Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

ziq wrote

Domestic animals come out of the woods and ask me for food, I give it to them. Me becoming their caregiver isn't really 'ownership' since they can go back into the woods at any time.

kinda wish they'd spend less time indoors in the winter tho, they all want to sleep on me.

9

[deleted] wrote

3

boringskip wrote

domestication is a complicated genetic process from human breeding

6

ziq wrote

Cats are native to where I live, they've been here forever - the fossil records for domestic cats go back further here than anywhere in the world, meaning the domestic cat likely first originated here in ancient times.

Unlike dogs, cats domesticated themselves because forming bonds with humans was beneficial to them. All my cats were 2 week old wild kittens who were abandoned by their mothers and needed someone to feed them.

There's an adult cat that is currently trying to domesticate himself to me but my other cats won't let him. He keeps crying out to me but when I go outside he runs. He killed and ate both my pet chickens the other day, and then the very next night he was again crying for me to feed him. Cats are really entitled.

3

An_Old_Big_Tree wrote

Unlike dogs, cats domesticated themselves because forming bonds with humans was beneficial to them. All my cats were 2 week old wild kittens who were abandoned by their mothers and needed someone to feed them.

There's a decent theory that dogs also domesticated themselves. Basically it goes that there were likely wolf packs that became parasitic on hunter-gatherer groups for scraps, and over time the less violent ones, the more human-friendly ones were tolerated and evolved into dogs that way.
Sounds pretty plausible to me, especially considering how hard it has been for people who have tried to breed wolves.

3

ziq wrote

Hunter to scavenger to dependent.

2

ratbum wrote

Depends on the pets; I have rats and they don’t need that much space (though I give them far more than people recommend), and they don’t eat much, and what they do eat isn’t really problematic. Also, they’re pretty smart: https://youtu.be/SkQA_VV_sRY

Would recommend.

4

incendialhumano wrote

"Should" is an ethical consideration, right? I was against it, then ended up caretaking an orphaned kitten. Their parent was dead next to where they were found. Still against "owning" any "pets" though. My cat friend doesn't hunt, neither do I. She doesn't have a job...food is a commodity for her too..has to eat somehow...

4

thelegendarybirdmonster wrote

I should not own a pet. I'm a city dweller, live in a flat, and having animals here would be cruel.

Also I don't really like animal smell, which is unavoidable in small flats.

4

shanoxilt wrote

No.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-environmental-impact

3

betterletter OP wrote

what about non-cat-or-dog pets? smaller animals?

3

ziq wrote (edited )

The best pets are ones that eat grass and weeds like tortoises and rabbits. They have zero carbon footprints as long as you live near fallow fields. A healthy ecosystem has far more herbivores than carnivores, but humans have killed all the wild herbivores and filled the wilds with domestic carnivores.

2

zzuum wrote

We definitely should not own non-domesticated animals. As for typical pets, I think that because they have relied on us for so long, we should take good care of them but phase out breeding them since they are overpopulated. I.e. fix every dog and cat so that they stop being so prevalent.

Regardless, imo it's hard to say whether or not we should actually keep animals as pets. I can say with confidence that it is better for my community that I do keep my dog away from being "wild" because she is severely dog/other animal aggressive and would go out of her way to kill other animals. Therefore I do what I can to give her a good life while protecting hers and other animal lives.

3

conseil wrote

Well, I'd say rescues and such certainly; the animal's around either way, and living with you is certainly better than leaving them wild to help destroy the local ecosystem. Just neuter them.

2

An_Old_Big_Tree wrote

This is too complicated and broad a question for me.

2