Why do so many people have dogs/cats and pets in general?

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Dogs have more overt body language and facial expressions that are more easily read by humans, compared with cats. Also, cats simply play less (generally) than dogs.

it's because most get a dog and walk it, most get a cat and throw it out back.

Cats with proper attention are very doglike as far as loving their owners. Everyone of my cats back to 1984 as followed me around the house.

My cats only go outside when supervised by me.

My cats often follow me around, sometimes pawing at me, as I make my way thru the house. They are extremely affectionate, craving and giving attention in a myriad of ways. I just wouldn't describe it as dog-like. Just a different vibe - I'm sure you know what I mean.

 

[Whisper]

People enjoy reciprocal emotional exchanges. You shower affection on a pet, it generally returns the favor (in its own pet-like way). Whether or not you'd actually call the pet's behavior "affection" or something different is irrelevant; we have the ability to label the pet's actions as such, and the pet isn't going to argue, so it's a fulfilling process.

 

[xboxist]

I can't understand the type of person who would actually question the benefits of having a pet. I'm fairly certain I would instantly despise you IRL.

 

[Babbles]

One could probably make the argument that having pets is tied in with evolution and domestication of work animals.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
... It seems these days more and more people have pets especially dogs, much more so than you would have seen 20 years ago. ...

Maybe you're noticing because there are simply more people now than 20 years ago. Maybe a better question is why - and what will cause the exponential increase to cease.

Pets aren't for everyone. Just like religion, having (human) kids, etc. isn't for everyone. I would hope that in your description of pets you can see the human similarities though. If this doesn't become apparent after some months, then external assistance might be appropriate.

Maybe life has taken a big crapper on you recently and you're over thinking or focusing on the wrong things. Maybe a pet would help.

 

[EGGO]

I never had a puppy because it's a control thing. If it was a control thing, there would be a lot of freedoms he has that I would take away. And those with cats know that you can't control them.

 

[Chaotic42]

For me it's not about control, it's about companionship. If I can take an animal so obviously capable of forming relationships with a human, like a dog, and which is about to be killed and bring it into a loving home... I don't know how to explain it. I guess you just love dogs or you don't.

How could I let these two die in a shelter? I'm still trying to figure out why they were on the street in the first place.

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
For me it's not about control, it's about companionship. If I can take an animal so obviously capable of forming relationships with a human, like a dog, and which is about to be killed and bring it into a loving home... I don't know how to explain it. I guess you just love dogs or you don't.

How could I let these two die in a shelter? I'm still trying to figure out why they were on the street in the first place.

Same feelings! When I saw my cats I drove through a few states to get them. One is right under my arm curled in a ball. She loves just to be around me and will do anything to lay in my lap (including pawing at me, or even yanking at the laptop power cord so I'll move it). When I saw her at a shelter it just felt right. She's been a blessing, and so has her sister. (Bengal and Siamese, both very interesting personalities)

 

[So]

Originally posted by: JMapleton

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Huh? Pets can definitely love their owners. Pets definitely have emotions. Emotions are the most basic form of thought - pets don't think "do I like this person's personality?" They just think, "Hey, this person cares for me, plays with me, feeds me - s/he is my best friend."

A pet's owner is the closest thing to a parent that it has. Humans who are treated well by their parents tend to have unconditional love for them and are generally happy to see them, no matter what.

It's not about having control over the pet - it's about having a companion who will never leave you or wrong you as long as you don't do so first. Granted, sometimes they don't know better - that's why we have training.

I think Fritzo explained this phenomenon really well.

I don't think anyone can comprehend what goes on inside a dog's head, but love is more than felt, it is understood by who is loving.

It is not love however when is it for their advantage, "this person feeds me, therefor I like them." Love is not a transaction.

Oh yes it is. You can pretend all you want, but ALL human relationships are transactions.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: racolvin
You're just weird.

Having a pet isn't about control (except for some twisted people), its about companionship, nurturing, and unconditional love that they bring us.

Yeah good luck trying to control a cat. I had to build a barrier of boxes next to my keyboard so he'd stop jumping on it during his wild races around the house...

So now instead of having a cat randomly slam into my keyboard, I get a tumbling cascade of boxes with a very confused cat amidst it.

 

[Geekbabe]

control? are you serious ? control????

LOL, I scoop cat shiat out of an expensive little box affectionately refered to around here as
"The Poo Poo hut" I refill said box with an expensive product known as scoopable cat litter. I regularly replace charcoal filter on said hut.

I clean and maintain a water drinking fountain that is run by electricity which I pay for, I clean and fill a feeding station with both wet and dry foods.. wet foods are heated in the microwave prior to serving.

I shop and pay for feather dusters,cat nip mice, fancy collars, we transport to/from the Vet and pay him.

