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Exactly, their emotions are simple and pure. Because they lack the advanced cognitive abilities humans have they don't strategize, plot, evaluate, judge, connive, complicate, have expectations or quid pro quo. They basically live in the moment and what you see is what you get.
You should meet my cat. I’ve woken up to him staring directly at me, with such intent that I have to conclude he is plotting my death. :P
I have seen their tails in motion, usually when they’re happy. I’m sure if a golden retriever’s tale accidentally hit a very small child, it could knock the child over but I highly doubt it would kill them. But the notion that any dog that wanted to kill a person would turn around and hit them with their tail rather than bite them is absurd. Not to mention that Golden retrievers, which you love to say are the main culprits of this, are one of the friendliest breeds and most child friendly breeds around.
The reason is it is easier , much , much easier for people to have a relationship with a pet, a pet is like a child. Some people have pets for companionship, particularly people that don't have children. Relationships with other human beings can be much more satisfying although tough. Some people even treat their pets as you would a human child.
Even when they're committing battery with their tails?
Yes. Collateral damage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluefox
You should meet my cat. I’ve woken up to him staring directly at me, with such intent that I have to conclude he is plotting my death. :P
LOL. My shepherd (rescued less than a year ago) stands next to my bed staring me directly in the face before the alarm goes off in the morning. He hasnt killed me yet.
He is wanting to go out to pee but he is not vocal so he just stands there staring at me until the alarm goes off.
That's sensible and good points. Also most pets are tamed and domesticated. Animals not purposely bred to be friendly to humans aren't affectionate. If humans were bred specifically to be affectionate and docile and you fed, provided and gave them affection they'd probably be more affectionate and lovey dovey too lol.
Well, we were adopted by the neighbor's Banty hen. Chickens are not bred to be friendly, particularly.
She was not motivated by food, just wanted to be with us every second. She's sit on our hands or laps or chest and follow us from room to room. We took her on road trips and she loved that.
Just sayin'---they have the potential even if they are not the usual variety of pet.
We loved her and I'm stickin' to that, no matter what other definition someone has.
LOL I found my cat on Petfinder and just instantly knew...his name, his face...there was something about him. He was a 5 month old kitten. I just was like, "That's my cat. I'm getting that cat. This is happening."
I blew through the paperwork, didn't care what they were charging, like just "Whatever, take my money" and when I opened the cage he was in, the way he looked at me and climbed out into my arms was like, "About damn time, human. Where have you been? You're late!"
Now THAT is "anthropomorphism." I don't care, though. Part of the joy of being Nimbus' human is imagining what he is communicating to me, far beyond whatever thoughts are likely to be in his head. All just part of the fun. I mean he came charging into my room sideways and hissed at nothing one day while I was playing Paul Simon's "Rhythm Of The Saints" album and I deduced that he does not like Paul Simon. He happened to be in a very nice, mellow mood another time when I was rocking some Dire Straits, so that is now "his favorite band." In honest reality I figure he probably doesn't care one way or another what music I play. It's just amusing to imagine that he does.
And really, for me, that's part of why I side-eye the notion that a pet can't feel "love"...I mean... It isn't just a matter of argument over science or reality or semantics even, underneath that it's more that I feel one is missing out on a pretty key piece of the (human) joy of having a pet. It's like saying that no one should write imaginative pieces of fiction or make original art or music because since these flights of fancy are not straight up carbon copies of something that is in front of you, well, you're being somehow a delusional person for indulging in the stuff in your head. You are in denial of reality! Well to some extent, having a mental landscape that goes beyond mere "reality" is part of the human experience. So someone who is not willing to engage with that, seems...cold and detached from an emotionally colorful existence, cut off from whatever it is that makes us smile when we imagine what a pet might think or feel, regardless of our ability to know for sure. That level of unimaginativeness feels dull and sterile to me. Unpleasantly so.
I mean, if to a person a pet is simply a piece of property, and not capable of love or other emotions, why not just buy a toaster or a lamp instead? Why would we care about "rescuing" them? "Oh honey today I went to Goodwill and rescued this shelving unit! I just could not bear to see it sitting there without a home." lol
*shrug*
I know what you mean about "that's my pet". When I lived in Florida, before I got my dogs that someone tossed out of their car, I was looking on PetFinder for one. There was the most adorable dog in the world, named "Bob Barker", and I couldn't stop staring at him, plus the name just made me happy. I knew that was 'my' dog. Unfortunately, someone else adopted him before I could.
