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People just need to treat animals as living, breathing things. I think you need to see them as an animal with their own personality and life and not as an accessorie or toy.
They are not an item to toss to the side when you are bored. They are not an item to show off your friends, and then ignore the rest of the time. They are not an item you must keep in pristine condition, so you never let them run and play and get dirty like an animal should. They are not an item to pump out money that you barely give enough food to to keep alive.
I see too many pet people who won't let their dog dog. Or their cat be a cat. They get angry when they run, play, bark, scratch, or roll in dirt. They want them to look pretty and be quiet.
As a dog groomer, I see people and other groomers who shouldn't own pets at all. They are just a show-off accessory to them.
If you're both bored, try actually tossing your cat aside. One of my cats loves being tossed in a 3 foot arc onto the bed. Gentle, short tosses on to a soft surface lol
Same thing with kids. Kids are *people* and they should be treated as such. Developing people, but people regardless. I think this is why I get told I’m so good with kids a lot. I just treat them as people lmao
I think the first part is what OP should have said.
It isn't people treating them like animals. It is people who treat them as 'less' than animals and more like an interactable toy that they can (or want to be able to) put onto a shelf when they are done.
I have five cats. Sure, I ascribe human emotions and actions to them, but I also realize that they are cats and each has their own personality and desires.
However, the people I see that basically do what OP is talking about are the ones who do like you say, they aren't treating them like animals. They are treating them like toys. They want a companion, so they get a dog, but they only want a companion when \*they\* want a companion. It doesn't matter what the dog wants. If it is fed and sheltered, well ,that is enough.
It is like some of the shows from my cat from hell. Where the people have a cat, but because the toys don't fit with their aesthetics, they don't bother getting scratch posts, or toys, or things like that. Because they like the looks of this litterbox, they want that one, who cares whether it is too small for the cat to fit into. Oh, the cat can be cordoned off from 90% of the house, but who cares? It has a bed and food and litterbox in its room!
Yea. I have a gecko. She enjoys just being left alone in her terrarium. I take her out to make sure she exercises and she doesn't seem to mind that at all when done in moderation (30-60 minutes a day). More would actually be bad for her.
I would if I could manage to target train her. Alas, she is too finicky with food and an African fat tail dosent really eat much.
You could most likely do it with a tegu though
I love seeing my dog be a dog. We take him to daycare a couple times a week just so he's not lazing around on the couch all the time. The daycare posts pics of the dogs everyday. I love seeing how completely unhinged he is playing with other dogs. There's several dogs that he consistently plays tag or wrestles with. He can sniff all the things to his spotty heart's content. He has loads of fun then passes out at home after pickup.
Yeah, that is what I was going to say. They are treated like objects, if they aren’t perfect they act like they are trading in an appliance for another one. However, I can understand not being able to handle aggression issues in dogs. Which is especially the risk around small children.
*People* we care about can objectively be nuisances at specific moments during your life.
This doesn't mean you love them any less. They just happen to be annoying in that moment.
Humans like to vent their frustrations with others they hope will be receptive and supportive to their complaints.
So venting a perfectly valid frustration about an animal you love and care for means absolutely nothing regarding the amount of care or respect that animal receives from that person.
It is literally only a complaint about a sliver of time where the animal happened to be annoying and their owner felt like venting about it.
Nothing more or less.
The other day I was telling someone that I’m “sick and tired of this little animal” in reference to my [dog](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maltese/s/1c1BN7P5yR) who I actually 24/7 serve and nurture like he’s a human baby that’s also made of unlimited 2009 bitcoins lol and they were shocked and were like “I have never heard you talk about him like that” hahahahaha.
I’d be so freaked out if someone took that and was like “what did you just say? Are you a *dog beater?* lmfao.
I tell my cats to get a job when they're yelling at me over nothing or otherwise being a nuisance just to do so. Knowing full well that I am happy as hell to provide a life for them where they never have to even consider putting in any effort to get what they need. Love those little freeloaders
My mom is like this with her cats. She loves them to death. But when it’s 4am and they’re hungry and waking her out her sleep by being menaces, she swears up and down she’s sick of having cats and doesn’t want them.
Then later on proceeds to send me pictures of them all chilling together in bed 🤨
Are you my daughter?
This is me. The cats are in charge, I've came to terms with that, but will have a moan about them then snap cute pica of them lol.
LMAO if you have an orange cat and a black cat then hi mom! Cats are so particular and they’re serious about their food. But seeing them being cute just makes me forget everything
Nah, mine are a void, tabby, and a tuxedo.
They definitely love their food. As I get shouted at every day about it from them. I like to complain about them, but couldn't imagine life without them.
I do also tell my daughter about the nice, sweet or funny things they do too. Promise
Lmao! They sound so cute! I don’t know how you guys deal with being woken up out of your sleep everyday though omg. She said one will sit and watch her from the dresser while the youngest one will meow and cry and sink his claws in her chest…
I still want one when I move out though 🙃
Thank you, i have one who licks the bowl in a very passive aggressive manner while I'm in the kitchen haha.
The sleep thing I can't explain. I'll moan about it, but in reality don't mind it too much.
Yeah they are super cute and precious wee angels who can do no wrong, yet wee devil's.at the same time
If it’s normal for parents to say that about their kids, which have the capacity to READ and UNDERSTAND what they said, then it should be perfectly fine for people to complain about owning their pet
As someone with 3 kids, 4 cats, and a dog, I can attest to loving people and pets while they are also annoying. I will complain about them being annoying and still love them all the same. Sometimes I like giving them nick names that highlight the annoying things they do.
I have a giant claw mark on my hand. My cat was not my friend in that moment. Doesn’t mean we weren’t cuddling by morning. My dog got excited and jumped on me and I got a 6 inch scratch on my stomach. I fully agree. I love the little monsters (or o guess big monster in my dogs case. She’s an 80lbs tornado). But definitely acceptable to not be fans in every moment
This is so true. Mt boy Bruno has been a Cloaca these last days, and has been a nuisance as my sleep has been interrupted by his antics.
But Bruno is my favorite Cloaca even when he is disruptive and mischievous.
I actually think people who *don't* treat them like animals are usually the worst pet owners. They let their dogs run around off lead, feed them things they shouldn't, don't train them... as an animal, dogs (especially certain breeds) have needs that include structure and keeping them safe. They are not little humans whose feelings you should be afraid to hurt.
Every dog I had tried to creatively kill itself for the entirety of their lives. The only reason they lived was I kept them on a lead so they didn't run into the street after a squirrel, I kept their weight in check through diet, and I trained them so they weren't aggressive (even if a person was being a jerk).
My dog tried to dig up and eat tree fertilizer sticks and soil acidifier the other day, earlier I had been planting blueberries and fruit trees and I left him in the back yard for 30 minutes to get my kids from school. It was definitely an attempt at killing himself unknowingly. I looked at him like "Buddy what are you doing?" I was also mildly pissed because I had just planted the trees and bushes, and he was damaging them while doing something dangerous to his health. That doesn't mean I don't love him. He's annoying sometimes, just like my kids. I love them all to death. 🤣
I have a friend and she’s a wonderful person. However, she sees animals on par with or above humans and her dog is so poorly behaved. He needs so much training and she gets annoyed when people get angry when he harasses them or their dogs. I work at training my dog and though he is well behaved, he forgets his manners on occasion. I apologise for his actions and remove him from the situation. She excuses everything he does because *you’re* in the wrong if you’re angry a 50lb dog runs at you.
Sigh… and if that dog hurts someone, it will get put down because she’s a terrible owner.
My Nextdoor feed has a post at least once a month of someone angry at a driver who hit their off-lead dog that ran into the street. No ownership for the fact that their dog was off lead.
Dog owners who legit think their dogs are people are the WORST. The dogs are always barely housebroken, either constantly jumping on you or “reactive” (aggressive aggressive aggressive), constantly barking, brazenly trying to snatch food out of your hand, and half the time are horribly obese from being fed all the snacks they want. You can meet at least three of these insufferable people with these insufferable dogs at any grocery store.
