If it does, can we keep it? I promise to walk it and feed it and clean up after it every day. And I promise to never ask for another thing in my whoooole life.
Since you want to reduce the numbers of [del]enslaved[/del] domesticated pets, what would you suggest?
Have you ever seen how miserable a female cat in heat is? And trying to deal with the constant escape attempts and yowling toms outside the windows makes the human rather cranky.
What about not continuing to breed them? if a cat is in heat and needs to go out to find another mate, then maybe the solution should be not to have them in the first place, rather than spaying or neutering them.
I don’t think you’ll get much argument about controlling the breeding of pets so that all dogs and cats born can have good homes. That involves the procedures you object to.
My dog was intact for the first six years of her life life. I assure you she was no happier before than after. One of her puppies became a breeder also and lives nearby, and we sometimes keep her. There is no maternal bond. You shouldn’t impose your human values on dogs.
You would have to suppose that an animal that has been neutered/spayed has a concept of what was done and that they are forever after sad about their inability to have offspring. I am pretty sure no such thought ever crosses their mind. They do not have the capacity to understand this.
We know however from decades or more of experience that our pets are healthier (and generally happier) if they have been neutered/spayed (particularly the females).
Also, consider that captive animals have a significantly longer lifespan than their “free” brethren do. This is true for domestic dogs and cats too. Setting them free would dramatically reduce their life expectancy.
LOL, my heart melts at pictures and videos of puppies and kittens.
As for a suggestion, maybe it would have to be a long term attempt, so the effects might not be so abrupt, continuing the care for the ones that already exist would have to be essential, but preventing future breeding and perpetuation of the pet industry might reduce these large number and over time things would change…?
Not really, as other than being taken to the vets (which is necessary for their healthcare in the first place), they really have no idea that their reproductive abilities have been trifled with.
If I came and neutered a human being, they would be understandably upset, because they know what that operation is, and may conciously want children in the future - it is an intollerable affront to their autonomy for me to take that step without their consent.
Cats simply lack the congnitive abilities to understand this, or to feel or communicate such abstract notions as “you are interfering with my reproductive autonomy”. They are cats. It cannot be “cruelty” to inflict on them something they do not understand as “cruel” (or indeed at all).
Cats breed by instict - the female goes into “heat”, which triggers the urge to breed. Nutering females removes this instinct, and there is nothing whatsoever to indicate that they miss it and pine for it.
I see what you are saying about the practical limitations of controlling breeding, there does not seem to be a simple solution (provided a solution is what the masses are looking for). As for imposing human values on animals, dogs specifically, what other values can we have as humans? aren’t we imposing our values when we train the animals to be a certain way? aren’t we imposing human values when we fix them?
Essentially, the issue is what rights an animal should have. Humans have rights, such as the right to autonomy. The question you are apparently asking is - if humans have those rights, why don’t animals?
The answer, roughly, is that humans have rights commensurate with their level of conciousness - either the level they have at the moment, or what they are capable of assuming. You don’t grant a 2 year old child the same rights to autonomy as an adult, because they are not capable of exercising or even appreciating them - indeed, to do so would be both stupid and dangerous. Children of course will grow up.
Similarly with animals - with the caveat that animals will never achieve a greater degree of conciousness. Their rights are of necessity less than those of an adult human. They would neither understand nor appreciate having the rights of autonomy. To give them such rights would be both stupid and dangerous.
They have a lesser set of rights, due to a lesser degree of conciousness - essentially, the rights to be free from cruelty.
and sorry about posting the full article, i did not ready the board rules and will do so.