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So show me a study that proves that married women are happier than cat ladies. Since 50% of marriages end in divorce, I don't really think your observation is logical.
I have cats and a husband - the two are not mutually exclusive.
I'd be interested in such happiness data myself - but 50% is a common myth (the divorce rate is not that high). Also, you're right - cats and marriage are not mutually exclusive, and I'd like to know whether cat owners are more likely to be unmarried or married. And whether unmarried cat owners anthropomorphize more than married primary owners do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoHoVe
Wait...WHAT??? Are you suggesting people are here on earth to fulfill ANOTHER persons needs or were you suggesting the pet owners needs are not truly fulfilled???
Both. In my opinion, people are here to be with and help each other.
Lastly, I'd like to have data on how men judge single women in their desired age group who are very bonded to their cats - and maybe someday I will start a thread about that.
Edit: happiness from pets has been studied, as has happiness from marriage, and only the latter gives a clear boost.
Another issue is whether people who anthropomorphize their pets are at risk of refusing to be away from them for long periods and hurting other aspects of their lives as a result.
Last edited by goodheathen; 08-19-2013 at 09:02 PM..
You seem to be assuming that the cats are the reason they aren't married, when it could just as easily be that they got the cats because their quest for a husband was unsuccessful. Unless you know for certain which came first, the rest of your questions are meaningless.
I'm assuming neither. It is a two-way street. Also, perfect data on anything fuzzy (pun intended) doesn't exist, but that does not mean imperfect data is worthless.
Also, data suggesting that it's younger singles who are most likely to acquire cats. (I strongly believe that those who follow through tend to be women, taking into account the primary person pushing for the adoption or who ends up being the main caretaker) http://www.americanhumane.org/aha-petsmart-retention-study-phase-1.pdf
Last edited by goodheathen; 08-20-2013 at 02:20 PM..
It seems increasingly that pet owners are thinking more and more of their pets as people who are "part of the family". It is getting past the point of bizarrre in some cases.
I just saw a real estate ad: Doberman Pinscher and his owner looking for an apt. I know it's supposed to be cute- but my thought was... what is wrong with this guy that he takes second place to a dog???
In the past, pets were animals, loyal and deserving of attention, etc. but still animals. Now it seems that it's OK to let them lick babies, kiss on the mouth, eat at the table, get expensive food & health care.
Do you think pets are becoming a widely accepted substitute for human relationships? What does this say about modern relationships?
Do you think this idea been promulgated commercially by pet food producers?
Does anyone else find this all rather weird??????
He's probably looked at many apartments that don't allow dogs, or don't allow large breeds. I commend him. People often throw away their pets because they're "moving and can't take the pet with them." That simply means where they're going doesn't allow pets. This guy is tired of hearing about places that don't allow large breeds and is just getting that part out of the way.
I'd take a place with large, LEASHED, dogs ANY OLD DAY over a place overrun with out of control, undisciplined kids.
I agree with the original poster. Frankly I think it's about the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. To me, it's always been the case that humans are above animals in terms of importance and that's that. No matter how great your dog, cat, ferret etc whatever is, the fact remains--it's an animal, it isn't a human, and does NOT deserve the same level of importance or priority that a close human friend or family member deserves. People who treat their dogs better than their own spouses or kids, it would serve them right if their spouse kicked them out & cut them off from their kids indefinitely. To me, they deserve it.
I think the reason people love pets too much is because people anymore don't want anyone telling them how to live their lives, no matter how stupid they're being in doing so, and as animals can love in their own way but don't have the intelligence to be able to judge, that's exactly what they want--all love, no judging, no matter what they're doing.
This whole "don't judge" and "tolerance" and "diversity" thing has gotten out of control, you can't call amoral behavior wrong anymore without people being all "who are you to say what's right & wrong" blah blah blah, and animals, not being capable of taking such stands, become their preferred companion of choice. How many times have you heard people say "my animal doesn't judge me, doesn't tell me I'm wrong or worthless, doesn't try and fix me, it just loves me." People WANT that, people want permission to be living sinful in any number of different ways or getting high or drunk or sleeping with 9 different men or 7 different women or wrecking their lives with any number of awful addictions and to be loved anyway regardless & to not be told that what they're doing is wrong.
Besides just being plain annoying, it also causes actual problems to other persons. To wit: people with dogs that bark & create noise pollution, or trespass onto your property and ransack your trash, cats that do that and hop on the hood of your shiny BMW you just spent the entire afternoon waxing. Try telling the animal owner they need to control their pets a little better, and they will become very defensive & make out like their dog/cat has just as might right to live there as you do, heck they probably have MORE right to live there than you do, and by the way they're probably smarter than you too.
Then you have environmentalist and animal rights wackos telling you that you have no right to protect your property from dangerous animals or animals that are pests & cause problems. So if you live anywhere besides the city and, say, a mountain lion keeps coming in your yard, why that's your fault because "you chose to live in THEIR territory." I'm sorry, but that mountain lion doesn't pay my mortgage or my property taxes, and that they can't or don't know how frankly I don't give 2 turds. They're an animal, I'm a human, and this is my yard. If they can't stay out, then BANG BANG!!