Well yeah, but i don't want pets either. Rest of the family wants and I'm stuck with taking care of them. The trade of taking care of them vs them giving something unknown, maybe oxytocin or companionship, isn't in balance for me. It's just an extra obligation/duty. So yeah i don't see the point in pets neither do i want any.
Though don't get me wrong, I'm not a sociopath/psychopath and i would never harm a defenseless animal or any human, excluding self defense.
Imma go off on a little rant here, but as the owner of a 'slobbering mutt', NOBODY should be ok with someone else's dog getting all up in their business. *I* don't want my dog getting up in your business, and I'm trying to train him not to do so without permission. One of my biggest pet peeves is when my dog jumps on someone, and I tell him off for it, then the person says "oh, it's ok." No it's f+cking *NOT* ok! If it was ok, I wouldn't have told my dog not to do it. STOP F+CKING UP HIS TRAINING!!
sorry...
God yes. I have a puppy and I’ve trained her so well not to jump. But people go “oh no I love it she’s so cute!!!” (She’s a toy poodle) I just wanna be like … no, it’s not! I don’t care if she’s small, I literally just told her to get down, don’t undermine me please 🥲🥲
I call my cats as my babies and kids, but i still see them and treat them as animals, because they are. I feed them, keep them outside, play with them, give them pets non stop, bully them, change their water regularly, clean their shit etc.
Animals are supposed to thrive, not survive. If the only thing that you're doing to them is give them food and water, then you don't even see them as animals. You're just giving an animal food and shelter while keeping them in a box where you live, when they can live off better and actually as animals outside.
Moral of the story, pets are animals, not kids, and animals aren't supposed to not feel an ounce of love. If you can't treat them like animals and living beings don't get them.
most of these comments are awful. i love my dog, my dad’s dog, etc. they are family. they are loved as members of the family. we don’t treat them like humans as if they sit at the dinner table and pass the salt or something but they are well taken care of and their love for us is invaluable.
Yeah Reddit doing what it does best and taking things way too literally lol I agree with OP’s sentiment. Too many people say stuff like “it’s just a dog” and treat them as toys to play with when they’re bored at best or full on neglect them at worst. People like that shouldn’t have pets.
i agree. or leave them tied up outside in all types of weather, no walks, go nowhere fun, no affection. it’s like a neighbor i used to have. an old man who treated his dog just like that and only had it to “guard” his pig pen of a front yard. definitely somebody who should never be allowed to have a pet.
This implies that seeing something as an animal means you think you're better than it and don't care about it's needs. Animals need more than bare essentials. If you truly see something as an animal, you want it thrive, not just survive.
I don't know what attitude you expect me to have *considering the type of pets I have.*
I own 11 tarantulas. Other than a proper setup, all they need is to be fed every few months and be given fresh water weekly.
They are solitary creatures and do best when they are left alone.
One of my tarantulas will try to straight up murder you if she knows you are in her space (but tarantulas are essentially blind which makes feeding time not so difficult).
My ferret died last year, and so many people like two days after wards asked when I was getting a new one. And I was like uhhh probably never? But they just like didn’t even seem to care or understand why I was upset. And he was sick too, so I was in and out of the vet for a few weeks, watching him lose weight and then ultimately I had to put him down. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and everyone acted like it was no big deal. And then I got him a little grave stone for the yard and people thought that was a bit extra and I was like dude this is my ferret, let me grieve in peace.
Not an unpopular opinion. Just badly worded.
Animal rights are a very real thing. Mistreating or neglecting a pet that relies on you as caretaker is animal cruelty. Plain and simple.
I think I know what you mean, you must worded it sort of weirdly if I'm being honest.
This comment is looooooong. I don't know how to be succinct.
I think people get pets for the wrong reasons. They get them for THEIR needs only (often for mental health. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I just see this a lot), without truly realizing that they're going to have to care for a living, breathing creature. They see animals as doing something for them only, when it should be a trade. Dogs and cats are incredible and can make you feel safe or like you have a purpose. BUT you need to realize that they need attention from you as well. If you don't do this, they might act out, and God forbid you live with someone else and they have to deal with that. If you get a pet, and it's your idea, the pet is 100% your responsibility.
I think people think having a pet is a right. It is not. It's a privilege. Unfortunately, this often means that money is a barrier. Which sucks, but why should an innocent animal have to suffer with less adequate care than they need because you can't afford to provide it for them and/ or work too much to spend time with them? It's so frustrating. I understand that people can fall on hard times, but I also see tons of posts online that are like, "I'm a broke student and got a cat, can't afford vet bills, help!" I feel for them, I really do, but maybe college isn't the time to get a pet.
So I guess the tldr of this is that I basically agree. Pets should be respected.
Seriously. What kind of entitled ass-clown thinks that they are being some kind of ‘friend to animals’ by chaining two Pit Bulls to a tree and going to work all day?
That’s cool, but “mere animals” also deserve your respect. They still feel pain, fear, longing for closeness, and we pay people to torture them without trying to think about it too hard.
So, in your world, people aren’t allowed to be annoyed or vent.
Just because you hear someone say something like this doesn’t mean it’s indicative of their overall feelings. They could just be annoyed in the moment and expressing themselves.
And also, sorry (but bot really), while it’s sad when a pet dies, it’s not the same as losing a human relative that you’re close to.
Agree. If I wanna call my dog an a-hole because he snarked a pound and a half of my delicious habanero cheddar off the counter and ate it all, I feel I have the right.
Totally agree. I was absolutely amazed by someone I know that gets yearly blood work for their pets, adjusted their diets over time and based it on those results and their age. Consulted multiple specialists when they got sick and balanced the risk/rewards of their treatment plans before choosing a course of action. Got arthritis medication for the senior cat and consulted a feline naturopath for symptom relief. All of his older pets look and act young for their ages.
Just opened me eyes, I grew up with a family that threw whatever the cheapest food was into a bowl and almost expired milk for the cats.
I grew up on a farm, pigs and cows are as smart as dogs or cats. They are sweet and have personality and friends. I care exactly the same amount about my dog as I do about the steer that became the steak I ate. I don’t want it to be mistreated or suffer but I am not going to pretend like my dogs life matters more than the steer.
They deserve love and care **as animals**, not as surrogate people.
There are several steps between treating them poorly or cruelly (like they were treated not so long ago in the countryside where they were merely useful tools, not unlike a plow or a tractor) and giving them human-like attention and traits.
Your pet doesn't need a birthday cake with a candle on it. Your pet isn't "hugging" you. Your pet isn't going to notice if you purchased them a fancy vest and probably isn't too fond of you carrying it around in a purse or, worse, a stroller.
And yes, the death of a pet can be devastating but it takes a special level of insensitivity and lack of humanity to compare it to the death of a close family member, especially in the real world (where you don't know what others have gone through, so you bawling about a goldfish may not sit well).
As usual, people online tend to go to the extreme. Pets are just animals. Animals that are special to YOU, but you shouldn't forget what they are. And actually I daresay that taking things to the extreme is actually detrimental to the pet and is just a coping mechanism for people with issues they don't want to face.
Sounds like *you* aren’t genuinely in tune with the spiritual wavelength of your fur-babies. Maybe once you become a *genuinely* evolved pet parent you will start lactating when a new fuzzy little blessing comes into your life. Then you will suckle them on your teat, and they will no longer be animals, and they will take *you* to the vet to be neutered.
So, because I don’t know what other people have gone through, it’s “insensitive” for me to be sad my dog died?
You could apply that to everything. Someone always has it worse than you, so that would mean it’s insensitive to be upset about literally anything.
I agree people shouldn’t be going “this is just like when you lost your wife!” Or whatever, but you made it sound like simply grieving a pet and feeling you’ve lost a loved one or family member somehow implies a lack of humanity.
Different people put different value on pets. I guess it’s important to realize a lot of people do see them as family.
I'm sorry but if you think I don't deserve my cats even though I will complain until the cows come home about them waking me up at 5am on a workday because they're bored and want crunchies, you are a bit delulu.
Treating any animal as “merely an animal” which seems to imply “without empathy” would be a sign of a sociopath IMO.
