Is it immoral to keep pets?

[him over there]

I mean this in the nicest way possible.

Dogs, cats and other pets are too stupid to know that they're pets.

Also, my dog seems very happy with her life.

Better food than in the wild, better healthcare than in the wild, better beds than in the wild.

The wild seems kind of lame

And the thread is already over.

Dogs don't think the way we do, they don't reason the same. All of my dogs think we're all a big pack, and they obey us because to them, we're higher up in the chain of command. And they don't resent us, they all fucking love us. So, yeah, not the same situation.

What about the mother of the dog though? they know that their baby is being taken away at least.

 

[Powereaver]

As long as you look after your pets... its 100% fine i hate those people who mistreat their pets.... then its frustrating.

 

[viranimus]

Called it

Been wondering that much longer than since aug 2010.

Cats clearly dont. Look at outside cats. If you feed one and take care of it long enough, it will move beyond the phase of "ill let you glimpse me if you feed me". I rescued an abandoned orange tabby this year, and its simply not satisfied just to be fed by me. It expects me to sit down outside for at least 10 min every day so it can curl up in my lap and take a little nap. Really doesnt seem like its upset that its food comes from one location.

Plus... theres plenty of examples out there how animals can be appreciative of humans. Hell, just watch christian the lion... err dont, because yeah.... Anyway, its a perfect illustration of an animal loving its human keepers.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

It's been said a thousand times, but a happy pet isn't a mistreated pet. One of the many "nice thoughts that aren't actually thought about" sparks to a discussion.

 

[Goofguy]

You have to pretend to be eager and be a "good human" when your masters return if you want to ever get any treats.

The difference is dogs aren't pretending to be eager when you get home, they are legitimately thrilled to see you. Dogs don't associate the return of their masters with the time to get a treat, they're just ecstatic that they get to hang out with you again.

The aliens have far longer a lifespan than humans and so when you get old and too expensive to keep, they have you euthanatised, cry a few crocodile tears and then forget about you when they go buy a new pet human. That is your life.

When my old dog died, I wasn't crying crocodile tears. I was heartbroken that I had to say goodbye to my best friend. And it wasn't a question of him being too expensive to keep; he was in pain and we were doing what was best for him. And finally, when we got a new dog a few years later I was happy but I did not forget the previous family dog who had been such a pivotal part of my childhood.

Ultimately, your example is flawed based on the fact that pets aren't as smart as us. They are not as cognizant of the world around them and the implications of their living situations.

 

[xshadowscreamx]

i will never keep a bird in a cage...very unnatural

 

[Fluffythepoo]

Symbiosis is the only reason complex life can be sustained, most "pets" are the remnants of a former symbiotic relationship that existed between man and various species of animal. Pets no longer contribute to the survivability of the 2 species (because if they are contributing then they arent pets) and are therefore parasites. Those species more recently domesticated by humans, purely for the purpose of companionship are also parasites.
So no it isnt moral for people to have pets because these creatures are impeding humans' ability to survive, which is entirely unfair to humans. Therefore they should be exterminated to allow people to prosper. Or these animals can get off their asses and start contributing.


Orrrr.... you goddamn hippies can stop trying to humanise animals and also stop observing anecdotal evidence as representative of everything. Theres a fucking reason dogs come back home when they get out of the yard (after a nice run of course) its cause they fucking want to be home and not living in the wild fighting to survive every day. They dont care about being "free" because theyre unable to comprehend the concept, they DO care about having sustenance and shelter which is what theyre freaking getting because theyre freaking pets.. how about we worry about the animals that arent lucky enough to be pets; the ones that dont know where theyre going to sleep at night, that dont know if theyre going to starve to death this winter, that watch most of their children die because only the strong may live, that have to experience the terror of fighting for their lives whenever something bigger comes along.

So no it isnt moral for man to have to carry so many other species on its shoulders, but what are you gonna do? Theyre just so damn cute

 

[Bernzz]

*snip*

And the thread is already over.

Dogs don't think the way we do, they don't reason the same. All of my dogs think we're all a big pack, and they obey us because to them, we're higher up in the chain of command. And they don't resent us, they all fucking love us. So, yeah, not the same situation.

What about the mother of the dog though? they know that their baby is being taken away at least.

Haha, well, in one specific example, one of our dogs is actually the mother of another one of our dogs. She no longer treats her puppy like a puppy. More like an annoyance. So she wouldn't mind.

The mothers get to a stage where they really are sick of their puppies, and eventually they even forget about their puppies entirely. Their puppies would become, to them, just another dog, whether the puppy is taken away or not.

 

[him over there]

*snip*

And the thread is already over.

