Comments on: Pets as people I

By: SallyT

SallyT — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:19:44 +0000

The animals humans generally favour as pets are those that are adaptable. Being adaptable means they can fit in with us if it suits them. Generally it does. They get easy food, somewhere to sleep, protection etc etc. Cats and Dogs are favourite for this because they are social animals and so naturally know how to fit in with their pack. They don’t see themselves as human but they frequently know what pleases us. This is good for them because it brings rewards so they try and please us more. By doing this they appear to act almost human when really all they are doing is making the most of their situation. It’s a two way thing, we get their affection and companionship and they get love, security and food in return. Despite all this, they definitely do have personalities. Even animals living in the wild have distinct personalities. Any animal that can think for itself will develop one.

By: TR

TR — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:22:59 +0000

Explain this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM&eurl=

By: steve

steve — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:04:08 +0000

As a non-pet person, I find the pet people mystifying. It isn’t just the disgusting waste they spread all over sidewalks and greenswards in an urban environment, endangering one’s shoes and appetite. It isn’t just their batty anthropomorphism. It isn’t just their desire for an indulgent-master/furry-slave relationship. It’s their belief that these things are perfectly natural.

I guess that is one aspect of culture–taken-for-granted assumptions that one never questions. But it’s odd that the pet people and the non-pet people can otherwise live in the same consensus culture and seem so incomprehensible to one another.

By: jens

jens — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:14:50 +0000

debbie, this beautiful quote does not count – i am afraid you are speaking from within the symptom…
grant, you are doing good in calling it an american phenomenon – although reports say that it is spreading over china fast. – regarding animals as ‘pets’ – to a german – seems odd at the best and probably even infantile, or perverse.
living with my american wife i now at least can say that i am a happy pervert, sharing every inch of our house with two big dogs (keeping our two ‘boys’ outside was simply not debatable).

to a german a dog has its place (which is outside, or on the floor).
to an american a dog has its place too. it is turned from an animal into a sweet little pet.
to americans it is quite normal to have the fury friends operated on their sexual organs. in europe this is mostly done as last resort.

the roots of these differences are running deep. from my perspective the american pet-mania is not too far away from ‘disneyland’ or from the typical american tourist’s delight in florence “oh look, it is david again! … how sweet!”

…
the american love for cute. – not too far away from asia at all.

By: debbie millman

debbie millman — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:03:09 +0000

Hi Grant–Thought you’d like this quote:

“For me you’re only a little boy just like 100,000 other little boys. For you, I’m only a fox like 100,000 other foxes. But if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. ”

- Antoine St. Exupery, The Little Prince