# Would you adopt a pet that had eaten human flesh? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600 "2012-03-23T14:19:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/1 "2012-03-23T14:19:24Z")
I just was just having a conversation with one of our cats. Among other things, we got to talking about who he’d go to live with if something should happen to us (he’d go to my Ma’s house; she’s got lots of cat experience and has a soft spot for him). He was pretty reassured that if a rhino escaped from a zoo and trampled us he’d have some place to go. But what if it happened while we were all at home? What would happen if it took a week or more before anyone realized we were lying dead on the floor—that would put him in quite a tough spot survival-wise. I was\* very \*clear that we had to be actually, not mostly, dead; that [Evil Ash](http://www.flickr.com/photos/24165035@N06/5082085878/in/photostream)could have had no part in our sashaying off yon coil; and that he should wait until he was pretty damn hungry, not just a bit peckish. But nonetheless I wanted to reassure [Good Ash](http://www.flickr.com/photos/24165035@N06/5082085874/in/photostream)that if he was left locked alone in the house with no access to other food, he had my blessing/encouragement to go ahead and eat us. We’d be dead, so the meat would otherwise waste and we’d really want him to survive. But what would Ma think? So, pet owners of the Dope. I’m sure the lot of you have close family members who’d want you to take in their pets if something should happen to them, and I’m sure many/most of you would happily take in a cat or dog if it was necessary. Would you do it if the only way they survived was by gobbling up your loved one? Would you adopt a pet from a shelter if you found it had that kind of history? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/2 "2012-03-23T14:45:24Z")
Sure, I’d take in a dog or cat who had, at the extremities of starvation, eaten human flesh to survive. Not one who had, you know, instigated the situation. Unless it was really obvious that it was an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/3 "2012-03-23T15:30:21Z")
Yes, and would they be willing to do it again on command? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/4 "2012-03-23T16:37:38Z")
OPs like this are why I spend so much time here. And yes, though I’d probably draw the line at adopting a human child who had been in that situation. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/5 "2012-03-23T16:44:07Z")
There was another recent thread on the dope where someone had a friend who actually did adopt a cat that had chowed down on their previous deceased owner. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/6 "2012-03-23T16:52:57Z")
“Have you met the cats, Dahmer and Hannibal?” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/7 "2012-03-23T16:59:04Z")
You believed the cat when he said he would wait? Come on. You know those times when the cat was watching you while you were sleeping? He was checking to see if you were still breathing. Cats don’t make contingency plans; they make dinner reservations. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/8 "2012-03-23T17:15:41Z")
My psycho-ex used to feed our dog her sunburn peelings. I guess he never developed an insatiable taste for human flesh, but he was a 5 lb. chihuahua and I figure I could have taken him out if he went for my throat at night. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/9 "2012-03-23T17:33:07Z")
Sure, why not? It’s not cannibalism, no matter how much you think your pets are your kids. Who’s to say I wouldn’t do the same? Not eat my pets, I mean eat other people. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/10 "2012-03-23T17:39:38Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > Sure, why not? It’s not cannibalism, no matter how much you think your pets are your kids. Who’s to say I wouldn’t do the same? Not eat my pets, I mean eat other people. Says **Mrs. Cake**. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/11 "2012-03-23T17:43:23Z")
What? We’re expected to share our human flesh with our pets now? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/12 "2012-03-23T17:52:16Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > My psycho-ex used to feed our dog her sunburn peelings. I guess he never developed an insatiable taste for human flesh, but he was a 5 lb. chihuahua and I figure I could have taken him out if he went for my throat at night. My old dog used to go to great lengths to eat my toenail clippings. I don’t know what that means about our relationship had I predeceased him, though. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/13 "2012-03-23T19:48:47Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > There was another recent thread on the dope where someone had a friend who actually did adopt a cat that had chowed down on their previous deceased owner. That was me 🙂 The cat’s previous owner was an elderly alcoholic and it was three weeks before anyone found them. The cat went to a shelter where my mate worked. I know they intended to tell potential owners what had happened but my mate decided to take her. She is a charming, gentle little cat. My mate was talking about it in a Facebook thread recently, she’s quite happy to indulge in some black humour about what her cat is really thinking… ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/14 "2012-03-23T21:36:50Z")
Fine by me, as long as we had an understanding that they couldn’t eat any unless it was dead. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/15 "2012-03-23T21:43:43Z")
Turnabout’s fair play, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/16 "2012-03-23T21:52:05Z")
I swear I remember reading about some research into pets eating their dead owners. IIRC, dogs will wait a bit longer, maybe a day or two on average, than cats before gobbling Master Chow. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/17 "2012-03-23T21:57:13Z")
Being in the heart of the Bible Belt I told my cat and dog they could munch anything other than carpet (because that could get us run outa town). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/18 "2012-03-23T21:57:43Z")
FYI, [here’s a story from last year](http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/11/saskatoon-starving-dogs_n_895227.html) about seven dogs that ate **both** their owners. The dogs were being “assessed” to determine whether they could be adopted. Interesting how someone would make that assessment… hold out your hand to them and see if you get it all back? ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/19 "2012-03-23T22:03:03Z")
Hey, what do you think your cat is doing when he kneads you with his paws? Checking for tenderness, is my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600/20 "2012-03-23T22:15:38Z")
I have let my dogs lick blood from wounded fingers. It’s a lie that it gives them a taste for it. However, if there were a situation in which I was dead and alone in the house, I would not care in the slightest if he ate me. In fact I would welcome it if it meant he’d live long enough to get rescued. I’m dead. Like I care if I’m eaten. So of course I would adopt such a dog. And the scene from Watchmen where Rorschach kills those dogs for eating children fed to them by their owner. Rorschach can go to hell for that. They were just dogs. [http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/2113348.html](http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/2113348.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-adopt-a-pet-that-had-eaten-human-flesh/616600.md?page=2)