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Are We Loving Our Pets to Death?

  

Category:  Pets & Animals

Via:  hallux  •  3 months ago  •  46 comments

By:    Linda Baker - NYT

Are We Loving Our Pets to Death?
Pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. But that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T


Pets are more popular than ever. Roughly two-thirds of American homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in 1988,according to the American Pet Products Association, and Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. An estimated 91 million households in Europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over the past decade. The pet populationin India hit 31 million in 2021,up from 10 million in 2011.

And our pets are becoming ever more like us — or at least, that seems to be our goal. We pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. At All the Best, a high-end pet store chain in Seattle, the most popular items are feline and canineenrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said Annie McCall, the chain’s marketing director.

Now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. The more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop.

“We now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said James Serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “The problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. So animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.”

The health risks begin with breeding, of course. One of the most popular dog breeds in the United States is theFrench bulldog, a member of the brachycephalic family of flat-faced dogsthat bond well with people but have trouble breathing,among other severe health problems.

But we are also changing our animals’ relationship to their surroundings. Out of concerns about bird predation, many cats now spend their entire lives inside. Until the late 1970s, even city dogs spent most of their time outdoors, either in backyards or roaming unleashed around the neighborhood. Now, said Jessica Pierce, a bioethicist in Colorado whose work focuses on animal-human relationships, “the unleashed and loose dog is considered against the natural order of things.”

One of the fastest growing market segments is the so-called pet confinement sector, which includes crates and indoor fencing, as well ashead harnessesand electronic collars. “The level of constraint that dogs face is profound,” Dr. Pierce said. Although dogs several decades ago were more likely to be hit by cars, she added, “those risks were outweighed by the freedom of experience and movement.”

The modern pet paradox, in a nutshell: “Owners don’t want dogs to act like dogs.” Dr. Serpell said.

While dogs are allowed in an ever-increasing number of human spaces — restaurants, offices, stores, hotels, as well as more parks with designated dog runs — their growing presence has not translated into greater independence.

The confinement and isolation, in turn, have bredan increase in animal separation anxietyand aggression, Dr. Serpell said. Roughly 60 percent of cats and dogsare now overweight or obese.And due in part to the burden and expense of modern pet ownership — veterinary fees, pet sitters, boarding costs — more people are abandoning animals to animal shelters, leading to higher rates of euthanasia. In 2023, more than 359,000 dogs were euthanized at shelters, a five-year high, according to Shelter Animals Count, an animal advocacy group.

“We’re at an odd moment of obsession with pets,” Dr. Pierce said. “There are too many of them and we keep them too intensively. It’s not good for us and it’s not good for them.”

Granted, taming an animal has always meant striking a balance between its nature and ours. “Defining freedom to a dog, an animal that has been domesticated artificially and selected by humans for so long, is a really interesting puzzle,” said Alexandra Horowitz, a canine cognition researcher at Barnard College.

She drew a contrast with free-ranging dogs,a category to which most of the world’s estimated 900 million dogs belong. Free-roaming canines lead shorter lives and have no guarantee of food, Dr. Horowitz noted, but they do get to make all of their own choices. “That is an interesting model for us to look at — thinking about how to make a dog’s life more rich with choices so they are not just captive to our caprices all the time, while not endangering society at large,” she said.

In recent years Scandinavian countries have started to ban the breeding of some dog breeds that are particularly prone to disease, such as the Cavalier King Charles spaniel. In Sweden it is illegal to leave pets alone at home for extended periods of time; in both Sweden and Finland, crating animals in the home is illegal in most cases.

But whether these animal welfare policies reconcile or reinforce the fundamental paradox of modern pet keeping is unclear, said Harold Herzog, an emeritus psychology professor at Western Carolina University who studies animal-human relations. “The more we view dogs and cats as autonomous creatures, the less we can justify owning them as pets,” he said.

A few years ago, Dr. Herzog vacationed on the island of Tobago, and spent much of the time watching the stray dogs that roamed the landscape. “I asked myself: ‘Would I rather live in Manhattan as a pampered dog, or would I rather be a dog in Tobago hanging out with my friends?’” Dr. Herzog said. He concluded: “I’d rather be a dog in Tobago.”

That’s not a practical option for most people, or necessarily good for the Tobagos of the world. Instead, for the modern pet owner, Dr. Serpell offered this advice: “By all means enjoy your dog’s companionship. But dogs are not people. Get to know the animal from its own perspective instead of forcing them to comply with yours. It enables you to vicariously experience the life of another being.”


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Hallux
Professor Principal
1  seeder  Hallux    3 months ago

All of my pets treated me as one of their own ... vicariously. I sorta turned out okay.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2  JohnRussell    3 months ago

Many types of people have always treated pets as family members. 

I do think the pampering is a little crazy at times though.  Your dog doesnt care if he has a plaid sweater on . 

 
 
 
Ozzwald
Professor Quiet
2.1  Ozzwald  replied to  JohnRussell @2    3 months ago
I do think the pampering is a little crazy at times though.

I think this is a bit overblown.  Many dog owners, like me, do not pamper and spoil our dogs.  I mean seriously, sometimes he gets his ribeye medium instead of medium rare...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Ozzwald @2.1    3 months ago

Dog abuser!

