Current Events > Isn't owning pets selfish?

(+) Yeah! (+)

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They aren't psychologically or physically adapted to live in these kinds of facilities. Even the best run zoo can't possibly simulate the many miles of free roaming that many of these animals would have in nature. Some types of elephants for example walk over 40 miles a day, something they can't do in a cage. The closest thing to a good zoo would be a large animal sanctuary, but those require massive amounts of land and aren't nearly as profitable as a standard zoo with small enclosures.

Given that i think here's room for nuance in the argument of the ethics of zoos. They are far from perfect but there are many benefits

can you guys chill with the rabid reactions like this? i have two rescues and did not interpret this as an attack against me and my pets, but rather a thought-provoking question that made me think about the genesis of the domestic dog and cat.
why do people just instantly get mad?

Isn't having children selfish?

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The only way I could play with feral kittens was with string. If I made the mistake of laughing out loud they would all scatter.

No

Close this topic and your account

can you guys chill with the rabid reactions like this? i have two rescues and did not interpret this as an attack against me and my pets, but rather a thought-provoking question that made me think about the genesis of the domestic dog and cat.
why do people just instantly get mad?

No

Close this topic and your account

shelter

they probably don't even know they're in captivity

They came in the cat door

Because they wag their tail and purr. Helllooooo

No they are smart creatures

Isn't having children selfish?

You're asking from a philosophical perspective about the companion animal's experience that we probably won't ever be able to adequately answer.

If you have a pet lobster or crab thats shellfish:(

can you guys chill with the rabid reactions like this? i have two rescues and did not interpret this as an attack against me and my pets, but rather a thought-provoking question that made me think about the genesis of the domestic dog and cat.
why do people just instantly get mad?

Does the elephant WANT to walk for 40 miles a day, or do they do that to find the next watering hole, or to evade would be predators who cycle through the area?

As was said in the early chapters of Life of Pi, most animals, if asked, would chose to have meals served to them on a regular scheduled basis rather than have to risk life and limb to not starve. Most would, if they could, prefer to be able to die peacefully with zero chance of being mauled to pieces because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to be able to ensure their children could do the same.

Given that i think here's room for nuance in the argument of the ethics of zoos. They are far from perfect but there are many benefits

Exactly, the reactions are a bit strange. I've had pets most of my life and can still see there could be a valid point there TC is making.

I've noticed CE can be a bit of an echo chamber sometimes. Debating the point with good counterarguments is completely fine, but responses which are only "No, close your account" just add nothing to discussions.

As was said in the early chapters of Life of Pi, most animals, if asked, would chose to have meals served to them on a regular scheduled basis rather than have to risk life and limb to not starve. Most would, if they could, prefer to be able to die peacefully with zero chance of being mauled to pieces because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to be able to ensure their children could do the same.

We don't own pets, they own us.

I think too many people anthropomorphise animals, especially in fiction, to an extent where they fail to understand that their hard coded behaviours are not actually analogous to human thought or reasoning.

Obviously, if you magically granted a given animal human sapience, intelligence, speech, and the ability to stop and reason like a person, they might tell you any number of things. This doesn't change that real life animals have deeply ingrained instincts that trigger certain behaviours and needs, whether it's free roaming, running, digging, chewing, foraging, hunting, seeing their own kind, etc. Not all of these can be fully accomodated in captivity, especially within secure, miniaturised habitats, which is a common conundrum for zoos (and for less savvy pet owners), because those actions provide degrees of stimulation and enrichment necessary for a healthy animal.

i mean domestic cats only exist because someone was like "i want to own that beast and keep it in my home, it will be mine"

TC is a known troll and gets responded to accordingly.

But on the opposite end many people are also afraid to recognize how similar many of the base emotions animals feel that are similar to humans. We all followed a similar evolutionary path after all. And most animal research just keeps finding more and more similarities between humans and other animals. We know animals have sentience and feel pain, fear, and even joy. But people would rather not think about that because it's inconvenient and incompatible with how much we exploit and harm them.

I mean realistically it might be why so many humans are depressed. Our society doesn't necessarily reflect what we need for stimulus, even if it is more convenient in some ways.

i would say modern cat ownership is actually the most selfish example of all, unless you're a sensible owner and keep them indoors

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Hmm, my rabbit does act as if he's the Godfather of the household, lol.

Don't rabbits eat their own poop, or do you have to pick up the leftovers?

If you have a pet lobster or crab thats shellfish:(