AIBU to suggest that you aren't really an animal lover if you're not a vegan

[KylieKoKo]

I'm a meateater but I was chatting to a vegan friend of mine about this and I think she has a point. It makes no sense to call yourself an animal lover if you pay others to kill animals or take their milk and eggs when its perfectly possible to live without them. I couldn't help but agree with her, and, as a non-vegan, had to conceed that I don't really love animals. In fact, I'm putting the fact that they taste nice above their lives and well-being on a daily basis.

I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone on here had an argument against this.

This thread reminded me to look up the fat small deer I saw today (didn't know what it was). Muntjac. Seem to be considered severe pests and get regularly culled to try to protect habitat for other animals.

There are any amount of technical videos on YouTube where professionals demonstrate how to AI cattle.

It's fairly obvious watching them that not only are the cows not traumatised by the process in the slightest but they don't even seem to be aware it's happening most of the time.

AI is used for all sorts of reasons, and sexed semen has solved a lot of the issues the dairy industry were having with male calves (along with there now being a beef market for them anyway).

Visit a farm and see for yourself rather than believing everything you see and read on the internet. If you still wish to be vegan after visiting that's fine, but at least then you can make a fully informed decision.

Im a bit shocked that some of you think that animals aren't thinking or self aware...wtf? Im not even vegan.

Also a bit perplexed at how some think that domesticated animals are part of a wild ecosystem....

Also there is plenty of fat in nuts, avocados and olive oil. All plant based. Chicken etc is made of protein, not fat.

If the vegans are so distressed about animals as food or planet extinction then the first thing they should do is stop reproducing humans. That is what is causing the problems, the size of the population.

The sooner veganism is classified as the religious cult it is, the better as I do not want their beliefs forced on myself or other meat eaters. Religious freedom laws include the right to be free from religion.

I think it’s its hilarious to say that animals are self-aware just like humans, but a lion only kills to eat on instinct. Doh. Can’t have both!

Also, self-preservation instinct would cause these animals to run away from the farms if they really were abused and tortured. But they do not because they are actually treated very well.

Chicken etc is made of protein, not fat.
Lol. Plenty of fat on a chicken.

You can decide yourself you love animals yes.

But if you consume them you can't really be so. Sorry. You can't just lick and choose to suit:

Lol. Pick and choose, not sure licking a live animal is a good idea!

I eat meat and I do love animals. I believe they are sentient. I also love plants and have been fascinated reading about the growing evidence of sentience amongst trees as lifeforms. So I do believe trees have a type of sentient intelligence. So if trees are sentient, then plants probably are too. All lifeforms are amazing. So what can I eat?

So, yes, I eat meat and plant based food.

Meat eaters are just selective animal lovers. Cats, dogs and guinea pigs treated lovingly. Cows, sheep and pigs aren't.

It is decades of conditioning. People just do not associate the steak on the plate with the cow that has been slaughtered to provide it.

Whilst enjoying your next bacon buttie meat eaters give a thought to the horror and fear in slaughterhouses.

You can't just lick and choose to suit

You can’t have multiculturalism then OP, because food and methods of slaughter are central to many religions.

I’m not particularly an animal lover in that cats, dogs domesticated ones are not really more special to me (if I did get a dog I would feel emotions towards it I’m sure, but don’t have a desire to keep one atm) but I really care that all animals get to exist and not be wiped out, that we respect them as much as possible. The love part is more in the way the natural world inspires awe at times.

The natural habitat does need preserving so the arguments for unbalancing this if everyone went vegan are interesting.

But I eat meat and fish I know it’s not great but I avoid some types, don’t wear fur. Definitely not perfect for animals though.

The other thing is the animal fat thing that was interesting, if we don’t eat it how do we suffer physically?

Meat eaters are just selective animal lovers. Cats, dogs and guinea pigs treated lovingly. Cows, sheep and pigs aren't

And who made you judge and jury of who can class themselves as an animal or not? Vegan aren’t some higher power who can’t smuggle sit back and judge the rest of us. I don’t have kids, so can I sit back and judge parents as not caring about the planet? Such arrogance.

*class themselves as an animal lover or not

'And who made you judge and jury of who can class themselves as an animal or not'

It's chat forum, people share their opinions. I see meme after meme on twitter on people saving cute animals, yet it just stops when it comes to talking about roast dinners or bacon sandwiches. People can choose to eat meat of course they can, but they aren't animal lovers. No one wants to know about slaughterhouses for the very reason we all know they are disgusting places full of terrified animals. Imagine going to work to kill cows and lambs all day long just so people can have a Sunday roast.

Meat eaters are just selective animal lovers. Cats, dogs and guinea pigs treated lovingly. Cows, sheep and pigs aren't.

What about loving all life forms? Plants are alive. Trees have been shown to recognise colour, communicate, protect family members, have symbiotic relationships and trades with other species. They have survival instincts and selectively reproduce. What about fungi? Neither animal nor plant. Do you eat them?

I would suggest Vegans are selective regarding loving living things too.

Cats, dogs and guinea pigs treated lovingly. Cows, sheep and pigs aren't

Well-tended livestock animals are treated just as 'lovingly' as most cats.

I do wonder sometimes if people have ever spent time in the countryside seeing how sheep, cattle and pigs live day-to-day on an average small-medium farm.

Not disputing that there are slaughterhouses with horrible conditions and farming on an industrial scale (both livestock and arable) that means animals do not live a 'good life' but honestly, there are an awful lot of farmers who treat their animals very well indeed.

This notion of being an 'animal-lover' seems pretty flawed to me.

My very first

People just do not associate the steak on the plate with the cow that has been slaughtered to provide it.

And yet, for thousands of years and still most people on the planet, have made that association and have killed animals themselves. People still ate meat.

I've been to abattoirs and I've seen animals being slaughtered. Still a meat eater.

YANBU at all. It’s true.

It’s funny how many nerves this statement strikes up...

I think visiting an abbatoir would put me off for life.

Well-tended livestock animals are treated just as 'lovingly' as most cats.

Not on the same level other wise they wouldn't want them to be slaughtered for food.