When it's -5 degrees outside.. the cat gets to go lie on my bed,complete with heated mattress pad, egypitian cotton sheets and a down comforter.. I get to put on boots and trudge off to work.

So tell me who's controlled? me or the cat?


I have a cat because it allows me to experience the thrill and beauty of the lion... on a much smaller scale

 

[JMapleton]

Hardly no one in this thread has brought up the fact that most animals make a mess of your house, cause odors, shed, often times leave "gifts" on the carpet. Is anyone concerned about a clean house, from the looks most "show me your desktop" threads I don't think most people here keep their house very clean.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Muse
I see it from your perspective, JMapleton. Some people have suggested I get a cat, several, but I know about the downside:

Cat hair all over.
Feed it.
Get it shots and neutered.
Vet bills.
When I go away for a few days or longer I have to worry about the creature's well being.
The cat might get run over if allowed outside, and will be a limited creature if always kept in the house.
Noise at night (my sister has to wear ear plugs to keep from getting wakened by her cat).
Cat can run away, maybe to reappear, maybe not. If it does, you are worried about it the whole time.

These are a lot of negatives and I'd have to accept all of them if I get a cat. most of these hold for dogs except that dogs are worse in a lot of ways. They stink, they climb up your leg (the males), they slobber, they are dirty and scratch up your floors with their paws, they bark sometimes to absolute distraction, they bite people.

And, they eventually die.

I prefer a woman, but finding a woman to live and be happy with is a lot harder than getting a pet. Noone gives a flying fuck about the animals you choose to live with, except maybe your landlord or other people you live with. Finding an SO is another story altogether.

just comparing a pet to finding a SO is idiotic you realize right?

Well, yeah, but when you consider that animals can be considered a substitute it's not ridiculous to make the comparison. Disagree?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: seemingly random

Originally posted by: JMapleton
... It seems these days more and more people have pets especially dogs, much more so than you would have seen 20 years ago. ...

Maybe you're noticing because there are simply more people now than 20 years ago. Maybe a better question is why - and what will cause the exponential increase to cease.

The OP may have something in that there does seem to be an explosion in pet obsession in recent years. I think pets used to be a less absorbing part of people's lives than they are for a great many people. There's been an explosion of pet supplies stores. They didn't used to exist, at least not in the ubiquitous way they do now. Used to be there were occasional pet shops. Now they are shops catering not to the animals themselves but in the accouterments associated with them. A stroll into one of these in a chi chi area of my town not long ago was rather embarrassing. Truthfully, it turns me off to the pet process. I get annoyed by many of the pet focus stories on TV news.

I understand the appeal of pets. However, I must say that I have less and less sympathy and understanding for dog owners than I used to. From my perspective dogs are trouble. People let their dogs crap on my lawn and I occasionally have to clean the foul smelling mess off my shoes or mower. Dogs bark at night, during the day. Dogs get territorial with me sometimes. One even bit me a couple of months ago when I was skating down a street. Now I carry Halt.

You shouldn't underestimate the importance of the human/animal connection, though. People are animals, although some prefer to deny it.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
control? are you serious ? control????

LOL, I scoop cat shiat out of an expensive little box affectionately refered to around here as
"The Poo Poo hut" I refill said box with an expensive product known as scoopable cat litter. I regularly replace charcoal filter on said hut.

I clean and maintain a water drinking fountain that is run by electricity which I pay for, I clean and fill a feeding station with both wet and dry foods.. wet foods are heated in the microwave prior to serving.

I shop and pay for feather dusters,cat nip mice, fancy collars, we transport to/from the Vet and pay him.

When it's -5 degrees outside.. the cat gets to go lie on my bed,complete with heated mattress pad, egypitian cotton sheets and a down comforter.. I get to put on boots and trudge off to work.

So tell me who's controlled? me or the cat?


I have a cat because it allows me to experience the thrill and beauty of the lion... on a much smaller scale

GOD that's beautiful! I knew i liked you for some reason.



That routine you describe sounds eerily familiar.

 

[badkarma1399]

I have chickens. They're pretty dumb though.

 

[rudeguy]

I like critters more than I do people.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: NSFW
I like critters more than I do people.

Same here, my dogs seem to have more sense than most of the hillbillies that live in my area. hehe

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
Hardly no one in this thread has brought up the fact that most animals make a mess of your house, cause odors, shed, often times leave "gifts" on the carpet. Is anyone concerned about a clean house, from the looks most "show me your desktop" threads I don't think most people here keep their house very clean.

My cat never really makes a mess, except when I've got the laser pointer out and he's tearing around knocking stuff over :laugh: Or when I leave a paper grocery bag on the floor for him and he shreds it. The entertainment value of watching a cat viciously attack a grocery bag is well worth the 30 seconds it takes to clean it up IMO.