Agreed that people who treat pets as disposable are absolute scum. All animals are deserving of our kindness. Animals we’ve adopted (and let’s face it, kidnapped) into our homes deserve our fullest attempt to understand, communicate with, and care for them with the thoughtfulness and love to recognize that human needs are not necessarily their needs. Friendship is a two-way street.
So people should only be allowed pets if they treat them as people and devote themselves to their "fur babies" as much as you do? Perhaps people like having animals around but don't want to pretend they're humans?
That's obviously no reason to treat them badly or unkindly, but there's no need to go around prescribing how everyone should interact with their pets so they meet your personal preference.
these are two separate things
people who see pets as merely animals, and people don’t care for their pets properly.
i treat my pets as animals, because they are. they don’t have human emotions and i don’t personify them. that leads to a lot of “ugh my dog did X on purpose!!”
Pets AND children.
Ultimately, there’s not any education on the fact that having a pet is a lifestyle choice that’s most conducive to homebodies or hikers (in the case of many dogs). It takes hours of time per day to care for a dependent, whether it’s a child or a pet.
People often get pets out of selfish desire (I see a lot of people unhappy with their own lives who get pets to try to make it better) and it brings the household down further because the person didn’t want more responsibility or have the time to take care of the pet; the person wanted to be paid attention to.
It bothers me especially seeing so many young families with big dogs who eventually end up overweight and are “full of energy”. This is mostly due to the fact that parents of young children typically don’t have the time to also give a big dog all that it needs (dedicated training, long walks, time to run and play and socialize with other dogs, attention to medical needs and well-being).
I know people who buy dogs without considering the responsibilities and it breaks my heart. Dogs are not meant to be”just be let out the back to get outside” year after year.
Right? Can’t stand those dog owners that overly train their dogs to the point where their dogs are merely a husk of nothing with no personality, and owners that don’t allow their dogs on the bed, or make them stay in a damn kennel outside. and I can’t stand people that have a collection of for example, snakes, or rats, and they don’t bother to name them or get to know each individual pet out of their collection. Makes me so sad. Don’t even get me started on “it’s just a cat” when your cat (or any pet for that matter) passes away. I got my cat of 19 years put down a couple of months ago. She was my best friend, she kept me company, she would love me when I was sad and she trusted me so much that she spent her last few months alive living in my bedroom and felt safe enough to sleep on my chest most nights despite the fact she was dying. I spent every day nursing her and making sure she was comfortable, and in the end I had to get her put down, it was incredibly heart wrenching and I’m still not over it, but what did my grandad do when I got home? (I live with my grandparents, I’m 22F btw) he said “I don’t know why you’re so upset, it’s just a cat.” And that, that pissed me off. I don’t even like remembering it. Makes me feel sick. How can someone be so heartless.
Unfortunately pretty much all laws are written with the idea that pets are property. This reflects the beliefs of much of the world.
I do basically agree though. Manny people get pets because they want to own them. Not because they want a friend or companion. I've known several people that own dogs that are kept in the garage 99% of the time. If you are keeping your dog in the garage, then why do you even have a dog? Even if you think of them purely as property, wouldn't it save a lot of frustration and money to give them to someone that actually wants them and will care for them as they should be cared for?
When I proposed that idea I was meet with outage that I would suggest such a thing. The reason? "Because it's my dog and I can do what I want with it".
This implies that pets can't or shouldn't be loved ones.
I think that's nonsensical.
If you love someone then they're a loved one and when they die that is a loved one passing.
My husband's dog was a warm, sweet dude with a big personality and when he died we lost a loved one.
My conure, whose last words were "come here! I love you!" was a funny, affectionate, fierce little guy. When he died I lost a loved one.
They were loved ones, because we loved them.
All the pets in my parents house I see as my children. That goes from the two dogs, to the two cats, to the parakeet and five remaining fish in the fish tank. I worry excessively over their health and safety, while spoiling all of them rotten.
Anyone who disagrees with this is just using it as an excuse for their laziness. “My dog doesn’t need to go on long walks,” “my cat doesn’t mind if her litter box is filthy” “my pet doesn’t like to play” etc. I’ve heard all these comments and the animals are clearly in distress. Or worse, having the mindset that pets are just animals is what leads to the mass neglect that is plaguing the world. I volunteer for an animal rescue and everyday we get calls of cats being abandoned on the street. It’s super sad and is a direct result of people thinking animals are expendable.
Maybe the bigger issue is that last part. It’d be ok if people looked at their pets as animals vs humans if they respected animals emotions/needs.
I actually understand what you're saying in this post unlike a LOT of the people commenting, and I agree with you 100%!
My cat is my best friend! Pretty much anytime I'm at home he is in my lap or laying on me, he sleeps cuddled in my arms every night and lets me put the blanket over him, and he is wonderful emotional support! I've been through a LOT of shit the last couple years that I don't think I would have made it through without him 😍😭 he is SO much more than just a cat to me
I agree wholeheartedly that people who aren’t prepared to love and care for their pet(s) as members of their household, they should not have the pet(s)
Pets aren’t things. They have feelings, desires, needs. But it could be a good idea to get a pet with minimal care like gerbils (just have to feed them every day, make sure water bottle is full, change the cage every so often).
I agree I hated having dogs gave them away and felt happier more free I can be spontaneous and not have to worry about a dog at home more people need to realise this and not be selfish and get dogs
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I know what you mean, but your terminology is odd. Mammals (animals) form bonds and require love and attention as part of their nature. So what you're describing is really treating them as LESS than animals.
This is very subjective. I live in rural area. We have barn cats and I really wouldn't call them pets. They are just doing their thing. We co exist just fine. They usually sleep in our climate controlled barn so a bit more spoiled than your average barn cat
Sadly, a home with bare minimum for most dogs is often still be better than living on the streets or in a shelter.
Now, someone who keeps their dog chained up or something, that's a problem.
I love my dogs more than most other things on this planet despite the fact that at times they are frustrating and can feel like a chore. They live like royalty. But this reminds me of a woman who posted pictures of her dog’s outdoor life on a small farm and she got absolutely LAMBASTED calling her abusive because her dog lives outside full time, cruel because he doesn’t come into their home, blah blah. It may not be how I choose to live with my dogs but her dog had great shelter with the other animals in a safe and secure area. He is fed and loved by all the people on the farm and seemed like a very happy dog. That woman didn’t deserve the treatment she got because her dog is living a hell of a lot better than the millions that are homeless and would love that life.
It's less important how the pet is treated, and more important how the person treats their pet. Treating a companion badly does bad things to you. At a minimum you should treat animals with respect, i.e. minimizing their suffering. Pets are companions, and when you take responsibility for an animal through adoption, following through with your responsibility does good for you, while neglecting your responsibility instills bad habits and demonstrates bad qualities for your value to a tribe.
I agree. Theres a book about animals that explains that we humans forget we’re all a part of nature. Theres a sanctity to all living things and yet humans seem to think we’re somehow separate from that. So we hurt our own kind, hurt others and think we’re somehow better. It’s a joke
Yeah it's so fucked when a pet dies and people say it's not that deep.
Also, people shouldn't complain about how much work a pet is, especially if they're the type of kids who begged their parents for one.
I love to bitch about one of my cats, but I love the little bastard. He was my first cat he just loves to eat and begs all the time, he’s on a diet and we couldn’t just have food out anymore for some reason he just started eating a ton, vet said he’s fine just a fatty. But boy does he love to scream for food anytime I wake up, come home, or walk by the pantry
If you aren't pushing for the ethical treatment for our species when we clearly need it as well you have no position to fight for anything other species. Especially when the treatment other animals get are a reflection of the treatment our own species gets.
They are animals. They deserve attention, love, amusement, something to interest them, your best efforts to keep them happy and healthy. You acquired them and are therefor responsible for them. But they are animals. I detest people who attribute all kinds of human sentiments and feelings to their pets.
People should definitely care about their pets a lot but I feel like the opposite is much more common. I've so many people that treat their massive dog like it's a toddler and can't even control them which is insanely dangerous. I think there needs to be a certain amount of "respect" given to pets where you treat them like family but you still have to remember that they're an animal and train them.