Heck, I don't care if I'm in Florida & an alligator comes into my yard, my response--BANG BANG and the US Fish & Wildlife can kiss my grits, thank you very much. I could give 2 turds that it's a "protected species," I'm a human being, this is my yard, that settles it if you ask me. Besides, the alligator has miles upon miles of the Everglades untouched by humans to thrive in. Let it go hang out there and get off my lawn.
And my thing, regarding the latter (killing animals that come onto your land), is this--if an animal leaves me alone & doesn't cause me problems, I am happy to do likewise for it, to just leave it alone and let it be. Hunting doesn't interest me. However, the minute it trespasses onto MY property & makes it unsafe for me or my kids, or keeps making messes that I have to clean up, then that's when I pull the rifle out and take care of business. To me it's no different than spraying your house for bugs or setting traps for mice.
Regarding the former (irresponsible pet owners)--I shouldn't have to hear some stupid poodle or yorkie yap yap yap yap yap yap yap at everything from the sun to the sand. My right to quiet supersedes its "right" or "instinct" to bark, for one reason--I'm a human, it's an animal. I matter, it doesn't.
Yes, a dog doesn't judge you or criticize you, or a cat, they'll love you even if you shut it up in the trunk of the car for an hour, but you know why it does those things? It's because IT HAS NO FREAKING INTELLIGENCE TO KNOW BETTER, that's why. Humans are too smart to just smile and keep on hanging around you if you mistreat them, or to just watch you wreck your life with stupid decisions & not say something to you about it. If, say, you're a good friend of mine & you get strung out on crack, your dog doesn't care, it still loves you. Me: I'm going to tell you that you're screwing up your life, whether you want to hear it or not, because it's the truth and you need to hear it.
That your dog or cat is too stupid to know to do that hardly makes it a better friend. Please.
I have a sort of moderate view I'd guess, but in the end I treat my animals right and they treat me right. Of course, they probably would treat me right if I didn't treat them right but that doesn't matter since I am kind to them.
I can't say this for most human beings and nearly my entire family. I treat them right and they love to spit in my face.
I am definitely guilty of overindulging my dogs. Both of my girls have their own bathtubs and bedrooms, although I let them sleep in my room when my girlfriend doesn't stay over. I walk them 3-6 miles every day, take them swimming every few weeks, and take them to daycare one or two times a week. I also feed them a high quality diet and one of my best friends is a veterinarian that sees them weekly.
A person at work who also knows my family gives me a hard time about it. She says my dogs eat better and get more attention, toys, exercise, and medical care than most kids and that if I have so much extra time and money I should be a foster parent.
I don't see it that way though. My dogs are my motivators, and they reward me for making good decisions. Their schedule forces me to get lots of exercise and plenty of sleep, and their diet encourages me to buy very simple staples and cook rather than just buying processed food or going out. Because they are so responsive to my emotional state, I am forced to maintain a calm, in control demeanor that allows me to be more productive when working and writing at home.
Yes, some people do this, although I think few people truly equate their dog to a human. And while we should care about other species a dog's life is not equal to a human's. We are more sentient. I think it's popular for people to think humans are all bad etc and pets/animals are perfect and 'above that', which I think is complete BS. We're just more evolved animals, after all. Fido only gives you unconditional love because he was bred to have a childlike/puppylike dependence on you. He doesn't really understand the concept of 'unconditional love' if such a thing even exists even within the human world. People with a grave dependence on their pets are deluding themselves, but I guess if it makes 'em happy.
There was a recent study about people being more upset by animal abuse than mistreatment of adult humans. But I don't know if I will be able to find the link.
Also, I'll guess that the equation of some animals with children is based partly on size and that therefore people are less likely to anthropomorphize large breeds of dogs. Or regular cats vs. serval cats - people were scared of one that recently escaped in Detroit and someone shot and killed it.
The reason many people love their pets more than their own children, pets don't talk back, arenot ddemanding, and give unconditional love back.
My own experience has been that my Mother prefers her cats and dogs to me. They are more important to her. It is a skewed perception she has, that they depend on her, and give her a feeling of importance, and control. This is part of the issue with animal hoarders.
I have a cat. He is a cat. Not a child. Jokingly we refer to him as our, 'son', but he is not our lifeAlAlthough, we do talk about him often.
There was a recent study about people being more upset by animal abuse than mistreatment of adult humans. But I don't know if I will be able to find the link.
Also, I'll guess that the equation of some animals with children is based partly on size and that therefore people are less likely to anthropomorphize large breeds of dogs. Or regular cats vs. serval cats - people were scared of one that recently escaped in Detroit and someone shot and killed it.
This may be for the same reason that it's more upsetting to hear about child abuse.
In the case of children and most cases of animals, they are defenseless and ordinary quite undeserving.
As far as anthropomorphizing pets...well...best I keep my opinion to myself about that since some reading probably do it.
Our dogs have always been very much part of the family and dearly loved and some would say spoiled....but they were always allowed to be dogs.
The 'spoiling' included things like excessively large fenced area and doggie doors, ramps when they got arthritic, allowing them on the furniture and putting up with the extra cleaning all that involved.
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