How does the domestic pet fit into the grand scheme of things ??

[Fox-Gal]

We had a friend stop by last night, that thinks we are a little nuts to have as many pets as we do. He belives they serve no purposes.

This was his questions to us "How does the domestic pet fit into the cycle of life?" "What is thier purpose in the world?" "Would the cycle of life be effected if there was no more domestic pets?"

So I bring the question to you at PT. How do they fit into the grand scheme of things?

[Rio and Me]

Well my view (may not be politically correct) is that We have grown to love our pets and if they were to disaper we would become depresed, lonely, and tubby (from lack of walkies,lol)
Ky and Rio

[2kitties]

This person doesn't have very many friends does he?;)

[RICHARD]

It's unconditional love....


I have yet to date a girl that meets me at the door every single time I come home....;)

My cat doesn't cook very well, but I am willing to overlook his shortcomings..... :eek:

[dukedogsmom]

Same here, Richard, except for me, it would be a guy :D To have a wonderful animal in your life is to open your heart to total love. He just hasn't met the right dog! Ask him why his view is the way it is. Maybe his parents were also like that? He sounds cold to me. Sorry.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by 2kitties
This person doesn't have very many friends does he?;)

LOL Honestly, beside this one fault of his, he is a wonderfull man. He'd give a stranger the shirt of his back if he belived they needed it more then him. He has more friends then I could ever have.

And he does have pets, sort of, they all have to serve a purpose. His rabbits are good for fertilizer for his plants, the droppings not the rabbits. The chickens keep the bugs down and supply him with eggs. His one dog is good for protection. He also has 2 cows, that he says is good for helping to keep his grass cut.

He says everything in this world has to have a purpose to be worth keeping and investing the time and money into their propper care.

[Uabassoon]

"Would the cycle of life be effected if there was no more domestic pets?"

Well if animals had never been domesticated I think the world would be so much different. Originally animals were domesticated because we needed their help. Dogs were domesticated so they could help protect farm animals that were domesticated for easy hunting. Even know if there were no domesticated animals people would suffer. There would be no guide dogs to help those that need them. And if cats hadn't have been domesticated there would be a very lonely Laura sitting in her apartment all by her lonesome :)

[dukedogsmom]

Hey, ask him what his purpose is........

[slick]

In addition to Richard's statement about unconditional love, I also believe that pets contribute to our own health and well-being. I read somewhere that those with pets have lower blood pressure and live longer. Having a pet gives me something else besides myself to look after. Look at all the pets that visit long term care homes; the benefits are plenty. Residents are happier and it perhaps brings back memories of dogs or cats they used to have.

Why do people need a purpose to have pets and why do pets need to have a purpose to be cared for??? They are all God's creatures and so should be loved unconditionally just like us hoomans.

[lizbud]

Originally posted by Fox-Gal


He says everything in this world has to have a purpose to be worth keeping and investing the time and money into their propper care.

Does he include himself in this statement ? Has he ever asked
himself what his purpose is in the grand scheme of life?


I guess to answer his question, I'd have to agree with what
Uabassoon said.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Hey, ask him what his purpose is........

LMAO!

I agree with Laura. Except in my case, it would be a very lonely Julie without her pups. ;)

[Denyce]

I believe the bubonic plague was brought under control finally by cats. Cats catching and killing the rats that had the fleas that were carrying the plague. If we didn't have cats to keep the rodent population in some kind of check we wouldn't have the human population we have now.....:D :confused: :( :eek: ...ok....now that brings up a myriad of confusion...is that a good thing or a bad?:rolleyes: :)

Denyce

[RICHARD]

Wait a second!


Does unconditional love make up for my cat lying around, eating and pooping at will, making me clean out his box, getting cat hair off my clothes and generally being a pain??????




Yep.:)

[slick]

And just what does my Daddy do for me???

-squirts mustard all over my white fur
-drags me away from the fireplace when I'm nice and cozy to go home
-won't cut a hole in the screen for me to escape from
-won't let me chase that pesky dog
-insists that I be his doctor by curing all his illnesses, aches and pains
-gets upset when I poop on the 50 cent coupon that dropped in the litter box
-gets upset when I wake him in the middle of a dream

The list goes on and on, but do I love him? Of course I do. He feeds me.