My cat's breath smells like cat food, but other than that he doesn't have an oder, and I clean his box regularly so that doesn't smell either.

I keep him brushed so he doesn't shed much, and the only gifts he's left (other than dead rodents he's proudly presented) are the occasional barf pile when he eats something he shouldn't. Two paper towels and a spray of enzyme later, you can't tell anything happened.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
Hardly no one in this thread has brought up the fact that most animals make a mess of your house, cause odors, shed, often times leave "gifts" on the carpet. Is anyone concerned about a clean house, from the looks most "show me your desktop" threads I don't think most people here keep their house very clean.

I don't have these problems in my house of three dogs. I brush/bathe my dogs regularly and sweep/vacuum the house.

You really have an obscure view of reality. The same can be said for kids. Why have kids but instead just adopt teenagers and control them so that they don't do these dirty habits?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: JMapleton

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
[edit] And there's nothing necessarily wrong with preventing an animal from following it's "innate" behavior. A dog's innate behavior is to kill other animals and eat them. However there are lots of animals that have been socialized, trained and bred for caring for or herding other animals. No cruelty there.

When dog owners put their dogs in things like this:
http://www.doghouses.com/dog-c...deluxeexercisepens.cfm

And many do, it becomes clear they do not have the accommodations to keep a dog.

A temporary enclosure means that someone does not have accommodations to keep a dog? I've used one of these enclosures when I've taken my dogs to Lure Course Events and my dogs have plenty of yard and house space.

Seriously, are you just trolling? Are you new to this country? What about a baby's crib? Same purpose.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: Muse
...

The OP may have something in that there does seem to be an explosion in pet obsession in recent years. I think pets used to be a less absorbing part of people's lives than they are for a great many people. There's been an explosion of pet supplies stores. They didn't used to exist, at least not in the ubiquitous way they do now.

There has been an explosion in many areas. For example, look at how many lawn care stores there are - from the crap available at home depot to $10k+ exmarks. What can be read into this?

Used to be there were occasional pet shops. Now they are shops catering not to the animals themselves but in the accouterments associated with them. A stroll into one of these in a chi chi area of my town not long ago was rather embarrassing. Truthfully, it turns me off to the pet process.

People who excessively fawn over their animals are a little creepy and make me a little sad too. I know a childless couple who have a dog with its own [human] bed in its own bedroom. I've seen people who buy diamond jewelry, etc for their animals (and for their human counterparts as well, but we won't go there). They aren't humans and people who anthropomorphize them probably have as many issues as those who detest them.

I get annoyed by many of the pet focus stories on TV news.

Pet stories are used as mood breakers on tv news - just like dumb criminal stories.

I understand the appeal of pets. However, I must say that I have less and less sympathy and understanding for dog owners than I used to. From my perspective dogs are trouble. People let their dogs crap on my lawn and I occasionally have to clean the foul smelling mess off my shoes or mower. Dogs bark at night, during the day.

Some are irritated by the color of their neighbors houses. Sorry, not much sympathy here. I live in the country. Once you see dogs scramble a pack of coyotes, you'll appreciate the dogs. Other examples can be taken from city dwellers and burglary attempts. Dogs who bark incessantly aren't the problem, their owners are.

Dogs get territorial with me sometimes. One even bit me a couple of months ago when I was skating down a street. Now I carry Halt.

There is absolutely no excuse for an unrestrained dog biting a human. They should be punished - and possibly their owners. If it persists, ultimate action must be taken.

You shouldn't underestimate the importance of the human/animal connection, though. People are animals, although some prefer to deny it.

There was one excellent doc. about the origin (evolution) of canines. It is purported to have taken place in china and quite quickly compared to the usual evolutionary scale. They came across the bering strait with people who considered canines an important part of the family unit.

I'll see if I can locate this but don't count on it.

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Try this-

Lock you girlfriend and your dog in your trunk for 30 minutes. After 30 minures, open the trunk and see which one is happy to see you.

This is why people like dogs.

hahahaha

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
Hardly no one in this thread has brought up the fact that most animals make a mess of your house, cause odors, shed, often times leave "gifts" on the carpet. Is anyone concerned about a clean house, from the looks most "show me your desktop" threads I don't think most people here keep their house very clean.

false and perhaps post some facts up about yourself and pics of the room you live in at your parent's place.

You are a weaksauce troll.

 

[BoberFett]

Who was that emo kid that used to post around here about who used to go on about how emotions were a human weakness which he didn't fall prey to. I think he was the same kid who would talk about never wanting to have sex.

Yeah, that's pretty much what we have here.