I asked what other method there is.
Which mammal species are suitable to be kept as pet?
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DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
We can't know directly. We study them scientifically, and conclude what mental capacity they are capable of, and then we avoid projecting onto them our own ideas of what's going on in their head.
What you're suggesting is tantamount to:
"What does a cat calculate the square of 2 to be? I think it calculates 4, because that's what I would calculate."
"Well, it doesn't. It does not have the mental capacity for higher-order math."
"But what does it calculate? How else will we know?"
No.What I'm suggesting is that when a dog runs away, he is doing exactly what a human prisoner would do. He is doing what he wants to do, in defiance of the rules imposed by his captor.
It has nothing to do with mental capacity. It's about behaviour. We see animals in captivity behaving the same as humans in captivity. Their motivation, regardless of their "mental capacity", is to do what they want to do, not what somebody else wants them to do.
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
Except that dogs that are fed and housed don't tend to run away.
What I'm suggesting is that when a dog runs away, he is doing exactly what a human prisoner would do. He is doing what he wants to do, in defiance of the rules imposed by his captor.
It has nothing to do with mental capacity. It's about behaviour. We see animals in captivity behaving the same as humans in captivity. Their motivation, regardless of their "mental capacity", is to do what they want to do, not what somebody else wants them to do.
Sure they do. They may be glad enough to come back at meal time - the same can be said of human prisoners. That doesn't mean they're happy in captivity.
An Georgie makes the final choice... but some humans give ther children to grown men as ther bride... an many thank thats ethical.!!!
An advanced alien abducts some healthy happy humans... an wit a few physical an mental modifications the humans become "willing, and mutually beneficial bonders" wit the aliens... do you see that as ethical.???
Humans are the only animal that can have human feelins... an some humans dont have much empathy for animals.!!!
That sure woud explain a lot.!!!
That depends on how and why the modifications came to be, and whether the alien had skin in the game, underwent its own modifications.clueless said:
I don't see that as an accurate description of how humans came to be modified to be dog partners, or dogs came to modified to be human partners.
I do know that the humans who failed to become dog partners vanished from the planet, while dogs that failed to become human partners are still around.
We had to pass laws, in my region, to force people to keep their dogs imprisoned. Unless threatened with fines and loss of their dog, people would let them go wherever they wanted to whenever they wanted to, with many consequent problems.
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The pont of my example is... the humans didnt give consent to ther captors to be modified.!!!
Pets dont give consent to ther owners to be modified.!!!
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
They're not captive, they're among their pack.
And the point of mine is that humans didn't give consent to be modified so as to be natural pet owners. It's just human nature, now. The ones that were left out have vanished.
Due to that natural symbiotic relationship... do you thank its now ethical to modify dogs in any way we see fit to make them beter suit our needs as pets.???
The pack doesn't lock them in the den or walk them on a leash. The pack gives them a chance of being the leader some day. Being a pet is, at best, a partial simulation of being a member of the pack.
In Rode, India, locals were touched by the compassion of a Rhesus macaque monkey who had adopted a homeless puppy. Town locals thought it was bizarre at first, but the apparent love between the two animals was too much to deny. This just goes to show you that love knows no species. The monkey cares for the little puppy and keeps the little one close as if he were caring for his own baby. The details of how the two met are unclear, but the puppy, who was likely born on the streets, seems well taken care of. It’s remarkable that a difference in species didn’t keep this monkey from becoming a responsible parent to a puppy who otherwise would not have had anyone to care for him. That just goes to ...
No, I don't.
Neither do most people, unless compelled.
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
All anthroomorphism.
What makes the pet sad?
Well, what does it do when master comes home? Bite him and run outside? No. Its nearly pees itself with joy at its master's return and practically licks him to death. It is the master that the pet loves more than anything.
Ever met a pet that was not apoplectic with joy about going for a walk?
Do you think pets have such existential dilemmae about their contribution to the universe?
Like humans, not all members of a pack want to be leader. Alpha-males lead very stressful - and short - lives. Most members are not alphas.
You know this, and I know this. Because we're human.
But, as above, pets don't have existential dilemmae.
A well-fed pet is a content pet. The proof is in the pudding.
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Ive seen lots of videos of a diferent species couple that seem to be buddies... but ones like a cat an a parakeet... whare one animal coud easily harm/kill the other make me a bit anxious.!!!
I saw a video recently whare a new born wildebeest was caut by a lion... an for whatever reason the lion made no atempt to eat it or harm it... an the wildebeest seemed to have imprinted on the lion an made atempts to nurse but the lion just ignored it... an a while later the mother of the wildebeest came back... the lion got distracted... an the new born an its mother managed to safely get back together.!!!
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
I would like to see that video.