To think that people who don’t like pets shouldn’t be judged as “cold”?

Dogs wouldn't exist in anything like the numbers they do if it weren't for humans actively breeding them though. Actively creating new dogs, and then saying, "Well now the only option is to keep them comfy as pets" makes no sense. It's not mandatory to create the dogs to start with?

It's like justifying buying from a puppy farm on the basis that the puppies have been born now.

And similar to people who ask what we'd do with all the cows/sheep/pigs if everyone stopped eating meat. The only reason there are so many of these animals is because of human choices.

It's not cruel to keep dogs (taking your puppies example). For a start, dogs don't form bio-family attachments the way humans do - that's you anthropomorphising them.

On top of that, dogs are not wild animals - the vast majority of them cannot survive in the wild, and even if they manage it they'll have pretty miserable lives. For good or for ill, they're reliant on humans. Given that the human race did that to them, I'd say we have a collective responsibility to give them comfortable lives.

Can't say the same for cats, though. Pint-sized psychopathic murder machines ;)

“”I have to admit nowadays when my kids start dating new girlfriends/boyfriends I will always ask if they have pets.”

Well I’m sure as Eva told her mum, Frau Braun no need to worry about her new bf, Adolf- he had a couple of pet dogs… 😬🙄

Who says people who don't like pets don't like animals ?

One can be a caring human being without owning a pet! Seriously 🙄

Totally agree.

@DaylightTreachery
"It’s not the same as ‘no feeling for other living beings,’ though. I’m a vegetarian who donates to and volunteers with animal habitat conservation groups. I just don’t like the idea of pet animals, have never had any in adulthood, and the way people anthropomorphise their ‘furbsbies’ drives me nuts.
But I’d estimate I do more good for animals in general than a meagre eater who’s fine with battery eggs and cheap chicken, but has an overweight Pekingese they spoil."

Agree with all of this. I don't like the idea of pets either. I actually think it can be quite cruel (why keep a fish in a tiny tank? Why keep a parrot in a cage? Why take puppies and kittens away from their mums when they are only a matter of weeks old?)

Lots of pet owners have double standards about animals. People are quite happy to put human emotions on animals when it suits them and ignore them the next minute "Oh my puppy loves me, he's my baby" etc. but ignore that farm animals have feelings too.

Pigs sing lullabies to their babies, cows have been known to search for missing calves for months. I dont want a dog in the house but equally I don't want a pig on my dinner plate. Am I colder than a meat-eater who has a pet dog?

Why is it OK to kill and eat some animals but you are "cold" if you don't want a pet?!

Depends what you mean.

Not liking pets, as in choosing not to have them, because they don't fit your lifestyle? No, not a red flag.

Being unpleasant to other people's pets? Yes massive red flag.

If someone doesn't like animals/pets, then I'm never going to be friends with them anyway so they can be as "cold" as they like.

This is batshit. As stated upthread - fucking Hitler had pets! It tells you absolutely fuck all about how kind/loving/tolerant someone is.

We’ve always had cats and I feel a house is not a home without pets. When my kids were little and had play dates I could always tell pretty accurately which kids had pets and I’ll get flamed for saying it but they were the kinder, less selfish kids.

I have to admit nowadays when my kids start dating new girlfriends/boyfriends I will always ask if they have pets.

What about the venom spewed by pet owners, calling people who don't like/want pets "sociopaths"?

It's very bizarre to hear someone say "I don't love domesticated animals" and jump to the assumption that they therefore 'hate' either the pets themselves or the owners. Hate is a very strong word, and is not what that poster actually said.

Equating the impact/actions of pets and humans to those of wild animals, which exist as an integrated part of the ecosystem, is also bizarre.

The fox thing is a natural circle of life
A pet killing a smaller animal isn't normally for food. They are also bred animals and not naturally occurring in the environment.
People get pets for selfish reasons which encourages others to breed for greed (sometimes very badly)

No I don't hate cars. Accidents happen, nobody ever means to squish a squirrel, they don't chase after them in their car in the local park.

Pet ownership is worse for climate change than not having pets, so not quite sure how your theory fits in.

So is it the domesticated animal you hate or the people that own it? Because foxes kill mice and birds.... Does that mean you hate foxes? Birds of prey?

Do you also then hate everyone that drives a car? Every time we go for a walk we see squished squirrels on the road ... or is that excusable because you drive?

it is a red flag. Not having compassion or love for the wider world is terrible. They are usually people how don’t care about climate change too.

This!

The venom.

I totally understand people not wanting to share their home with pets, I respect that, but it's just the venom that they spew that I find difficult to comprehend.
Because I don't know if it is the animal that they despise or the owner.

I love animals but not domesticated animals
I would argue there are a lot of people that call themselves an animal lover but in reality they mean: I love my dog. Don't give a shit about the squirrel it chases. Or I love my cat, don't give a shit about mice and birds it kills.

It's entirely possible to care about the welfare of animals, but also not want them to live in your house, or sit on your lap.

What is it you don't understand?

Disliking animals as in I wouldn't want one as a pet doesn't mean I would deliberately harm an animal. I'm a long-term vegetarian, a healthcare professional, & generally consider myself a caring person. Not liking animals doesn't make someone a sociopath or psychopath.

I don't understand the logic of the anti-pet love a fox but hate a dog, then conversely pet owners love a gerbil but hate a rat. I don't understand all the weird rules.

Surely if you love animals it shouldn't matter if they're wild or domesticated, you care about them all. That's the bit I can't get my head around with the pet haters.

Is it the actual animal you despise, or just the owner? Can someone enlighten me please.

I dislike animals in the house, are scared of dogs due to childhood trauma and have a deep mistrust of people who would harm, taunt or injure animals. No, I don´t want to own pets. If this makes me a raging psychopath, so be it.

Animal lovers generally have more tolerance to others.

You don't actually mean animal lovers here - you mean "pet owners", which you think of as the same thing.

It's nonsense, anyway. I can think of plenty of famous pet owners who were definitely not tolerant of others, Hitler (pet dog) and Mussolini (pet hen) among them. Ceausescu even promoted his pet dog to Colonel.