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
2.1.2  Kavika   replied to  Trout Giggles @2.1.1    3 months ago

Oh, that poor dog, how horrible

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3  Trout Giggles    3 months ago

I don't spoil my cat. Not at all

 
 
 
Gsquared
Professor Principal
3.1  Gsquared  replied to  Trout Giggles @3    3 months ago

Sure you don't.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Gsquared @3.1    3 months ago

I don't. She just gets whatever she wants

 
 
 
Gsquared
Professor Principal
3.1.2  Gsquared  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1.1    3 months ago

As she deserves to.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1.3  Trout Giggles  replied to  Gsquared @3.1.2    3 months ago

She is my BFF

 
 
 
Gsquared
Professor Principal
3.1.4  Gsquared  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1.3    3 months ago

Of course, so was mine.  He's been gone over 20 years now and I still miss him every day.  

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
4  evilone    3 months ago

This chunky monkey does not get human food... well my wife did drop a McDonald's fry on the floor at lunch today, but that was an accident. He does get 2 walks a day to do his business and comes into the office with when we are both here. He has separation anxiety issues... 

512

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
4.1  Kavika   replied to  evilone @4    3 months ago

He's waiting to ambush a french fry

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
4.1.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Kavika @4.1    3 months ago

LOL that's why he's hiding under the rug

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
4.1.2  evilone  replied to  Trout Giggles @4.1.1    3 months ago

It's a blanket on my recliner. 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
4.1.3  Trout Giggles  replied to  evilone @4.1.2    3 months ago

I'm sorry I called it a rug. But he looks awfully cute

 
 
 
shona1
Professor Quiet
5  shona1    3 months ago

Morning.. spoil our animals... nah ahh not me..

But if the cat is asleep on the bed and I want to make it, I wait till it gets off..

If she is snoring away and I want to do some vaccing I wait till she is awake..

My back maybe killing me in bed but because Mishka is lying on my stomach I won't move incase I disturb her...

I leave the back door propped open so the cat can come and go through the cat flap... I lock the security door..doesn't matter if the house is freezing that's what the heater is for..

Me spoil animals nope not me...

256

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Expert
5.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  shona1 @5    3 months ago

She is lovely. 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  shona1 @5    3 months ago

I would spoil her rotten too. She's a beauty

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
5.3  devangelical  replied to  shona1 @5    3 months ago

yeah, that's the face of a playful feline extrovert who loves to have her picture taken...

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
6  charger 383    3 months ago

I am recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and all the spoiling I give the dogs is being paid back, They are guarding  me  and spoiling me back.   My recovery is going well so fsr.

 
 
 
shona1
Professor Quiet
6.1  shona1  replied to  charger 383 @6    3 months ago

Arvo charger..good to hear you are recovering well.

Slow and steady as you go..

Animals know when you are not right or ill..and they just want to snuggle up to you..

Take care, you will be sprinting around in no time...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  charger 383 @6    3 months ago

I'm glad to hear your recovery is going well. All the dogs I've had were always attuned when I wasn't feeling well. But when I broke my ankle in 2 places and was laid up in bed my rotten cats stayed away from me. I didn't have Charlene then but I think she would have cuddled with me

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
6.2.1  devangelical  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.2    3 months ago
when I broke my ankle in 2 places and was laid up in bed my rotten cats stayed away from me

well, of what possible use were you to them in that state? you can't blame them. next time keep some kitty crack on the nightstand you dumb human...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.2.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  devangelical @6.2.1    3 months ago

Ingrates!

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
6.3  devangelical  replied to  charger 383 @6    3 months ago

so, no more 4 speeds huh? hopefully you've taught your mutts how to fetch the remote and cans from the fridge...

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
6.3.1  charger 383  replied to  devangelical @6.3    3 months ago

I had a Doberman that could bite them hard enough to open pop top soup cans so I can't trust them with my beer.   Be a while till I can bang the gears. 

Wonder if I can get a pistol grip or tee handle for my cane?

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Expert
7  Perrie Halpern R.A.    3 months ago

As many of you may know, I lost my Wally a week ago after a week of fighting to try and get him off a ventilator. I would have done anything to save him. If that is loving him too much, then guilty and I would do it again. He brought me and Matt so much joy and I will miss him forever.

384

 
 
 
shona1
Professor Quiet
7.1  shona1  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7    3 months ago

Evening Perrie...

I am so very sorry to hear you have lost Wally...yes you would do anything for them and they break your heart when they go...

The only comfort is you know you did everything you could for him..

His time spent with you was filled with love, safety, warmth and all the creature comforts he could wish for...his eyes say it all..

When the time is right hopefully once again the patter of paws may grace your home once again...as I am sure Wally would also wish for....

🐾🐾🥀💔💐

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Expert
7.1.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  shona1 @7.1    3 months ago

Thank you for your condolences.  He was a one of a kind guy. I know I will get another kitty, but I doubt anyone else could fill Wally's boots.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
7.1.2  JohnRussell  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7.1.1    3 months ago

Eventually everyone's best times of their life exist only in memories. 