[K9soul]

I suppose it is all relative to how you look at it. To me, pets serve a vitally important function to those who take them into their heart and home. Besides making us happier and healthier, they are our companions. The role of companion is different for each situation. A pet can help that depressed person come out of themselves with their gentle love and acceptance. A pet can help someone get motivated to get out and walk and do things. Some pets help guard the home and their people from harm. Many pets of different species have helped alert their people to trouble. I have seen testimonies of a parrot that woke his family when the house was on fire, and a cat waking her people when someone was trying to break in their home. Of course there are hundreds of stories of dogs that have helped keep their people from harm.

Unconditional love is very addictive. Once you have experienced it, it is like experiencing a bit of heaven. It is a high or utopia far better than anything a drug can make you feel.

Simply put, they enrich our lives in many, many ways. Too many ways to even try to list them all. Maybe to some people, that does not seem like a real "function." As for me, I wouldn't want to try to function myself in this world without them by my side.

[popcornbird]

For me, the purpose of having pets is:

*Unconditional Love

*To bring joy into my life

*Having friends around when everyone else is busy

*Having something to love and care for and get love in return.

*etc., etc.

They just bring so much joy in our lives. The purpose? Well everything has a purpose, and I believe the main purpose of having pets is having someone to love and care for. Its human nature to love *something*, and us folks have chosen to love our pets. :p Of course we love many human beings too...........our families, etc., but pets have such a special place in our hearts and bring us such joy that we would never be willing to give up. :p

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by RICHARD
Wait a second!


Does unconditional love make up for my cat lying around, eating and pooping at will, making me clean out his box, getting cat hair off my clothes and generally being a pain??????




Yep.:)


:D :D :D I bet there are some cats that wonder if our love is worth it also.

"makes me get off the kitchen table, counter etc."
"wont let me go outside"
"takes me to that mean vet"
"won't let me poop/pee in the corner"
"and why can't I have those chicken bones mom"
"And what do you mean I have to be nice to the others"
"don't you know we are God's and we should rule you"

I hope thier answer is yep, also. ;)

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by lizbud
Does he include himself in this statement ? Has he ever asked
himself what his purpose is in the grand scheme of life?

I will ask him that. :D

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Fox-Gal
I will ask him that. :D


I see that he doesn't have the emotional connection with his 'pets'. I was a little surprised to see that he keeps animals but doesn't see their value beyond taking care of the grass, insects, etc.......

He sees them as objects, not as entities capable of more than insect control, lawn mowers....

there is hope for him!:)

[Miss Meow]

Pets serve no real purpose, art serves no real purpose, sports cars serve no real purpose, nice underwear serves no real purpose - they don't have to! We have these things around us because we love and admire them - because we can! :D

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Miss Meow
nice underwear serves no real purpose - :D

But, it helps on a date!;)

[catnapper]

My husband, the 6th grade geogrpahy teacher just finished the chapter on hunting and gathering and the agricultural revolution... this spoke of how we went from being dependant on the wild animals to taming and herding animals. This led to what we call civilization.... so, all I can telll you is this:
Without pets, we would be very uncivilized!:) the text book says so!

[dukedogsmom]

Originally posted by Miss Meow
art serves no real purpose, sports cars serve no real purpose, nice underwear serves no real purpose - they don't have to! We have these things around us because we love and admire them - because we can! :D
Those things aren't living, breathing creatures, either. They won't care if we don't love them anymore and get rid of them.

[Twisterdog]

Pets serve no real purpose, art serves no real purpose, sports cars serve no real purpose, nice underwear serves no real purpose - they don't have to! We have these things around us because we love and admire them - because we can!

I agree. It is one of the marks of an advanced society to have the leisure time to devote to something besides finding food. We don't NEED 99.9% of the things we have. All we really NEED is simple food, water and some rudimentary shelter from the elements. Obviously, we want far, far more than that. Pets being one of the things we want - for companionship, replacing human ties that are lacking, etc.


And as an aside, I frankly don't think someone is somehow a lesser person because they choose not to have pets. Some people are simply not "into" pets. It doesn't make them less kind or less smart or less nice.