Dogs don't think the way we do, they don't reason the same. All of my dogs think we're all a big pack, and they obey us because to them, we're higher up in the chain of command. And they don't resent us, they all fucking love us. So, yeah, not the same situation.

What about the mother of the dog though? they know that their baby is being taken away at least.

Haha, well, in one specific example, one of our dogs is actually the mother of another one of our dogs. She no longer treats her puppy like a puppy. More like an annoyance. So she wouldn't mind.

The mothers get to a stage where they really are sick of their puppies, and eventually they even forget about their puppies entirely. Their puppies would become, to them, just another dog, whether the puppy is taken away or not.

First, D'awww that's sweet. But the thing is some dogs can be taken from their mothers before their first birthday, I don't really know what point mother dogs view their pups as ready to go out on their own so this point could be moot based entirely on that.

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

My dog, before he passed did lick my face daily and he lived the life of the pet for 14 years so either face licking is a form of serious resentment or just plain stupid way of showing someone you like them.


I don't think he was living the tortured life your human-pet lived.

 

[The Floating Nose]

Didn't bother reading the entire thread but just wanted to throw out one thing here:

Pretty much all animals living "free" spend their lives hungry, cold and afraid. Let's stop pretending there's some magical quality that makes 'free' life as an animal somehow greater than being a well-cared for pet for a human.

I agree, a very simple and effective explanation . I can't even imagine how my lovely dog (who has a bum leg) would live in the wild, he probably would've been eaten in like...3 days.

I think that this thread is kind of offensive to people who actually have animals and who are taking good care of them. Like...i should feel bad because im taking care of an animal who doesn't have the luck to walk straight like every other dog. I don't know if it was this thread purpose but..i actually feel insulted...must...resist...calling you out...you were pretty fucking close to make me say something that would give me a warning...very very close. I would suggest that you stop with your pseudo-intellectual idiotic questions.

Jojo...you are desperately trying to prove your point but the reality is...you shot yourself in the foot right in your very first sentence:

Picture the scene. You're just a human kid minding your own business when suddenly without warning, super-intelligent aliens take you away from your mother and into a strange new place run by other aliens.

Dogs are not as intelligent as humans...it's dull to say that but it's the truth. They don't need to go to work, to go to school, have a home, buy groceries, pay their bill and do all this human shit. They only need: A master (that takes good care of him), food and water...THAT'S IT ! So, don't try to come up with extremely exagerated example just try to prove something that is completely unimportant, pointless and will end up just hurting a lot of people.

If you think that you're above helping an animal then...that's fine but don't fucking come down on the people who actually dare to help the bird with the broken leg instead of letting him getting killed.

 

[Bernzz]

*snip*

*snippity*

Haha, well, in one specific example, one of our dogs is actually the mother of another one of our dogs. She no longer treats her puppy like a puppy. More like an annoyance. So she wouldn't mind.

The mothers get to a stage where they really are sick of their puppies, and eventually they even forget about their puppies entirely. Their puppies would become, to them, just another dog, whether the puppy is taken away or not.

First, D'awww that's sweet. But the thing is some dogs can be taken from their mothers before their first birthday, I don't really know what point mother dogs view their pups as ready to go out on their own so this point could be moot based entirely on that.

Well, the puppy we have isn't even 6 months old and her mum is sick of her. I can't speak for every situation ever and I won't pretend to, I'm not omnipresent after all, but by a year I believe almost all dogs would treat any puppy of theirs as just another dog in the pack, not a child to be raised and protected.

Those are the kind of values we place on human children, and as people keep trying to point out to the OP, dogs aren't human, so we shouldn't attribute our thought processes to them, because that's just not how it works.

 

[iLazy]

Okay how about this; (long story... kind of)

Spoiler

Imagine you're wondering alone. These aliens scream at you when you wander to near to their dens, loud, metal objects almost hit you on a daily basis and your own kind demands you leave their territory. One day you are caught by the strange aliens that yelled at you, and thrown into a small space. You're cold, and hungry and surrounded by your kind that ignore you. Then one day, these aliens show up. There's two older ones and a younger one. The older female is looking at you while the other two have wondered over.

They soon leave and in a few days they return. You suddenly have something around your neck, with a rope leading to the younger female and you're brought somewhere new.

Before you know it, you're in one of those metal objects that almost hit you one too many times. The younger female bares her teeth at you, but it's not aggressively.

A few weeks have gone by, and these aliens have been keeping you in their den. They take you outside everyday, for "walks" and sometimes when it's nice they take you outside to what they call a "yard". You get to run around until your tired, and they throw a round object for you. You chase it because instinct tells you to, and they pet you when you bring it back.

