My opinion is:
To own a PET is a life long deal. The pet will not:
Grow up and move out and start out on a life of it own.
Will not be able to provide food and fresh water.
Will not be able to make choices about its health and treatment.
Will not be able to decide whether to live in the comfort of a home or the unknown of outside.
Will not be able to contol its own life span.

We as pet owners can make these choices for our pets. We care, love, feed, get medical treatment when we think it is needed. We can control if they live indoors only or indoor/outdoor life style.
We make sure they have food and fresh water always.
We make that commitment when we say we have a pet cat or dog or any animal.

As a pet owner, whether rich/poor, intellectual/or not. We do the best we can by our pets. Gifted yes we are, the gift is we have pets as a part of our family and the love and comfort they give us. They ask for nothing, (I do have a couple who will beg at the dinner table), but we do. They except nothing but we do. They want nothing, and we want more and more. We as owners have the best gift of all the animals we love and cherish. But we still want more. They will never ask us for more they make the best of what they have. We have learned and I hope we will keep leatning from our pets. They have alot to teach us.

Ok that is more than my 2 cents worth. I am gifted to have these wonderful creatures in my life and my home. Would not have it any other way. They comfort me, make me laugh and cry. I have lost sleep over them, I have slept because of them. They ease my pain and make it " All better." They have taught me the gift of life and the pain and heart ache of death. I still have many lessons to learn.
I think the pets are the intellectual/gifted ones!

Stella