To find people who dislike animals a bit cold in general

[Tinhatattheready]

Yes it’s probably goady. Yes I’ve made an apt name change but...

Honestly - anyone I’ve ever met who’s “not an animal person” always seems to be a bit... off.

I’m not talking about those who are say scared of dogs, or a bit mistrustful of cats. I mean those who are very much “it’s just an animal” (and no I don’t include farmers in this either.

I know plenty of people who are nervous of animals and they’re lovely / but have known maybe around 3 people who really are jist “who cares” and they are not so nice.

I don't think OP is talking about people who are just not fussed about animals, moreso people who actively dislike them and have no respect for them.

My siblings partner is not keen in animals. I think it is a bit cultural as they're from a country where they don't have pets as much. It's one of many things I don't like about them!

I dont really know if I like animals.

I mean i dont dislike animals, but at the same time im not going to stop and spend ages staring at a squirrel.

I find animal lovers a bit weird, I was in a park recently with cows and lots of people were going up to the cows and trying to feed them, and pet them and take pictures. I find sometimes its almost a bit disrespectful, lots of poeple treat animals like they are cute soft toys or possessions. Leave the animals alone.

To be clear I didn’t mean people that are cruel to animals (they’re in an awful league of their own).

Normal people abhor cruelty to any being.

If this were true, more than 1.16% of the U.K. population would be vegan.

I really like cats and most animals, i strongly dislike dogs and am not mad on horses. What does that make me?

I’m very ambivalent about domesticated animals - I just don’t get the point. I don’t think I’m cold in general - I’m very generous with people.
But I find people that have pets a bit odd, especially those who put constant posts of them on social media.

I don't usually warm to people who proudly declare "I prefer animals to humans!"

I'm another one who has never wanted to have a pet, but I do like seeing pictures of cute or funny animals, or watching wildlife documentaries.

The people I know who aren’t fussed about animals have a broader apathy for nature, wildlife etc. And I do find it a bit odd - it’s like you’re not interested in a massive part of this world. They’re often the sort of people who don’t really like being outdoors/like quite sterile environments and I often feel they must have quite a narrow And limited experience of the world.

I stress this is the people I know and my experience so I know this doesn’t apply to everyone.

@Tinamou

Humans are objectively a HORRIBLE species.

I'm highly fond of about fifty of the buggers, but by any reasonable standards we're collectively a horrible lot.

@Sakura7

Agree with you OP. It's one thing to be nervous around them, but I've also found that the type people who think a pet is "only an animal" and have no empathy for them, also tend not to have much empathy in other areas of their lives.

I think this is it. The empathy. I genuinely don’t understand someone who can maybe see a puppy and instead of thinking “oh cute” just be totally indifferent.

@Tinamou

I kind of think the opposite OP. The people I know who are really keen on animals don't seem to like humans much! A couple of them would even admit that!

I'm with you there. A fair few of the really animal-mad people I know struggle with the social world and openly admit that they prefer their dog/cat/horse to people.

I don't go gooey over pets, in fact, I am generally appalled at how much we as a society spend on pet treats when there are humans living in poverty. I'm not sure that makes me cold though!

I would certainly never be cruel to an animal and try to shop with animal welfare/conservation in mind.

I'm allergic to cat fur, but I can see the appeal of owning one! They are fascinating creatures.
Dogs tend to like me and I love a cuddle of my friends dogs, but I've never owned one.
I guess I'm cold towards humans sometimes but ( mostly) I'm ok with other people's pets.
I've just never wanted the responsibility of owning a dog as I see them as a tie ! ( which is odd as I do have children !) lol
Some dog owners are not always nice people , so I can't see a coloration myself!

My mother is doesn't like animals. She is also amazingly good at "othering" and would walk over the body of anyone who wasn't a white Christian. She is the most racist bigot and yet will be generous, kind and caring to those she considers to be ok.

Of course one example doesn't make a rule. As for me, I have a menagerie of pets.