Many, many people who grew up on farms or ranches, or in harder times (like the Great Depression) or less affluent countries cannot comprehend the bond some of us have with pets. It doesn't make them "bad", it just means the have a different outlook on things. My parents, for example, and the kindest people you could ever meet. Everyone loves my parents. They are the salt of the earth. Both of them grew up on farms and ranches, where animals had a purpose. They had pets for us kids when we were growing up, but now that all of us have moved out, they don't have any more pets. It's just not their thing. And that's ok.

I don't happen to want a bunch a kids, nor do I gush all over someone's baby at the store. I'm not into kids. My mom is. She LOVES babies, and can't understand why I don't like them. I tell her, "Hey, I love puppies, Mom. I could never walk by a puppy without petting it. You could care less. That's how I feel about babies." One is not right, and one wrong. Some people are "animal people" and some people are "people people". It's all good.

[lizbud]

Originally posted by Twisterdog


I don't happen to want a bunch a kids, nor do I gush all over someone's baby at the store. I'm not into kids. My mom is. She LOVES babies, and can't understand why I don't like them. I tell her, "Hey, I love puppies, Mom. I could never walk by a puppy without petting it. You could care less. That's how I feel about babies." One is not right, and one wrong. Some people are "animal people" and some people are "people people". It's all good.

Well, I'm in deep doo doo then, because I do love both.:D
There is a daycare in our building at work and when the babies
are out & about for their exersize periods I'm always late getting
back from breaks. Looking at those sweet innocent little faces
just makes my day.:)

Now, if there were a doggie daycare in the building, I'd never
come back to work from breaks.:D :D

[K9soul]

Good post Twisterdog, and true. The only time I really have a problem with "non-pet" type people is when they criticize or make judgements about me because of my bond with them. I like watching kids from afar, I especially enjoy them when they are well behaved children, but I am not interested in having kids myself, and I also don't "gush" over any baby I run across. I guess I do probably gush more over dogs/puppies/cats/kittens etc etc more.

One of my husband's friends used to mock and bash people who took their dogs everywhere with them or talked to them like "kids" and he would do this right in front of me even though he knew I was "one of those people." That's just disrespectful and inconsiderate.

On a final note though, I usually relate and get along best with other pet people. I suppose that's only natural. I'm just a lot more interested in people who have pets, but I won't judge someone or deliberately shun them if they don't :)

[clara4457]

Well said Twisterdog - very well said.

My pets have two major purposes in my life.

1. They help reduce the stress of a very stressful job.

2. They help me appreciate the simple joys in life and not take myself too seriously.

[Fox-Gal]

I really enjoyed reading everyone response and plan on pass a few of them on to him.

Who knows maybe he see the error of his way. :D Hopefull, like Richard said, theres hope for him.

But no matter how he see things, I will respect him as the good man he is, as Twisterdog said it makes him no lesser of a person because he sees things different then us. He at least knows to give the best care to his aminals, although he says it is in fear of what I might do do him if he doesn't.

Thank you for your responses.

[Miss Meow]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Those things aren't living, breathing creatures, either. They won't care if we don't love them anymore and get rid of them.

I never said anything about disposing of things :confused: My point was that we might have these things in our lives because we can, and they enrich our lives.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Miss Meow
I never said anything about disposing of things :confused: My point was that we might have these things in our lives because we can, and they enrich our lives.


I can't tell you what an impact nice underwear has had on me..........not on my pets, of course.;)

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by Fox-Gal

He says everything in this world has to have a purpose to be worth keeping and investing the time and money into their propper care.

Well dogs were and still are used for transportation and to get us humans food. Cats are used to keep our houses mouse/rat free. Horses are used as transportaion, cows are used for food, goats are used for food. They all origanally had there purposes, but I think there greatest purpose is to keep us company because as humans we have a natural instinct to want to be loved. While people love us they can never love us the way animals do, complelty and tottally unconditionally and whole heartidly. So, just because the animals, such as dogs, origanl perpose has some what died out the reson we still keep them as pets are for the love.

The greatest gift you used to be able to give a high ruler, like a king, would be some sort of animal.

Ashley

[Miss Meow]

Originally posted by RICHARD
I can't tell you what an impact nice underwear has had on me..........not on my pets, of course.;)

You have to survive the date first ... ;)