-

Shortly after World War II a rabbi named Joshua Loth Liebman wrote a book titled Peace Of Mind.  In it was this passage. He meant it of course to pertain to people , but I think it could apply to how we think of our pets too.

 I often feel that death is not the enemy of life, but its friend, for it is
 the knowledge that our years are limited which makes them so
 precious. It is the truth that time is but lent to us which makes us, at our best, look upon our years as a trust handed into our temporary
 keeping. We are like children privileged to spend a day in a great
 park, a park filled with many gardens and playgrounds and azure
tinted lakes with white boats sailing upon the tranquil waves. True,
 the day allotted to each one of us is not the same in length, in light,
 in beauty. Some children of earth are privileged to spend a long and
 sunlit day in the garden of the earth. For others the day is shorter,
 cloudier, and dusk descends more quickly as in a winter's tale. But
 whether our life is a long summery day or a shorter wintry afternoon,
 we know that inevitably there are storms and squalls which overcast
 even the bluest heaven and there are sunlit rays which pierce the
 darkest autumn sky. The day that we are privileged to spend in the
 great park of life is not the same for all human beings, but there is
 enough beauty and joy and gaiety in the hours if we will but treasure
 them. 
 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
7.1.3  charger 383  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7.1.1    3 months ago

hope you find a new nice cat soon,  

 
 
 
GregTx
Professor Guide
7.1.4  GregTx  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7.1.1    3 months ago

I'm sorry Perrie. I hope you're doing okay. 

He was a one of a kind guy.

They're the ones that take up alot of space in your heart.

I know I will get another kitty, but I doubt anyone else could fill Wally's boots.

Nor should they..

 
 
 
George
Junior Expert
7.2  George  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7    3 months ago

I’m so sorry for your loss, they really do imprint themselves on our lives in a way non-pet people just can’t understand. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Expert
7.2.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  George @7.2    3 months ago

Thank you George for your kind words. You are right that non-pet people just don't get it... In a way I feel bad for them. They will never know the joy that our fur family members give us.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
7.3  JohnRussell  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @7    3 months ago

Too cute. 

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
8  sandy-2021492    3 months ago

So, yeah, my Casey is a little bit spoiled.  But that pup would take on a gorilla for me, so he deserves it.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
8.1  devangelical  replied to  sandy-2021492 @8    3 months ago

all 3 of my daughter's rescue dogs had hair triggers when they were sharing her space in strange environments. the 2 females were more aggressive and territorial, but the male didn't like to be very far from her.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
8.1.1  sandy-2021492  replied to  devangelical @8.1    3 months ago

My dad made the mistake of acting like he was going to hit me one time, just to see what Casey would do.  Casey jumped at him, snarling and barking, and snapped close enough to his hand to make him jump back.  He didn't bite, but he made it clear that he would bite if he had to.

I think Dad is glad I have a dog, even if it is a small one who couldn't really do much damage.  He's an excellent home alarm, and his bark sounds pretty vicious.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
8.1.2  devangelical  replied to  sandy-2021492 @8.1.1    3 months ago

my daughter's first boxer placed me at the bottom of the family pack hierarchy and then flexed her status when my daughter wasn't around. my sister adopted a weimaraner from her son, my nephew, when he was deployed to the middle east. that dog was a psycho-mutt that played rough and always growled at me like he wanted to take my arm off. nobody got in my sister's space around that dog. I volunteered to babysit him one 4th of july weekend so she could go with the family to the local fireworks display. she was afraid he'd tear the house apart if left alone. as soon as it got dark and the explosions started, that monstrous dog was on my lap trembling. I changed the TV channel to WWII and he calmed down.

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
9  Hal A. Lujah    3 months ago

My cat gets as much dry food as she wants, but she also gets white meat chicken and pork just because it’s a really cheap way to feed your cat.  Spend six bucks on a package of breasts or a pork loin, 25 minutes on a low boil, cut it up and bag it in week sized portions for the freezer, then just put about ten little pieces in her bowl two or three times a day.  She is obsessed with it and me, and it costs about six bucks a month.  Cheaper than dry cat food.  Try it and your cat will bond with you twice as much.

original

 
 
 
Freefaller
Professor Quiet
9.1  Freefaller  replied to  Hal A. Lujah @9    3 months ago

Interesting colouring on the cat up on the rail, reminds me of my old grey furball:P

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
9.1.1  Hal A. Lujah  replied to  Freefaller @9.1    3 months ago

That’s because he’s concrete.  😁

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
9.1.2  devangelical  replied to  Hal A. Lujah @9.1.1    3 months ago

yeah, but which cat weighs more?

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
9.1.3  Hal A. Lujah  replied to  devangelical @9.1.2    3 months ago

It’s pretty close.  Liz is a tank but she’s not fat.  She will silently and effortlessly jump up to the kitchen counter.  Her girth is very muscular.

 
 
 
Freefaller
Professor Quiet
9.1.4  Freefaller  replied to  Hal A. Lujah @9.1.1    3 months ago
That’s because he’s concrete.  

Lol yes but other than that it does remind me of my cat

 
 

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