I don't like animals. We never had pets as children. I wasn't brought up around animals.

I am not cruel to animals. I am upset if I see a story about animal cruelty.

I don't think I am cold, sterile, lacking in empathy. I'd like to think I'm the opposite of those.

I work for a charity and hold several voluntary roles. While this doesn't make me a saint, I think it demonstrates a level of empathy and warm natured-ness.

And I'm self aware enough not to ever work for an animal charity - my passion would not be with the cause.

I distrust people who judge others without knowing them.

I’m not talking about those who are say scared of dogs, or a bit mistrustful of cats. I mean those who are very much “it’s just an animal

It's vert CLEAR what OP meant and actually wrote! Some people really need to read properly

You're absolutely spot on OP! People that don't like animals are always cunts.

For the slow people at the back, OP doesn't mean people that are scared or nervous of animals she means those that just actively dislike them or do not care if animals are hurt/in pain/abused/dying.

I’m not really an animal person- I mean I love a zoo trip and a farm trip and find them quite fascinating but I don’t understand treating a pet like a person....as I said to the rspca chugger that came up to me, I don’t wish harm on any animal but I’d rather put money towards charities that help people.
Am I cold? Don’t think so, I just value human life more.

I mean those who are very much “it’s just an animal”

That depends on the context though.
For example I'd never think "it's just an animal" when animal cruelty is concerned. However when people assign very human emotions to animals (for example, baby announcements stating that their dog is "excited" to become a big brother when obviously the dog has no idea that in 6 months a baby will arrive) then yeah, I do think "it's just an animal".

We’re basically preprogrammed to find anything that has relative proportions similar to a baby mammal brings out our caring instincts. People even have this kind of response to inanimate objects with those proportions, so it is a less usual response to look at a puppy or a foal and be like whatever.

I don't like dogs. I don't get how anyone would be happy for a animal who shits in the street to then sit on their sofa or even sleep in their bed? Surely that's spreading remnants of animal poo around the house? (not envy)

I don't wish them any harm though.

Maybe I'm not warm, though I think I am!

I find that if someone hates (or doesn't care at all for):

• animals
• babies
• certain categories of people

then there is a higher chance that they generally don't like human beings very much. But it's not an automatic thing. And there's also animal/nature lovers who are horribly misanthropic. So... it depends. But it can be a red flag.

@stripesgalore anyone who eats any animal products are ok with animal cruelty. So I'm betting you know quite a few

YABU in the nicest possible way.
I wouldn’t say I like animals. Like to keep a distance, cannot be bothered about insects being any sort of beings and they have a one-way trip in my home if I catch them.🦟🦗🕷
I love meat, I am omnivore. 🥓🍔🥗🍣
However, nobody IRL would ever call me cold. ☺️
I don’t like animals, couldn’t imagine living with a cat or a dog. Not to mention any guinea pigs. However have no problem with others having them as pets for as long as they don’t try to impose their preference on me. Live and let live maybe?

I absolutely agree. I just can't get my head around people who dislike other living things.

I find the exact opposite to be true.

The 'animals are nicer/kinder/better than humans' brigade tend to be utterly lacking in emotional intelligence.

They are the kind of people who lack the ability to understand the nuances of human nature, and hide in the unchallenging one dimentional r'elationships' they imagine they share with animals.

People who recognise that animals shouln't be treated cruelly, but that they really are not on a par intellectually with humans are much more aware generally.

Nature matters, ecosystems matter, a balance on the planet is important. But an animal is just an animal.

People who say they are not animal types are generally using it as a way to signal that they aren't going to ascribe emotions/intellectual attributes to an animal which are unrealistic.

A sort of reaction against the kind of people who say an animal dying is on a par with the death of a person.

I don't look at a puppy and think 'aww, cute' any more than I'd think a worm, or a tortoise, or a chicken was cute. I don't hate them, I'm not cruel to them, but I have no real interest in them.

Animals don't really register with me, but nor do lots of other things unless I have had some particular reason to seek them out/take an interest.