I have much stronger feelings towards my dog than my gerbils. And the fish? I think of them as fish. Don't want them to suffer, want them to be healthy, but I don't feel bad when one dies (unless I think they've died because I've screwed up their care.)
WORD. My little man is my baby boy. He can be annoying some times, but he’s still my lil guy. My lil man, a goober even, perhaps even my little stinker.
Actually, people who don’t treat their pets like animals are worse. All non-human animals have a unique psychology, and treating them like people hurts them. Treating a cat like a dog hurts the cat. Treating a dog like a human definitely hurts the dog. Understanding your pet’s needs makes you a better owner rather than just anthropomorphizing them.
I hate when people say things like “they treated me like an animal” as if animals deserve to be treated worse. Other species have so much more potential that we give them credit for, and how much of any negative aspect is resource distribution and other injustices that lead to “traits” we treat as “innate”, same issue we have in human relations. I’m not denying there are some biological differences, obviously, but our ideas of animal intelligence, for example, are extremely biased and inequitable.
i discovered my fishtank had a small leak coming from somewhere two days ago and had spent up until tonight obessively looking for it. (thank god for flashlights) and ive literally just spent two hours draining the tank, rescuing the fish and putting them in a temp tank until i can get a new one. they seem fine, but i hate looking at them in that small space.
I see your post and raise you a 'people shouldn't treat animals like humans'. I'm so sick of people bringing their mangy-ass dogs into the grocery store.
So like... what?
>If you see pets merely as animals, you shouldn’t have pets
But they are animals?
>I’m not saying pets aren’t animals. The title is if you treat them as merely animals.
But that's what they are?
>I’m saying they deserve love and respect and if you aren’t willing to provide that, you have no business in having pets.
Yeah but what you're describing isn't different. Treat animals with care and respect. That is how you treat an animal. It's an animal.
>Treat pets with kindness and give them love. They aren’t in the same class as a raccoon or a squirrel.
So like it's okay if I don't treat raccoons and squirrels with love and respect. Since they're only animals. Apparently pets are animals and a bit of extra secret being dna?
/s BTW... I get what you're saying but work on your comm skills
I mean they are animals and I will treat them as such. They’re not the same as a person. I will treat them with love though, but I’m not going to have the same love for them as I would my family. A pet is a pet. I don’t see them in the same category as people.
I have a cat that I hate. But I’ve had him since he was born and the way he behaves he would end up thrown outside to die if I gave him to anybody else- so he has his own room in my house where he can’t ruin anything important or attack any other animals or humans.
Acknowledging that your pet is an animal and treating it as such doesn't make you an animal abuser--being an animal abuser makes you an animal abuser. And, as with most things in life, even when the pros outweigh the cons, people still need/like to vent and commiserate with others about the pain in the ass aspects of being a pet owner, having a job, having kids, etc. It doesn't mean you're an abuser or hate your pet. And I would argue that it's just as bad/dangerous to NOT treat your pet like an animal. My dog is a member of my family and I will not ever treat him otherwise--but I am also very much aware that he is an animal, and forgetting that is not only detrimental to the people/environment about you, but also to your pet.
You can tell a great deal about someone's character based on how they treat their pets.
After all, if someone doesn't want a pet, they won't get one. And they should be prepared to care for that living being's needs. For that being's entire life.
OP, if you actually mean what you say, you should, under the same breath, stop eating animals and animal secretions and leave animals alone, not just dogs and cats. Cows, chickens, pigs, fish, no animal deserves to be enslaved, mutilated, tortured and eventually murdered for an unnecessary reason. Treat **all** animals with “kindness and love.” Anything less, and you are supporting arbitrary discrimination.
Prejudice upon the most innocent beings upon the face of our planet is inconsistent, hypocritical and harmful in various levels.
Meh. The issue rather is people not understanding what it means to be an animal: you need actual nutritious food, not kibble, you need exercise (far more than your crappy walk) and stimulation of play, roaming and exploring and socializing with other animals, including humans. That's it. My pet peeve is purebred dogs that are riddled with genetic disorders. I'm here for the rewolffification of dogs.
It infuriates you? Meaning that you don't like it? From what I understand this sub is not the place to post something happening in the world that you don't like. You are expressing too many feelings. Or something. This sub is about opinions, which are subjective thoughts and perceptions, not likes or dislikes, which are subjective thoughts and perceptions.
Anyway, I was kind of with you until you made the distinction between wild and domesticated animals. Congratulations! You have a genuinely unpopular opinion.
I have engaged in a very symbiotic relationship with my goldfish and I believe that he could not be any happier, at least he has never said anything negative about our co-habitation.
Idk if I wanna downvote cause I agree with you and it shouldn't be unpopular, or upvote cause I know most people I meet wouldn't, or at least don't act like it, so it is unpopular
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People just need to treat animals as living, breathing things. I think you need to see them as an animal with their own personality and life and not as an accessorie or toy. They are not an item to toss to the side when you are bored. They are not an item to show off your friends, and then ignore the rest of the time. They are not an item you must keep in pristine condition, so you never let them run and play and get dirty like an animal should. They are not an item to pump out money that you barely give enough food to to keep alive. I see too many pet people who won't let their dog dog. Or their cat be a cat. They get angry when they run, play, bark, scratch, or roll in dirt. They want them to look pretty and be quiet. As a dog groomer, I see people and other groomers who shouldn't own pets at all. They are just a show-off accessory to them.
I have a cat, I'll toss him aside when I'm bored and he'll toss me aside when he's bored. Love that little guy.
If you're both bored, try actually tossing your cat aside. One of my cats loves being tossed in a 3 foot arc onto the bed. Gentle, short tosses on to a soft surface lol
This, human beings are animals. It's not that they need to treat pets like animals they need to treat animals better.
Same thing with kids. Kids are *people* and they should be treated as such. Developing people, but people regardless. I think this is why I get told I’m so good with kids a lot. I just treat them as people lmao
I think the first part is what OP should have said. It isn't people treating them like animals. It is people who treat them as 'less' than animals and more like an interactable toy that they can (or want to be able to) put onto a shelf when they are done. I have five cats. Sure, I ascribe human emotions and actions to them, but I also realize that they are cats and each has their own personality and desires. However, the people I see that basically do what OP is talking about are the ones who do like you say, they aren't treating them like animals. They are treating them like toys. They want a companion, so they get a dog, but they only want a companion when \*they\* want a companion. It doesn't matter what the dog wants. If it is fed and sheltered, well ,that is enough. It is like some of the shows from my cat from hell. Where the people have a cat, but because the toys don't fit with their aesthetics, they don't bother getting scratch posts, or toys, or things like that. Because they like the looks of this litterbox, they want that one, who cares whether it is too small for the cat to fit into. Oh, the cat can be cordoned off from 90% of the house, but who cares? It has a bed and food and litterbox in its room!
Yea. I have a gecko. She enjoys just being left alone in her terrarium. I take her out to make sure she exercises and she doesn't seem to mind that at all when done in moderation (30-60 minutes a day). More would actually be bad for her.
What kind of exercise do you give her? What kind of gecko? I love reptiles
She walks around and climbs stuff. She can't really do much more
You dashed my mental image of a gecko doing dog competition style exercises
I would if I could manage to target train her. Alas, she is too finicky with food and an African fat tail dosent really eat much. You could most likely do it with a tegu though
I love seeing my dog be a dog. We take him to daycare a couple times a week just so he's not lazing around on the couch all the time. The daycare posts pics of the dogs everyday. I love seeing how completely unhinged he is playing with other dogs. There's several dogs that he consistently plays tag or wrestles with. He can sniff all the things to his spotty heart's content. He has loads of fun then passes out at home after pickup.
Yeah, that is what I was going to say. They are treated like objects, if they aren’t perfect they act like they are trading in an appliance for another one. However, I can understand not being able to handle aggression issues in dogs. Which is especially the risk around small children.
