
Should we stop keeping pets? Why more and more ethicists say yes - gpresot
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/01/should-we-stop-keeping-pets-why-more-and-more-ethicists-say-yes
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gargravarr
Having grown up in a pet-friendly family, I have started to think about how we
view pets as property. For the most part, being a pet does have advantages to
the animal involved - they get a warm, dry bed, regular food and someone to
play with. For many, that's a substantially better life than living feral. But
we do restrict the animal's freedom in the process.

I realised back in my teens that I have no right to keep a caged animal. As a
family, we lost a lot of rabbits due to foxes, and had a procession of
hamsters. If I have children, they won't be allowed caged animals, ever.

On the flipside, I love cats, mostly because they are highly independent
animals. A cat will keep coming around so long as it benefits them; the
scheming little creatures hold grudges. Dogs, by contrast, are sometimes
subject to horrifying abuse and will still trust humans. Behaviours like this
have probably been deeply ingrained in animals as part of being domesticated.

It is wrong to keep an animal against its will, I'm starting to appreciate
that now. But I would find it very difficult to give up the idea of keeping a
pet cat - they're reliable companions, and probably some of the lure is that
they don't talk back, like family members.

I'd heard about the numbers of shelter animals killed (let's not beat around
the bush here, they're not 'put to sleep', that's the nice term for an animal
with a terminal condition. These are healthy animals, and we as humans have
decided they need to be owned like property) every year. Though I am
astonished to read that people used to have their animals killed and buy new
ones when going on holiday - that's disturbing.

It's difficult to answer. I think a balance can be struck with mutual respect
- so long as the animal has a reason to stay with you, and isn't restricted
from breaking off on their own, I don't see a problem.