A year passes, you learn to come to them when they say a certain word. These humans have treated you well. You're belly is never empty, and you're safe from the metal objects they call cars. You're safe from the rain and snow and the cold nights. They've given you a bed of your own, and lots of things to play with. They pet you almost everyday, scratching you behind your ear and rubbing your belly. Sometimes you get to sleep in their bed, or cuddle with them on what they call a "couch". When they come home, they're happy to see you and surprisingly, you're happy to see them.

So yeah, we got my dog from the pound. She was skinny (I could count her ribs and sometimes see her spine) and fearful. She didn't want to be near my dad and would flinch every time he went to pet her. I've had her for five years. She's filled out, and my dad is her favourite. She's great with kids and puppies, and loves to be petted. We have a cat, and she loves to "clean" the cat (the cat does not approve), and enjoys to cuddle.

So do I think keeping pets is immoral? No. If you're a good person and responsible then it's fine.

To me, letting them rot in the pound or have to fend for themselves is the immoral option. I mean, would you rather starve to death or be with a loving family?

 

[chadachada123]

Don't use cats for examples, people. Cats suck hard.

Anyway, on topic, I have one issue with your post, OP.

The aliens have far longer a lifespan than humans and so when you get old and too expensive to keep, they have you euthanatised, cry a few crocodile tears and then forget about you when they go buy a new pet human. That is your life.

Were this in a different setting or site, where civility wasn't praised, I would have said some very nasty things to you about this sentence.

Your implication that my love for my late dog wasn't real, that my tears shed while she died in my arms was fake, or that I have forgotten anything about the girl that I spent twelve years of my life with despite having a new dog that I love just as much...

Any words that I could say to describe how I take that implication would get me banned outright.

Fuck, I'm in tears just from typing that.

Goddammit. I miss Holly =(

 

[Thatguyky]

I mean this in the nicest way possible.

Dogs, cats and other pets are too stupid to know that they're pets.

Also, my dog seems very happy with her life.

Better food than in the wild, better healthcare than in the wild, better beds than in the wild.

The wild seems kind of lame

^^^ This

Also I'm pretty sure that 3 out 4 of my cats would get themselves killed in the wild. They're beyond retarded at times. I'd say its only immoral if you treat them like utter shit. Some people should not have pets or for that matter children xD

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Humans have selectively bred household pets for centuries. These aren't wild animals being taken from their environment when you adopt them; they're being returned home.

But anyone seeking to adopt an animal, do a solid and adopt from a shelter or from something like the RSCPA. There are millions upon millions of animals like cats and dogs that live in cages, waiting for someone to save them. They have limited time, as keeping them alive is costly and there is very little money going towards groups like the RSCPA and private shelters, so many, many fine animals are put down every day. Your perfect buddy is out there and they need your help.

Please, don't support breeders. Save animals instead.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Don't use cats for examples, people. Cats suck hard.

Anyway, on topic, I have one issue with your post, OP.

The aliens have far longer a lifespan than humans and so when you get old and too expensive to keep, they have you euthanatised, cry a few crocodile tears and then forget about you when they go buy a new pet human. That is your life.

Were this in a different setting or site, where civility wasn't praised, I would have said some very nasty things to you about this sentence.

Your implication that my love for my late dog wasn't real, that my tears shed while she died in my arms was fake, or that I have forgotten anything about the girl that I spent twelve years of my life with despite having a new dog that I love just as much...

Any words that I could say to describe how I take that implication would get me banned outright.

Fuck, I'm in tears just from typing that.

Goddammit. I miss Holly =(

*hug*

You gave her a good life. She was happy and loved you lots. That's what matters.

 

[Sexy Devil]

Pet owners tend to give way too much human emotion to animals which only "care" about their owners because they provide food. It's just an extension really of how ducks in parks will swim up to those who feed them bread, and now we humans use that to our advantage.

Literally never once fed my cat in the two years we've had her (mum does it) and she still takes sleeping next to me over being outside most of the time (we let our cats run around the neighbourhood).

So yeah, care to justify how that's about food?

 

[lacktheknack]

I'll put it this way:

My old geriatric dog does whatever he darn well wants (mostly sleeping) and gets pretty high quality food. He gets lots of attention and coddling from my family. The one time he "escaped" (he was at a friend's house), his first course of action was to find his way home immediately. We have coyotes near our house, and he's terrified of them.

Also, I give him next to no food (my sister does that) and less attention than the others in my house, yet he still gets really happy when I come home.

At this point, it would be immoral and wrong to set him "free" - he'd die within a couple days.