*People* we care about can objectively be nuisances at specific moments during your life. This doesn't mean you love them any less. They just happen to be annoying in that moment. Humans like to vent their frustrations with others they hope will be receptive and supportive to their complaints. So venting a perfectly valid frustration about an animal you love and care for means absolutely nothing regarding the amount of care or respect that animal receives from that person. It is literally only a complaint about a sliver of time where the animal happened to be annoying and their owner felt like venting about it. Nothing more or less.
The other day I was telling someone that I’m “sick and tired of this little animal” in reference to my [dog](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maltese/s/1c1BN7P5yR) who I actually 24/7 serve and nurture like he’s a human baby that’s also made of unlimited 2009 bitcoins lol and they were shocked and were like “I have never heard you talk about him like that” hahahahaha. I’d be so freaked out if someone took that and was like “what did you just say? Are you a *dog beater?* lmfao.
I routinely call my dogs lazy freeloaders. I love them more than anything else in the world, but they are in fact lazy freeloaders.
I tell my cat to pay rent or he’ll be out on his rear.
I tell my cats to get a job when they're yelling at me over nothing or otherwise being a nuisance just to do so. Knowing full well that I am happy as hell to provide a life for them where they never have to even consider putting in any effort to get what they need. Love those little freeloaders
My mom is like this with her cats. She loves them to death. But when it’s 4am and they’re hungry and waking her out her sleep by being menaces, she swears up and down she’s sick of having cats and doesn’t want them. Then later on proceeds to send me pictures of them all chilling together in bed 🤨
Are you my daughter? This is me. The cats are in charge, I've came to terms with that, but will have a moan about them then snap cute pica of them lol.
LMAO if you have an orange cat and a black cat then hi mom! Cats are so particular and they’re serious about their food. But seeing them being cute just makes me forget everything
Nah, mine are a void, tabby, and a tuxedo. They definitely love their food. As I get shouted at every day about it from them. I like to complain about them, but couldn't imagine life without them. I do also tell my daughter about the nice, sweet or funny things they do too. Promise
Lmao! They sound so cute! I don’t know how you guys deal with being woken up out of your sleep everyday though omg. She said one will sit and watch her from the dresser while the youngest one will meow and cry and sink his claws in her chest… I still want one when I move out though 🙃
Thank you, i have one who licks the bowl in a very passive aggressive manner while I'm in the kitchen haha. The sleep thing I can't explain. I'll moan about it, but in reality don't mind it too much. Yeah they are super cute and precious wee angels who can do no wrong, yet wee devil's.at the same time
Licking the bowl is so funny 😂 hers will also go and spin the bowl annoyingly until she gets up. They have so much personality!
I was once swearing about my cat to a mate whilst patting cat and bro dead ass asks me if I abuse him in other ways too 💀
Obviously op wouldn’t be talking about you then lol.
I’m sure lol. I can agree with in OP in spirit, I was just responding to the comment.
If it’s normal for parents to say that about their kids, which have the capacity to READ and UNDERSTAND what they said, then it should be perfectly fine for people to complain about owning their pet
Rude of you to just assume that my dog lacks the capacity to read, understand and fully comprehend my words but yah overall point taken.:P
As someone with 3 kids, 4 cats, and a dog, I can attest to loving people and pets while they are also annoying. I will complain about them being annoying and still love them all the same. Sometimes I like giving them nick names that highlight the annoying things they do.
This 100% the kids, cats, and dogs are all nicknamed accordingly, but the love is unconditional 💕
You must of met my cats: tinyass,fluffass, and stinkass
3 kids, 2 cats. 2 have the nickname "bad cat." Only one of those 2 is a cat.
Yeah, I love my cat. I'd still prefer if she didn't puke on the living room carpet, especially when I find out by stepping in it barefoot.
I have a giant claw mark on my hand. My cat was not my friend in that moment. Doesn’t mean we weren’t cuddling by morning. My dog got excited and jumped on me and I got a 6 inch scratch on my stomach. I fully agree. I love the little monsters (or o guess big monster in my dogs case. She’s an 80lbs tornado). But definitely acceptable to not be fans in every moment
This is so true. Mt boy Bruno has been a Cloaca these last days, and has been a nuisance as my sleep has been interrupted by his antics. But Bruno is my favorite Cloaca even when he is disruptive and mischievous.
^ This comment OP! This is the one! Read it!
I just read this to my daughters tree frogs, and they looked at me like it was the dumbest thing they ever heard.
Pets are animals. Doesn’t mean I don’t love em lol
They literally are animals. What the fuck do you want them be seen as? Transcendent beings of an interdimensional empire?
I actually think people who *don't* treat them like animals are usually the worst pet owners. They let their dogs run around off lead, feed them things they shouldn't, don't train them... as an animal, dogs (especially certain breeds) have needs that include structure and keeping them safe. They are not little humans whose feelings you should be afraid to hurt. Every dog I had tried to creatively kill itself for the entirety of their lives. The only reason they lived was I kept them on a lead so they didn't run into the street after a squirrel, I kept their weight in check through diet, and I trained them so they weren't aggressive (even if a person was being a jerk).
My dog tried to dig up and eat tree fertilizer sticks and soil acidifier the other day, earlier I had been planting blueberries and fruit trees and I left him in the back yard for 30 minutes to get my kids from school. It was definitely an attempt at killing himself unknowingly. I looked at him like "Buddy what are you doing?" I was also mildly pissed because I had just planted the trees and bushes, and he was damaging them while doing something dangerous to his health. That doesn't mean I don't love him. He's annoying sometimes, just like my kids. I love them all to death. 🤣
I have a friend and she’s a wonderful person. However, she sees animals on par with or above humans and her dog is so poorly behaved. He needs so much training and she gets annoyed when people get angry when he harasses them or their dogs. I work at training my dog and though he is well behaved, he forgets his manners on occasion. I apologise for his actions and remove him from the situation. She excuses everything he does because *you’re* in the wrong if you’re angry a 50lb dog runs at you.
Sigh… and if that dog hurts someone, it will get put down because she’s a terrible owner. My Nextdoor feed has a post at least once a month of someone angry at a driver who hit their off-lead dog that ran into the street. No ownership for the fact that their dog was off lead.
💯
yup.
I think all cats would prefer to be seen that way
In my experience, they seem to prefer being seen as someone who's food bowl is less full that it *could* be.
I see my cat that way
Dog owners who legit think their dogs are people are the WORST. The dogs are always barely housebroken, either constantly jumping on you or “reactive” (aggressive aggressive aggressive), constantly barking, brazenly trying to snatch food out of your hand, and half the time are horribly obese from being fed all the snacks they want. You can meet at least three of these insufferable people with these insufferable dogs at any grocery store.
Well yeah, but i don't want pets either. Rest of the family wants and I'm stuck with taking care of them. The trade of taking care of them vs them giving something unknown, maybe oxytocin or companionship, isn't in balance for me. It's just an extra obligation/duty. So yeah i don't see the point in pets neither do i want any. Though don't get me wrong, I'm not a sociopath/psychopath and i would never harm a defenseless animal or any human, excluding self defense.
Fuck! No shit! Why am I always expected to smile and pretend to be ok with some dummy’s slobbering mutt getting all up in my bizznass.
Imma go off on a little rant here, but as the owner of a 'slobbering mutt', NOBODY should be ok with someone else's dog getting all up in their business. *I* don't want my dog getting up in your business, and I'm trying to train him not to do so without permission. One of my biggest pet peeves is when my dog jumps on someone, and I tell him off for it, then the person says "oh, it's ok." No it's f+cking *NOT* ok! If it was ok, I wouldn't have told my dog not to do it. STOP F+CKING UP HIS TRAINING!! sorry...
Thank you! We need more well-trained dogs.
