/c of damn Paris Hilton. When did dogs become accessories? What the heck?!
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Everything you said, and then some! My dad always told me when I adopt a pet, it's just that: adoption, just like a child, and the responsibilities are just as binding: I'm bound to provide them with good food, water, shelter, care, and all the medical care I can possibly manage, not to mention affection. If I'm not willing to go the whole 9 yards, then I don't have a pet. And I sure as hell don't just pitch it out or give it to the local shelter when I get tired of it or have problems.
I have 5 cats - all rescues. If push comes to shove, they eat & I don't, because I know why I'm hungry, but they don't, and that's the way it should be. Anyone not prepared to do the same, shouldn't have a pet.
Very small comfort, but at least there's a move in some states and counties to make animal abuse a crime, and to actually prosecute. I suppose that's an improvement over nothing at all, but there's still a long way to go to prevent irresponsible, stupid, or twisted people from inflicting themselves on innocent animals.
Thanks for an excellent post. This is a subject that needs to be addressed more often.