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Original poster

To think we could ban pets and use these instead

119 replies

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 12:15

No, its not the exact same thing as owning a pet. But...
I absolutely love animals amd totally understand the value of having them but am increasingly feeling like theres something wrong about actually "owning" an animal. I also hate how anyone can just go out and buy a life like that.
What if the AI on these things got super advanced and we just made living pet ownership illegal?

To think we could ban pets and use these instead
To think we could ban pets and use these instead
OP posts:
FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:45

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:39

Arguably its more ethical to take an animals life for food as part of an omnivorous diet than it is to enslave an animal for over a decade purely for entertainment purposes

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I also hate how anyone can just go out and buy a life like that.

I'm responding specifically to this sentence and pointing out when you eat meat you are buying a life. I'm not the one claiming "buying a life" is unethical.

My dog hasn't been enslaved for entertainment, he was rescued and I don't think I could get him to make a brave bid for freedom even if I left the door open and lined the drive with steak. He's quite attached to me and enjoys a very nice life. I feel very responsible for making sure that continues.

HamBap · 15/08/2026 14:43

To answer the original question... Yes I can absolutely see robotic pets being a thing in the future and I think they'd be nothing but positive as they'd provide the owner (older people/kids/people who don't have the life capacity for a real pet) with the feel good feelz you get from companionship and without the ethical/mess/cost/emotional strain real animals give.

It'll be a while before I give up my real life pussycat though 🙂

BleedinglyObvious · 15/08/2026 14:41

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:39

Arguably its more ethical to take an animals life for food as part of an omnivorous diet than it is to enslave an animal for over a decade purely for entertainment purposes

Show quote history

Yes, it's bloomin' shocking how the pets have enslaved me.

Yetone · 15/08/2026 14:40

Coronaperona · 15/08/2026 14:38

What about service dogs?

I would allow (proper) service dogs. Unlike pets they are not a strain on the world’s resources.

BleedinglyObvious · 15/08/2026 14:40

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:34

Is that for me?

Anyway, yes he is a good ratter.

Edited
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It was for the OP.
I can think of many, many reasons for why it is wrong to have pets but they're good ratters.

Original poster
Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:39

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:37

What are you confused about. A chicken would have been a living thing before you bought it. No one would kill them if they couldn't be sold for profit to be eaten. So you are buying a life when you purchase one. You just paid for someone to end it before you took possession.

Show quote history

Arguably its more ethical to take an animals life for food as part of an omnivorous diet than it is to enslave an animal for over a decade purely for entertainment purposes

OP posts:
Coronaperona · 15/08/2026 14:38

What about service dogs?

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:37

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:33

What? 🫪

Show quote history

What are you confused about. A chicken would have been a living thing before you bought it. No one would kill them if they couldn't be sold for profit to be eaten. So you are buying a life when you purchase one. You just paid for someone to end it before you took possession.

Tulipsriver · 15/08/2026 14:37

Whilst I believe that there should be more in place to prevent poor care, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with keeping a pet.

Most of the species we keep are domesticated, they have developed to want and need human companionship. Also, we have kept pets for so long that I see it as part of the human condition... no more'wrong' than an orca killing a seal or a parasite attaching itself to a host... humans keeping domesticated animals is just something that occurs in nature. I think the morality comes in when we look at how individuals treat their pets, and the ethics of keeping wild animals.

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:35

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:32

You buy a life every time you get a chicken from the supermarket. Would you think it was more ethical if I killed my dog and cooked him?

Probably cause your dog is more free range than some of the poor chickens from the supermarket.

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:34

BleedinglyObvious · 15/08/2026 14:33

Is it any good at ratting?

Is that for me?

Anyway, yes he is a good ratter.

Original poster
Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:33

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:32

You buy a life every time you get a chicken from the supermarket. Would you think it was more ethical if I killed my dog and cooked him?

What? 🫪

OP posts:
Original poster
Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:33

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:31

I don’t know why people are using the children comparison.

Children are our own offspring that we produce. Yes some are treated badly and I wish we could ban those people who have children who do that.