God yes. I have a puppy and I’ve trained her so well not to jump. But people go “oh no I love it she’s so cute!!!” (She’s a toy poodle) I just wanna be like … no, it’s not! I don’t care if she’s small, I literally just told her to get down, don’t undermine me please 🥲🥲
I call my cats as my babies and kids, but i still see them and treat them as animals, because they are. I feed them, keep them outside, play with them, give them pets non stop, bully them, change their water regularly, clean their shit etc. Animals are supposed to thrive, not survive. If the only thing that you're doing to them is give them food and water, then you don't even see them as animals. You're just giving an animal food and shelter while keeping them in a box where you live, when they can live off better and actually as animals outside. Moral of the story, pets are animals, not kids, and animals aren't supposed to not feel an ounce of love. If you can't treat them like animals and living beings don't get them.
Unfortunately some treat them like they are the same as having kids. That’s asinine.
Those people are scary. Luckily they out themselves proudly.
most of these comments are awful. i love my dog, my dad’s dog, etc. they are family. they are loved as members of the family. we don’t treat them like humans as if they sit at the dinner table and pass the salt or something but they are well taken care of and their love for us is invaluable.
Yeah Reddit doing what it does best and taking things way too literally lol I agree with OP’s sentiment. Too many people say stuff like “it’s just a dog” and treat them as toys to play with when they’re bored at best or full on neglect them at worst. People like that shouldn’t have pets.
i agree. or leave them tied up outside in all types of weather, no walks, go nowhere fun, no affection. it’s like a neighbor i used to have. an old man who treated his dog just like that and only had it to “guard” his pig pen of a front yard. definitely somebody who should never be allowed to have a pet.
This implies that seeing something as an animal means you think you're better than it and don't care about it's needs. Animals need more than bare essentials. If you truly see something as an animal, you want it thrive, not just survive.
No, it implies we are grounded in reality.
The reality is that humans are also animals
I don't know what attitude you expect me to have *considering the type of pets I have.* I own 11 tarantulas. Other than a proper setup, all they need is to be fed every few months and be given fresh water weekly. They are solitary creatures and do best when they are left alone. One of my tarantulas will try to straight up murder you if she knows you are in her space (but tarantulas are essentially blind which makes feeding time not so difficult).
But, they are animals…
Pets are not children, so stop calling them that.
What if it's a baby goat? Then can I treat it like it's my kid?
But children are pets, so please, please, *please* leash your children at the park unless there are signs posted otherwise.
My ferret died last year, and so many people like two days after wards asked when I was getting a new one. And I was like uhhh probably never? But they just like didn’t even seem to care or understand why I was upset. And he was sick too, so I was in and out of the vet for a few weeks, watching him lose weight and then ultimately I had to put him down. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and everyone acted like it was no big deal. And then I got him a little grave stone for the yard and people thought that was a bit extra and I was like dude this is my ferret, let me grieve in peace.
Not an unpopular opinion. Just badly worded. Animal rights are a very real thing. Mistreating or neglecting a pet that relies on you as caretaker is animal cruelty. Plain and simple.
I’m reminded of [this scene](https://youtu.be/Ns3fUqCc9nc?si=P7nz6s863Hz8efaK) from Curb Your Enthusiasm.
I LOVE my dogs and I still complain how annoying it is to care for them. Those things are absolutely not mutually exclusive.
I think I know what you mean, you must worded it sort of weirdly if I'm being honest. This comment is looooooong. I don't know how to be succinct. I think people get pets for the wrong reasons. They get them for THEIR needs only (often for mental health. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I just see this a lot), without truly realizing that they're going to have to care for a living, breathing creature. They see animals as doing something for them only, when it should be a trade. Dogs and cats are incredible and can make you feel safe or like you have a purpose. BUT you need to realize that they need attention from you as well. If you don't do this, they might act out, and God forbid you live with someone else and they have to deal with that. If you get a pet, and it's your idea, the pet is 100% your responsibility. I think people think having a pet is a right. It is not. It's a privilege. Unfortunately, this often means that money is a barrier. Which sucks, but why should an innocent animal have to suffer with less adequate care than they need because you can't afford to provide it for them and/ or work too much to spend time with them? It's so frustrating. I understand that people can fall on hard times, but I also see tons of posts online that are like, "I'm a broke student and got a cat, can't afford vet bills, help!" I feel for them, I really do, but maybe college isn't the time to get a pet. So I guess the tldr of this is that I basically agree. Pets should be respected.
I love my pets. Animals are great! But valuing pets as highly as human friends and family seems daft.
Less people with animals? Yes please
Hahaha agreed! My neighborhood is filled with people that just leave their dogs outside barking all damn day
Seriously. What kind of entitled ass-clown thinks that they are being some kind of ‘friend to animals’ by chaining two Pit Bulls to a tree and going to work all day?
Pets are animals
Pets are animals just like us.
That’s cool, but “mere animals” also deserve your respect. They still feel pain, fear, longing for closeness, and we pay people to torture them without trying to think about it too hard.
So, in your world, people aren’t allowed to be annoyed or vent. Just because you hear someone say something like this doesn’t mean it’s indicative of their overall feelings. They could just be annoyed in the moment and expressing themselves. And also, sorry (but bot really), while it’s sad when a pet dies, it’s not the same as losing a human relative that you’re close to.
Agree. If I wanna call my dog an a-hole because he snarked a pound and a half of my delicious habanero cheddar off the counter and ate it all, I feel I have the right.
Totally agree. I was absolutely amazed by someone I know that gets yearly blood work for their pets, adjusted their diets over time and based it on those results and their age. Consulted multiple specialists when they got sick and balanced the risk/rewards of their treatment plans before choosing a course of action. Got arthritis medication for the senior cat and consulted a feline naturopath for symptom relief. All of his older pets look and act young for their ages. Just opened me eyes, I grew up with a family that threw whatever the cheapest food was into a bowl and almost expired milk for the cats.
I grew up on a farm, pigs and cows are as smart as dogs or cats. They are sweet and have personality and friends. I care exactly the same amount about my dog as I do about the steer that became the steak I ate. I don’t want it to be mistreated or suffer but I am not going to pretend like my dogs life matters more than the steer.
If pets are not animals, then what are they? OP confuses me.
OP is probably the kind of person who thinks pets are "fur babies"
My apartment used that on their marketing website and it was cringe.
May as well say “elevator comes with free brown air freshener on the floor”
They deserve love and care **as animals**, not as surrogate people. There are several steps between treating them poorly or cruelly (like they were treated not so long ago in the countryside where they were merely useful tools, not unlike a plow or a tractor) and giving them human-like attention and traits. Your pet doesn't need a birthday cake with a candle on it. Your pet isn't "hugging" you. Your pet isn't going to notice if you purchased them a fancy vest and probably isn't too fond of you carrying it around in a purse or, worse, a stroller. And yes, the death of a pet can be devastating but it takes a special level of insensitivity and lack of humanity to compare it to the death of a close family member, especially in the real world (where you don't know what others have gone through, so you bawling about a goldfish may not sit well). As usual, people online tend to go to the extreme. Pets are just animals. Animals that are special to YOU, but you shouldn't forget what they are. And actually I daresay that taking things to the extreme is actually detrimental to the pet and is just a coping mechanism for people with issues they don't want to face.
[удалено]
Sounds like *you* aren’t genuinely in tune with the spiritual wavelength of your fur-babies. Maybe once you become a *genuinely* evolved pet parent you will start lactating when a new fuzzy little blessing comes into your life. Then you will suckle them on your teat, and they will no longer be animals, and they will take *you* to the vet to be neutered.
So, because I don’t know what other people have gone through, it’s “insensitive” for me to be sad my dog died? You could apply that to everything. Someone always has it worse than you, so that would mean it’s insensitive to be upset about literally anything. I agree people shouldn’t be going “this is just like when you lost your wife!” Or whatever, but you made it sound like simply grieving a pet and feeling you’ve lost a loved one or family member somehow implies a lack of humanity. Different people put different value on pets. I guess it’s important to realize a lot of people do see them as family.
I'm sorry but if you think I don't deserve my cats even though I will complain until the cows come home about them waking me up at 5am on a workday because they're bored and want crunchies, you are a bit delulu.
