Is it in our nature to have pets?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Pets
Ever since I've entered college, I've missed having pets around. I've even taken to carrying around an old Tamagotchi to try to fill the void and I've wondered why we as humans like to have pets. Is it in our nature to have pets? Keeping animals has proven health benefits. Studies have shown that animals lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. People diagnosed with AIDs and terminal illnesses are often encouraged to get a cat or a dog because it gives them a reason to get out of bed. Do we as humans like pets because we want to take care of something?
People also act differently around animals than they do around pets. Many people who seem stiff or no-nonsense act completely silly around their animal friend. It almost seems like their personality does a complete 180. I, too, find myself acting differently around my cats than around people. I do feel more relaxed and feel like I'm in an enviroment free of human judgement, but at the same time, sometimes I find myself clenching my teeth because I'm afraid that I might accidentally hurt or harm them and they wont understand that I don't mean to. However, although language and species divide us, I feel like I have a special bond with animals that I don't share with another person, even if we cannot communicate through words.
Is it in our nature to have pets?
Is it in our nature to have pets?
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ReplyDeleteI liked this post and I wanted to say that I completely sympathize with missing a pet. Ridiculous as it sounds, one of the main reasons I've been trying to graduate early is to go home to my dog. I also thought as something funny I'd add that my dad never had experience with a pet before my dog and he talks to her like a person. He says to her things like "Dru, can you get up, you're in the way of the draw I need to get to" He also doesn't find it all strange that she immediately responds and does what he asks. I'd also add that I'm not so sure that animals don't judge us. I think they probably do and we just don't notice it. I see my dog avoid people she doesn't like all the time.
ReplyDelete"Is it human nature to have pets?"
ReplyDeleteLooking at this question, I would have to say it is certainly in our nature to have pets, but I must also say that it is hard for me to support the idea of having pets beyond dogs and cats. It is true to say that pets do supply a form of comfort and affection, and I would be lying out of my teeth if I said I do not enjoy the company of a friendly and loving dog. And many times, humans actually place higher moral consideration to their pets, than to other humans! But it is definitely a hard fact to overlook that both dogs/cats and humans enjoy the concept of pet ownership, and there are plenty of benefits being reaped by both parties. Whenever you see a dog and its owner, it hard to ignore the loyalty and friendship between both species, and it kind of makes it seem as if dogs are made, or even "meant" to be, made as pets. A dog, I feel, shows more love to humans than any other animal (generally speaking), and cats do make a good argument, but do fall short. But looking at animals such as dogs and cats, there is a high standard of caring for them. This allows the dog or cat to live happy and enjoyable lives with their human owner. But it is when I look at the domestication of other animals, that I have to draw a line. Having pets such as birds, turtles, spiders, iguanas, or any non-dog or non-cat animals seems more close to slavery than what people might think. We enslave such animals for our own enjoyment, and we imprison their natural instincts and take them away from their natural environment. Animals such as birds are not meant to be place in a cage. It is unnatural for a bird to be caged (and I say this under the circumstances that cages are human-made, they upset a instinctual balance, and it is uncommon for a bird to be caged in). It is certainly in human nature to have pets, but it is not in "animal nature" to be used as pets. We almost have to ask the questions:
-Is it "animal nature" to be used as pets?
and even...
-Is it "natural" for a dog or cat to be used as a pet?