To say that having a pet is a luxury, not a right?

[YourSnappyFinch]

Pets are expensive and time-consuming. Shouldn’t people prove they can afford and care for them before getting one?

I'm really of two minds about this.

Absolutely, you need to consider affordability. I've known of a person who had a cat, for example, but struggled to afford food and litter. It wasn't the kind of scenario where this was an unexpected lack of funds.

On the other hand, a pet can sometimes be such a great companion. I used to know an elderly lady, on a very small income, with a cat, and she afforded food and litter with very careful budgeting. That cat was in many ways the center of her home life.

She would not, however, have been able to afford some of the costs that are now considered usual with a pet, particularly some of the vetting.

And then there is the question of what is basic vetting. Many vets can do so much now, I've known people to have cancer treatment for dogs, and a lady who spends several thousand a month on medication for a cat. Vets also pressure people into many expensive tests and procedures now that weren't even in the radar before.

Dogs have lived with people for so long they have evolved to eat more grain, to have "eyebrows" for communication, and can recognize human expressions (which wolves can't even if they live with humans from being puppies. )

They like to live with people, it's not an imposition.

I've read that even chimps don't understand a pointed finger. Dogs and horses do.

I don't know about having to actually provide proof. In saying that, when we purchased a (quite expensive just above the £1000 mark) kitten last year the breeder did ask about our living circumstances, including occupation, as in the past she said people have euthanised cats as they've been unable to meet the cost of treatment.

I use a monthly veterinary plan, for which we receive free consultations (telephone and in person), free annual vaccination boosters, free flea and worm treatments, discounted neutering and free nurse appointments to have nails clipped or ears cleaned.
I also have pet insurance. Then there is food and litter costs.

I'm sure it must be possible to manage it more cheaply, and if circumstances change there is a large animal charity (possibly PDSA) offering, income based, free or reduced price veterinary care. I don't know how comprehensive that is in what they offer or will treat, however.

Sometimes euthanasia influenced by cost of treatment might be the right thing to do. Insurance doesn't cover all of it, and bills can add up quickly. It's not that black and white

I’ve said this before but just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Long, invasive, extensive treatment (regardless of budget) is not always in the animals best interest. An elderly dog having repeated chemo trips for 6 months might not be in its best interest. A elderly cat having bones repinned and having to stay in a cage for 8 weeks and repeated vet visits may not be in its best interest.

it should always be best interest for the animal

Agree with you on this. Too many old and suffering animals who are kept going because their owners can’t bear to make the hard call to pts. I have horses, would never agree to kissing spine surgery or colic surgery for them as all old and wouldn’t tolerate the rehab.

I didn't say they were. I said I love seeing animals wild and free. Cats and dogs aren't a natural species, I don't think they belong in our ecosystem, and I would be more than happy for them to stop being bred and have them phased out.

We did choose to domesticate them, and we have chosen to breed them to fit our purposes.

I love seeing birds, deer, foxes, badgers (rare), hedgehogs etc. Humans interfere too much.

I don't think pets count as a dependant 😂

Awful post.

I love seeing animals wild and free but I also have dogs and cats. I don't consider the two to be mutually exclusive. I have a working dog breed and I find the relationships between dogs and humans fascinating.

Cats and dogs have been used as pets for thousands of years. Cats were domesticated in the middle-east more than 10,000 years ago. It isn't a new phenomenon.

Dogs aren't "unnatural". They domesticated us, as much as we domesticated them. They have been at our sides for over 30,000 years.

It’s a pet, no more, no less. People make a choice. 🤷‍♀️

I hope you have good news soon

@ISaidOopsUpsideYourHead
I genuinely wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my pets. Certainly pre children they were the reason I didn’t kill myself. Because I had responsibilities.

for what it’s worth, not that this counts in any argument. I do believe every life is as important as each, the bumble bees I’ve saved with sugar syrup, the crow I’ve scooped up off the road to safety or the family of mice I’ve relocated or the human I helped in sainsburys.

We have farm cats. They are feral. They are not vaccinated or chipped and are not insured. They aren’t technically my cats. But cats protection places them on farms like ours as they get food and shelter. We also have a pet cat who is insured and chipped. He has a home inside with us but chooses to live in the straw with the feral cats and won’t come in our house any longer.
Cats are perfectly happy doing their own thing, as long as they have access to food and water.

We did not buy our kitten; he was given to us for free. We had him neutered for £10 with a Cats' Protection voucher. I work but we also claim benefits and wouldn't be able to afford emergency vets' bills should be get poorly or injured so we are registered with the PDSA and would pay what we can afford. I'm so glad some of you lot are not in charge or else we'd be denied the joy and companionship of a lovely pet simply because we're poor.

Do your chosen pet/s eat other animals? Are you keeping one pet alive, resulting in the deaths of numerous others? Are you vegan? If not, then you don't think "every life is as important as each".

Except of course that pet food is largely made from by products and waste from meat products intended for human consumption. So the animals are actually being killed for people not for other animals.

Are you vegan? And if so, how do you feel about your lovely birds, deer, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs eating dead stuff that they kill? Isn't that keeping one animal alive resulting in the deaths of numerous others?

It's not largely made from byproducts, and even if it is, you are still supporting the slaughter industry.

Yes I am vegan. Nature is fine by me. Humans lording it over other animals, playing god, is not.

Have you always been a vegan or did you used to support the slaughter industry yourself?

I used to support the slaughter industry, until I knew better, once I was an adult. This was a long time ago, before it became hip.

Oh so you're like me? I haven't eaten any meat for over 45 years! Since long before it was fashionable to be meat free.

I do have pets so I suppose I'm very cruel, lording it over them and playing god but still, the local corvids benefit by getting the leftover pet food. We certainly have plenty of wildlife visiting. Badgers aren't that rare by the way, we see loads of them here but maybe it depends where you live.

I know badgers aren't that rare, but I have only seen two, so they are rare to me. Lucky you seeing lots.

I am not like you. I am vegan.
I do think pet ownership is cruel, yes.