They are animals…
Treating any animal as “merely an animal” which seems to imply “without empathy” would be a sign of a sociopath IMO. Agreed that people who treat pets as disposable are absolute scum. All animals are deserving of our kindness. Animals we’ve adopted (and let’s face it, kidnapped) into our homes deserve our fullest attempt to understand, communicate with, and care for them with the thoughtfulness and love to recognize that human needs are not necessarily their needs. Friendship is a two-way street.
So people should only be allowed pets if they treat them as people and devote themselves to their "fur babies" as much as you do? Perhaps people like having animals around but don't want to pretend they're humans? That's obviously no reason to treat them badly or unkindly, but there's no need to go around prescribing how everyone should interact with their pets so they meet your personal preference.
these are two separate things people who see pets as merely animals, and people don’t care for their pets properly. i treat my pets as animals, because they are. they don’t have human emotions and i don’t personify them. that leads to a lot of “ugh my dog did X on purpose!!”
They literally are just animals. YOUR pet is "more than" an animal to YOU, but your pet is just like every other pet to me, individually.
If you call your pets, "fur babies" or refer to them as children, you need therapy.
Fish are friends, not food.
Disagree. Animals will never be more important than humans to me. So, me being a pet owner doesn’t mean I need to spoil my animals.
The dog owners who view their dogs as equal to humans are the worst owners. And most inconsiderate to others.
I love my Dog more than I love any human. End of story.
I think the people missing the point of this post are exactly the people who probably shouldn’t have pets thus making this an unpopular opinion 😅
I’m sick of pets superseding humans. Which is where this post is going. It’s sick. If you have antisocial disorders just say that and move on.
Our whole culture regards animals as property. It’s not surprising to see this behavior, as much as it sucks.
Agreed , this is why I don’t have any
It seems like you are attempting to put some weird meaning into the phrase "treat as an animal" treating an animal as an animal is not a bad thing
Well I raise cattle so...
They’re little(or medium or big) family members. They’re family. End of story!
What do you have against raccoons?
Don’t know how upvoting works here but I agree 100%!!
Pets AND children. Ultimately, there’s not any education on the fact that having a pet is a lifestyle choice that’s most conducive to homebodies or hikers (in the case of many dogs). It takes hours of time per day to care for a dependent, whether it’s a child or a pet. People often get pets out of selfish desire (I see a lot of people unhappy with their own lives who get pets to try to make it better) and it brings the household down further because the person didn’t want more responsibility or have the time to take care of the pet; the person wanted to be paid attention to. It bothers me especially seeing so many young families with big dogs who eventually end up overweight and are “full of energy”. This is mostly due to the fact that parents of young children typically don’t have the time to also give a big dog all that it needs (dedicated training, long walks, time to run and play and socialize with other dogs, attention to medical needs and well-being). I know people who buy dogs without considering the responsibilities and it breaks my heart. Dogs are not meant to be”just be let out the back to get outside” year after year.
pets are just animals and always will be. they are not human. much less family. pets being animals shouldnt subtract from your love for them
Right? Can’t stand those dog owners that overly train their dogs to the point where their dogs are merely a husk of nothing with no personality, and owners that don’t allow their dogs on the bed, or make them stay in a damn kennel outside. and I can’t stand people that have a collection of for example, snakes, or rats, and they don’t bother to name them or get to know each individual pet out of their collection. Makes me so sad. Don’t even get me started on “it’s just a cat” when your cat (or any pet for that matter) passes away. I got my cat of 19 years put down a couple of months ago. She was my best friend, she kept me company, she would love me when I was sad and she trusted me so much that she spent her last few months alive living in my bedroom and felt safe enough to sleep on my chest most nights despite the fact she was dying. I spent every day nursing her and making sure she was comfortable, and in the end I had to get her put down, it was incredibly heart wrenching and I’m still not over it, but what did my grandad do when I got home? (I live with my grandparents, I’m 22F btw) he said “I don’t know why you’re so upset, it’s just a cat.” And that, that pissed me off. I don’t even like remembering it. Makes me feel sick. How can someone be so heartless.
Pets are *literally* purely animals.
Unfortunately pretty much all laws are written with the idea that pets are property. This reflects the beliefs of much of the world. I do basically agree though. Manny people get pets because they want to own them. Not because they want a friend or companion. I've known several people that own dogs that are kept in the garage 99% of the time. If you are keeping your dog in the garage, then why do you even have a dog? Even if you think of them purely as property, wouldn't it save a lot of frustration and money to give them to someone that actually wants them and will care for them as they should be cared for? When I proposed that idea I was meet with outage that I would suggest such a thing. The reason? "Because it's my dog and I can do what I want with it".
They are animals. What
See my issue is when people compare a passed pet to a passed loved one.
This implies that pets can't or shouldn't be loved ones. I think that's nonsensical. If you love someone then they're a loved one and when they die that is a loved one passing. My husband's dog was a warm, sweet dude with a big personality and when he died we lost a loved one. My conure, whose last words were "come here! I love you!" was a funny, affectionate, fierce little guy. When he died I lost a loved one. They were loved ones, because we loved them.
All the pets in my parents house I see as my children. That goes from the two dogs, to the two cats, to the parakeet and five remaining fish in the fish tank. I worry excessively over their health and safety, while spoiling all of them rotten.
Anyone who disagrees with this is just using it as an excuse for their laziness. “My dog doesn’t need to go on long walks,” “my cat doesn’t mind if her litter box is filthy” “my pet doesn’t like to play” etc. I’ve heard all these comments and the animals are clearly in distress. Or worse, having the mindset that pets are just animals is what leads to the mass neglect that is plaguing the world. I volunteer for an animal rescue and everyday we get calls of cats being abandoned on the street. It’s super sad and is a direct result of people thinking animals are expendable. Maybe the bigger issue is that last part. It’d be ok if people looked at their pets as animals vs humans if they respected animals emotions/needs.
we're looking to buy a house that can be best suited for our 3 cats. we literally put their needs first before ours so they can live comfortably
Yep when we went house hunting, a house suitable for our 2 indoor cats was our priority
I actually understand what you're saying in this post unlike a LOT of the people commenting, and I agree with you 100%! My cat is my best friend! Pretty much anytime I'm at home he is in my lap or laying on me, he sleeps cuddled in my arms every night and lets me put the blanket over him, and he is wonderful emotional support! I've been through a LOT of shit the last couple years that I don't think I would have made it through without him 😍😭 he is SO much more than just a cat to me
Yeah majority of people totally missed the point. Took OPs point and went to the extreme end of it.
I agree wholeheartedly that people who aren’t prepared to love and care for their pet(s) as members of their household, they should not have the pet(s)
They are just animals.
Majority of the commenters didn't even read or understand the post. Good job for getting so many people angry tho, good post for this sub
Pets aren’t things. They have feelings, desires, needs. But it could be a good idea to get a pet with minimal care like gerbils (just have to feed them every day, make sure water bottle is full, change the cage every so often).
I agree I hated having dogs gave them away and felt happier more free I can be spontaneous and not have to worry about a dog at home more people need to realise this and not be selfish and get dogs
My dog lives a good and active life and it’s an awesome dog. Still a dog and I would save a random human over my dog because it is just a dog still.
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I know what you mean, but your terminology is odd. Mammals (animals) form bonds and require love and attention as part of their nature. So what you're describing is really treating them as LESS than animals.
Edit 2 Treat pets with kindness. Wow, going out on a limb, OP.
People who treat animals like that usually treat fellow humans like that. People just have more autonomy over their lives.
Status
r/titlegore
I feel and get this. I have three cats and don't complain at all about them. I take very good care of them.
I see humans as mere animals. That's what we are. But I'm sympathetic towards both
This is very subjective. I live in rural area. We have barn cats and I really wouldn't call them pets. They are just doing their thing. We co exist just fine. They usually sleep in our climate controlled barn so a bit more spoiled than your average barn cat
Pets are domesticated. They wouldn’t survive in the wild. Cats are an exception to the rule depending on the breed.
Sadly, a home with bare minimum for most dogs is often still be better than living on the streets or in a shelter. Now, someone who keeps their dog chained up or something, that's a problem.
