I want to make it very clear that in no way, shape, or form do I think that pet owners are horrible people. I used to be one. I just want to go through the different ways that pet-owning can be seen as non-vegan (not that I am claiming that owning pets makes you yourself a non-vegan.)
That being said, *technically* (again, not saying anyone who does this is a bad person), having companion animals is kidnapping them (as we are taking them from their families and habitats), and holding them hostage at our houses. I'm sure if we were to stop and actually think about it, we would start to understand that it's not the best idea in general. Think of the mother-baby bond for instance. How many times have we seen a family with a pet cat or dog with a box full of kittens or puppies somewhere, separating them all and giving them all to the different people that come by? Mothers of all species wish to be with their kids, and siblings are better off together as well. Imagine yourself having twins and someone took your kids and gave them away to others to be raised. That is what mother animals deal with all the time when it comes to companion animals.
Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows that you have to keep them completely locked indoors at least for the first few weeks or else they WILL run away. No one seems to stop and think about why...it's a completely natural reaction to someone taking you and making them live with you. They want to get back to their natural home and family, or just get away from their captors and be free. The reason they are less likely to run away after a few weeks is reminiscent of Stockholm syndrome, but as we all know, pets can literally run away at any time, which is why you see so many flyers about missing dogs or cats around neighborhoods.
The reason we have companion animals is often not for their benefit, but just because we *want* them. It's a situation that revolves around the wants of humans as opposed to the needs of the animals. Every animal is meant to be free, not to be trapped in a house of someone who wanted to have them there. We think they're cute and sweet and cuddly, and so we get them because it's what we want and we feel like we should just get to have them. That isn't thinking about them at all but just us.
Having outdoor cats is often advised against, as they could be eaten by coyotes or other wild animals, or they could hurt other animals themselves, But it's not that great of a life to be trapped inside of a house all day long, only able to walk around the same rooms over and over and over again throughout the years. Imagine if you were never allowed to leave your house, go to work, go to school, take a walk outside, or just go anywhere....can you imagine what it must be like to exist in the same few small spaces for your lifespan?
Rescuing can often be different. If you do decide to have a pet, make sure you always have a rescue instead of buying from a breeder (that's a whole other can of worms), but rescuing an animal *because* you want them as a companion animal still has the same issues, instead of *because* you stumbled upon an animal who needed help and wanted to help them. There are situations where it is better to save an animal if they will die otherwise, and there are situations where they should really be free. It's just better to do what is best for an animal instead of thinking of ourselves.
Providing a loving home can be great, and as far as non-vegan concepts go, this one is probably the most ethical. But animals are still meant to be free, be with their families, walk around long distances instead of being cooped up in an area the size of a house and yard, and not be taken to live at our houses because of what *we* want. It's not always in their best interest. They have their own wants and needs, and as vegans, we tend to think about these things in every other instance except when it comes to owning pets. If you can understand that an animal in a zoo who is in a cage the size of your house or bigger, still needs a ton more land than that, and has their own wants and needs in life and shouldn't be used by us, then you should be able to think more deeply about having furry family members and connect the two concepts. After all, as much as we love them and truly think of them as family members, they had their own families and homes that we took them from, and all because we think we get to have whatever we want.
I get it. I loooooovvee how cute and cuddly kittens and other animals are and I would love to be surrounded by them constantly. They make me happy. But that's what I want, not what is best for them. I'm not saying that anyone who has pets has to stop calling themselves vegan, but I think it would benefit the world to start to think more deeply about this issue instead of have a gut reaction of not exploring these ideas because you want to be allowed to have what you want.
That being said, *technically* (again, not saying anyone who does this is a bad person), having companion animals is kidnapping them (as we are taking them from their families and habitats), and holding them hostage at our houses. I'm sure if we were to stop and actually think about it, we would start to understand that it's not the best idea in general. Think of the mother-baby bond for instance. How many times have we seen a family with a pet cat or dog with a box full of kittens or puppies somewhere, separating them all and giving them all to the different people that come by? Mothers of all species wish to be with their kids, and siblings are better off together as well. Imagine yourself having twins and someone took your kids and gave them away to others to be raised. That is what mother animals deal with all the time when it comes to companion animals.
Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows that you have to keep them completely locked indoors at least for the first few weeks or else they WILL run away. No one seems to stop and think about why...it's a completely natural reaction to someone taking you and making them live with you. They want to get back to their natural home and family, or just get away from their captors and be free. The reason they are less likely to run away after a few weeks is reminiscent of Stockholm syndrome, but as we all know, pets can literally run away at any time, which is why you see so many flyers about missing dogs or cats around neighborhoods.
The reason we have companion animals is often not for their benefit, but just because we *want* them. It's a situation that revolves around the wants of humans as opposed to the needs of the animals. Every animal is meant to be free, not to be trapped in a house of someone who wanted to have them there. We think they're cute and sweet and cuddly, and so we get them because it's what we want and we feel like we should just get to have them. That isn't thinking about them at all but just us.
Having outdoor cats is often advised against, as they could be eaten by coyotes or other wild animals, or they could hurt other animals themselves, But it's not that great of a life to be trapped inside of a house all day long, only able to walk around the same rooms over and over and over again throughout the years. Imagine if you were never allowed to leave your house, go to work, go to school, take a walk outside, or just go anywhere....can you imagine what it must be like to exist in the same few small spaces for your lifespan?
Rescuing can often be different. If you do decide to have a pet, make sure you always have a rescue instead of buying from a breeder (that's a whole other can of worms), but rescuing an animal *because* you want them as a companion animal still has the same issues, instead of *because* you stumbled upon an animal who needed help and wanted to help them. There are situations where it is better to save an animal if they will die otherwise, and there are situations where they should really be free. It's just better to do what is best for an animal instead of thinking of ourselves.
Providing a loving home can be great, and as far as non-vegan concepts go, this one is probably the most ethical. But animals are still meant to be free, be with their families, walk around long distances instead of being cooped up in an area the size of a house and yard, and not be taken to live at our houses because of what *we* want. It's not always in their best interest. They have their own wants and needs, and as vegans, we tend to think about these things in every other instance except when it comes to owning pets. If you can understand that an animal in a zoo who is in a cage the size of your house or bigger, still needs a ton more land than that, and has their own wants and needs in life and shouldn't be used by us, then you should be able to think more deeply about having furry family members and connect the two concepts. After all, as much as we love them and truly think of them as family members, they had their own families and homes that we took them from, and all because we think we get to have whatever we want.
I get it. I loooooovvee how cute and cuddly kittens and other animals are and I would love to be surrounded by them constantly. They make me happy. But that's what I want, not what is best for them. I'm not saying that anyone who has pets has to stop calling themselves vegan, but I think it would benefit the world to start to think more deeply about this issue instead of have a gut reaction of not exploring these ideas because you want to be allowed to have what you want.
No comments:
Post a Comment