Pets are not our offspring, they are bought and discarded, especially rabbits and small furries etc. Dogs are bred to have unhealthy features.
Animal shelters are packed to the rafters in the uk with unwanted pets.
Cats roam the streets, with disease and suffering, multiplying because no one cared about them. Kittens die cold and in pain every day.

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I know, its such a weird comparison and so many people use it!
We can't ban reproduction. We can ban the purchase of animals. Its a very silly analogy

OP posts:
BleedinglyObvious · 15/08/2026 14:33

Is it any good at ratting?

FOJN · 15/08/2026 14:32

You buy a life every time you get a chicken from the supermarket. Would you think it was more ethical if I killed my dog and cooked him?

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:31

blythet · 15/08/2026 14:27

The vast majority of pets dont live in abuse or neglect.

a proportion of children live in abuse and neglect. Should we ban everyone from having children too?

Show quote history

I don’t know why people are using the children comparison.

Children are our own offspring that we produce. Yes some are treated badly and I wish we could ban those people who have children who do that.

Pets are not our offspring, they are bought and discarded, especially rabbits and small furries etc. Dogs are bred to have unhealthy features.
Animal shelters are packed to the rafters in the uk with unwanted pets.
Cats roam the streets, with disease and suffering, multiplying because no one cared about them. Kittens die cold and in pain every day.

Original poster
Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:29

PaperPanama · 15/08/2026 14:28

Ah, so because some people are irresponsible or cruel, nobody should have the opportunity to develop the symbiotic relationship with an animal.

Let me see now...because some people steal or sell female children into sexual slavery, nobody should be allowed to have girl children. Because some people abuse and neglect their children, nobody should be allowed to have children at all.

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See above

OP posts:
Original poster
Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:29

blythet · 15/08/2026 14:27

The vast majority of pets dont live in abuse or neglect.

a proportion of children live in abuse and neglect. Should we ban everyone from having children too?

Show quote history

The point is we cannot ban people from having children as it infringes on the right to reproduce

OP posts:
PaperPanama · 15/08/2026 14:28

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:20

Im confused as to why you're so bewildered.
You realise huge numbers of pets live in abuse and neglect right?

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Ah, so because some people are irresponsible or cruel, nobody should have the opportunity to develop the symbiotic relationship with an animal.

Let me see now...because some people steal or sell female children into sexual slavery, nobody should be allowed to have girl children. Because some people abuse and neglect their children, nobody should be allowed to have children at all.

blythet · 15/08/2026 14:27

Freinddilemma · 15/08/2026 14:20

Im confused as to why you're so bewildered.
You realise huge numbers of pets live in abuse and neglect right?

Show quote history

The vast majority of pets dont live in abuse or neglect.

a proportion of children live in abuse and neglect. Should we ban everyone from having children too?

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:25

PETA want to ban around 60 breeds of dog and I agree with them!

Yetone · 15/08/2026 14:24

I am with you OP. I love animals but I hate pets. I do not believe that we should be breeding animals for our own wants. I particularly hate dogs that are bred with close relatives to get special features. We cannot determine life. I don’t think cats should be allowed as they kill wildlife. Caging animals in cruel.

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:22

WerewolfOfLoudon · 15/08/2026 14:21

Oh I'm sure no where in the world are people selling children, definitely not selling girls.

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In the UK it’s not legal to breed and sell your children. In the UK it’s legal to breed and sell pets.

blythet · 15/08/2026 14:22

The vast majority of people love their pets and they are valued members of the family. I can’t ever imagine feeling that way about an inanimate object.
I also believe many pets, especially dogs but to some extent cats, will actually love their owners in return and enjoy their lives as pets. You couldn’t get that from one of these

WerewolfOfLoudon · 15/08/2026 14:21

Bacarditropicalfizz · 15/08/2026 14:20

Breeding your own children and not selling them is completely different to the over breeding of animals for financial gain.

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Oh I'm sure no where in the world are people selling children, definitely not selling girls.