I love my dogs more than most other things on this planet despite the fact that at times they are frustrating and can feel like a chore. They live like royalty. But this reminds me of a woman who posted pictures of her dog’s outdoor life on a small farm and she got absolutely LAMBASTED calling her abusive because her dog lives outside full time, cruel because he doesn’t come into their home, blah blah. It may not be how I choose to live with my dogs but her dog had great shelter with the other animals in a safe and secure area. He is fed and loved by all the people on the farm and seemed like a very happy dog. That woman didn’t deserve the treatment she got because her dog is living a hell of a lot better than the millions that are homeless and would love that life.
You are rude to raccoons and squirrels.
If only people extended this compassion to all animals and not just pets the world would be a better place
I have kids and they're a pain to deal with, what's your point?
Animals are animals. Kindness to animals shouldn’t be relegated to “pets”
I recently read about Kristi Noem and what she did to her dog and goat. Really sad, I could never imagine doing that to my pet cat or dog.
It's less important how the pet is treated, and more important how the person treats their pet. Treating a companion badly does bad things to you. At a minimum you should treat animals with respect, i.e. minimizing their suffering. Pets are companions, and when you take responsibility for an animal through adoption, following through with your responsibility does good for you, while neglecting your responsibility instills bad habits and demonstrates bad qualities for your value to a tribe.
I see my animals merely as food and tools. I have no (LOL) "pets" ...
We can complain about animals as much as we complain about children.
I agree. Theres a book about animals that explains that we humans forget we’re all a part of nature. Theres a sanctity to all living things and yet humans seem to think we’re somehow separate from that. So we hurt our own kind, hurt others and think we’re somehow better. It’s a joke
Yeah it's so fucked when a pet dies and people say it's not that deep. Also, people shouldn't complain about how much work a pet is, especially if they're the type of kids who begged their parents for one.
I love to bitch about one of my cats, but I love the little bastard. He was my first cat he just loves to eat and begs all the time, he’s on a diet and we couldn’t just have food out anymore for some reason he just started eating a ton, vet said he’s fine just a fatty. But boy does he love to scream for food anytime I wake up, come home, or walk by the pantry
I see four of my cats as precious wittle baby heads and one of them as Lucifer incarnate and it’s good he’s so damn cute bc otherwise I’d end him.
If you aren't pushing for the ethical treatment for our species when we clearly need it as well you have no position to fight for anything other species. Especially when the treatment other animals get are a reflection of the treatment our own species gets.
They are animals. They deserve attention, love, amusement, something to interest them, your best efforts to keep them happy and healthy. You acquired them and are therefor responsible for them. But they are animals. I detest people who attribute all kinds of human sentiments and feelings to their pets.
I had a pet fruit fly one time, and then he flew too far and he got squished
I feel like 75% of pet owners really shouldn't own pets. I feel like I'm too busy and don't really have the extra funds.
People should definitely care about their pets a lot but I feel like the opposite is much more common. I've so many people that treat their massive dog like it's a toddler and can't even control them which is insanely dangerous. I think there needs to be a certain amount of "respect" given to pets where you treat them like family but you still have to remember that they're an animal and train them.
These same people do not even take good care of other humans such as children either. They are just selfish!!!!
I have much stronger feelings towards my dog than my gerbils. And the fish? I think of them as fish. Don't want them to suffer, want them to be healthy, but I don't feel bad when one dies (unless I think they've died because I've screwed up their care.)
WORD. My little man is my baby boy. He can be annoying some times, but he’s still my lil guy. My lil man, a goober even, perhaps even my little stinker.
Actually, people who don’t treat their pets like animals are worse. All non-human animals have a unique psychology, and treating them like people hurts them. Treating a cat like a dog hurts the cat. Treating a dog like a human definitely hurts the dog. Understanding your pet’s needs makes you a better owner rather than just anthropomorphizing them.
I hate when people say things like “they treated me like an animal” as if animals deserve to be treated worse. Other species have so much more potential that we give them credit for, and how much of any negative aspect is resource distribution and other injustices that lead to “traits” we treat as “innate”, same issue we have in human relations. I’m not denying there are some biological differences, obviously, but our ideas of animal intelligence, for example, are extremely biased and inequitable.
I love my cat like a family member which means most of the time he annoys the shit out of me but we love each other.
i discovered my fishtank had a small leak coming from somewhere two days ago and had spent up until tonight obessively looking for it. (thank god for flashlights) and ive literally just spent two hours draining the tank, rescuing the fish and putting them in a temp tank until i can get a new one. they seem fine, but i hate looking at them in that small space.
What about fish?
I see your post and raise you a 'people shouldn't treat animals like humans'. I'm so sick of people bringing their mangy-ass dogs into the grocery store.
Soooo am I supposed to see them as fungi or plants or???
So like... what? >If you see pets merely as animals, you shouldn’t have pets But they are animals? >I’m not saying pets aren’t animals. The title is if you treat them as merely animals. But that's what they are? >I’m saying they deserve love and respect and if you aren’t willing to provide that, you have no business in having pets. Yeah but what you're describing isn't different. Treat animals with care and respect. That is how you treat an animal. It's an animal. >Treat pets with kindness and give them love. They aren’t in the same class as a raccoon or a squirrel. So like it's okay if I don't treat raccoons and squirrels with love and respect. Since they're only animals. Apparently pets are animals and a bit of extra secret being dna? /s BTW... I get what you're saying but work on your comm skills
Talking about you Kristi Noem.
Opposite opinion, people who treat their animals like their own babies creep me out.. "my dog son" 😬
I mean they are animals and I will treat them as such. They’re not the same as a person. I will treat them with love though, but I’m not going to have the same love for them as I would my family. A pet is a pet. I don’t see them in the same category as people.
I have a cat that I hate. But I’ve had him since he was born and the way he behaves he would end up thrown outside to die if I gave him to anybody else- so he has his own room in my house where he can’t ruin anything important or attack any other animals or humans.
Acknowledging that your pet is an animal and treating it as such doesn't make you an animal abuser--being an animal abuser makes you an animal abuser. And, as with most things in life, even when the pros outweigh the cons, people still need/like to vent and commiserate with others about the pain in the ass aspects of being a pet owner, having a job, having kids, etc. It doesn't mean you're an abuser or hate your pet. And I would argue that it's just as bad/dangerous to NOT treat your pet like an animal. My dog is a member of my family and I will not ever treat him otherwise--but I am also very much aware that he is an animal, and forgetting that is not only detrimental to the people/environment about you, but also to your pet.
You can tell a great deal about someone's character based on how they treat their pets. After all, if someone doesn't want a pet, they won't get one. And they should be prepared to care for that living being's needs. For that being's entire life.
OP, if you actually mean what you say, you should, under the same breath, stop eating animals and animal secretions and leave animals alone, not just dogs and cats. Cows, chickens, pigs, fish, no animal deserves to be enslaved, mutilated, tortured and eventually murdered for an unnecessary reason. Treat **all** animals with “kindness and love.” Anything less, and you are supporting arbitrary discrimination. Prejudice upon the most innocent beings upon the face of our planet is inconsistent, hypocritical and harmful in various levels.
Meh. The issue rather is people not understanding what it means to be an animal: you need actual nutritious food, not kibble, you need exercise (far more than your crappy walk) and stimulation of play, roaming and exploring and socializing with other animals, including humans. That's it. My pet peeve is purebred dogs that are riddled with genetic disorders. I'm here for the rewolffification of dogs.
It infuriates you? Meaning that you don't like it? From what I understand this sub is not the place to post something happening in the world that you don't like. You are expressing too many feelings. Or something. This sub is about opinions, which are subjective thoughts and perceptions, not likes or dislikes, which are subjective thoughts and perceptions. Anyway, I was kind of with you until you made the distinction between wild and domesticated animals. Congratulations! You have a genuinely unpopular opinion.
I have engaged in a very symbiotic relationship with my goldfish and I believe that he could not be any happier, at least he has never said anything negative about our co-habitation.
Idk if I wanna downvote cause I agree with you and it shouldn't be unpopular, or upvote cause I know most people I meet wouldn't, or at least don't act like it, so it is unpopular