As for "do animals love", I think people expect them to "love" in the same way that humans do. Of course it wouldn't be the same thing. It was already pointed out all kinds of characteristics that animals do not have, but they do have some emotions that we have, do they not?
Do they fear? That's an emotion. Do they get happy? That's an emotion. Do they get sad? That's an emotion. Of course animals have emotions. Some of them even deal with anxieties - which evokes an emotion. The way I look at "do animals love", is that yes, they do, but not like humans do. They aren't humans. If my animals constantly (and I mean constantly) want to be around me, get happy to see me, dance around me at the mere sight of me - not because they are going to get anything like food or a 3 day outing, simply because I walked out of one room and into another room that they happened to be in - to me, that is their version of "love". My answer is: Yes, they do, but not like humans do. It doesn't have to be the same, and I think that is the mistake that many humans make when considering that question.
Also, it IS possible for your pet to have a "favorite" type of music - it's the sound that they like. I know this because I used to drive long distances in my car doing courier work as an Independent Contractor many years ago, and I would take my dog with me (a dog from the past). I played music while we drove. Nothing, I mean no other music, not one artist, ever calmed her down (cause holy hell was she hyper), like Enya did. If I wanted my pet to lie down in the seat and remain calm, I'd put on Enya. No other music did that for her.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2mares
Rats make great pets. When my boys were young they found a snake, bought a rat to feed it. The rat killed the snake, so we had our first pet rat.
They are ridiculously intelligent, and they have their own "sense of humor" - silly little things. My rats were smaller than what most people think of when they think of rats. Mine were the size of a gerbil but had a tail. They were adorable, they had their own little personalities...ratalities? They were characters. They loved when I would take them on outings. Lucy only went on my shoulder at the beach, every other time, she insisted that I cup my hands together, and she would ride in that "cup", her little front feed over the tips of my fingers, and her little head investigating and sniffing everything. She never tried to get away - she enjoyed the attention she got - she knew she was safe with me. Monique liked my shoulder, and she, too, would stay there on outings. Never once tried to leap off. I'd take them all over downtown Seattle to show them the sights. I took them to the beach, like I said earlier. I would take them on car rides - they enjoyed all of it. And, their best friend was my cat, Serenity. They loved Serenity, especially Lucy. Lucy could not get enough of that cat, and that cat would lick Lucy like she was a kitten, and would allow Lucy to snuggle up between her paws, and they would both fall asleep on the bed that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
Even when they're committing battery with their tails?
I thought this was a joke at first, but then I saw this....
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
I have seen their tails in motion, usually when they’re happy. I’m sure if a golden retriever’s tale accidentally hit a very small child, it could knock the child over but I highly doubt it would kill them. But the notion that any dog that wanted to kill a person would turn around and hit them with their tail rather than bite them is absurd. Not to mention that Golden retrievers, which you love to say are the main culprits of this, are one of the friendliest breeds and most child friendly breeds around.
So, you're serious, jbgusa? Are you actually serious saying "battery with their tails"? Really?
ocnjgirl: Dogs are only as good as their owners. I've met plenty of Goldens who are holy terrors.
I've not been the biggest "dog person" but I've been around plenty of them. Never had much issue with most dogs including retrievers and labs. But a friend got a pittie, and his tail was a menace. To anyone and anything in his vicinity. He would whack your leg hard enough with it to leave dark purple bruises. She (the owner) told me that this was why some breeds, like this one, would have the tails docked (or amputated) because they could actually injure themselves with an out of control long tail. I always thought and assumed that this, along with ear docking, was either a cosmetic thing or for fighting dogs, and that either way it was wrong. But when she said that I just had to admit I didn't really know anything about it.
Gotta say, I do NOT have the kind of energy to keep up with a dog like that. He had reached most of his full size but was still very young and puppylike in behavior, in other words a total freaking spaz! Nothing malicious about it at all, but that tail was a hazard, seriously.
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