Pets

[huoon]

IS it really fair? To the animal you are keeping? Some people may love their pets very much and give them lots of care and attention, and some may love them very much but cant really provide much for them. KEeping your animal in a cage for all of its life. Is that really fair?

im not trying to like start a protest or anything but when i walk to a pet store, i see women buying their kids animasl just because they are crying for it, and im pretty sure that animal is gonna die very soon. ie all they buy is a bowl, a fish, and some food, and im pretty sure that fish needs a lot more than that.

[Songbird]

Unfortunately as with everything in life, there are bad pet owners and good pet owners. A good pet owner will provide everything for their animal and then more and recognise their animals needs. Environmental enrichment for an animal is just as important as any other part of animal keeping and it's sad when you see animals stuck in cages at bad zoo's and small shops that haven't even got a proper hiding place they can call home.
I keep my animals in the way I see fit would suit their environment and needs (re handling etc). For example, my Steppe Lemmings are kept in a colony and pairs in glass tanks. Within the tanks they have 8 inches of substrate which is a mixture of Megazorb and Hay (this bulks it up to aid burrowing). They also have a wheel, cardboard tubes, food bowls (a varied diet can be seen as environmental enrichment in itself) etc etc. This is ideal for the Lemmings as they can make their own tunnels within their tanks and it very much replicates a colony situation for them and suits them well as they do well as a 'look at' pet. I follow the same themes for my Duprasi, Shaws and Persian Jirds.
For other species, getting attention is a key thing, ferrets for example love to be out and roaming around the house and playing with toys and being walked on a harness and this in itself enriches their lives.
It is very much an individual (ie species of animal) thing, and some species are much better adapted to being in captivity. As I say, the importance is on the owner to be being as well prepared as possible.
Remember many species now have been kept and bred in captivity for many years and they are well adapted to a captive life. Studies even show many species well excel their lifespan in captivity than they would in the wild because they are not exposed to parasites, disease, predation etc.
The goldfish and bowl story is an unfortunate one, but (and i'm not sure about Canada) in the UK more and more shops are opting for a 'no bowl' stance, and wont sell just a bowl on it's own (ie it has to have a filter etc).
Just my opinion anyway.

[LandonCowling]

I only "adopt" pets as you say when I know for a fact that I can provide them with the best care possible at all times. I do not like to confine my animals to cages at all times, though it is a need for some of my animals. They have already been born in captivity, the least I can do is provide them with a great home. Im not against the pet trade as long as the animals are kept in elite conditions.

[Rachy1412]

I have cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. None of which are confided to a cage 24/7. I don't believe there is anything wrong with keeping them as pets. In most cases it is better than living in the wild.

In the wild animals will starve, their habitats destroyed, they will get hunted, they will be eaten by predators, caught in traps etc. As pets they SHOULD not have to suffer that. In many cases they do get abused. But I think that pets in the right home is fine.

[cafeduck1]

Remember that ALL domesticated animals started out as wild. As long as they are properly cared for, then this is an advantage for them by having longer lifespans and better health, and they don't have the stress of trying not to be eaten.

[huoon]

Some people eat their pets as use them as torture toys, that sickens me. There should be like a law that makes you need like a pet licence right?

and sometimes people jsut let thier chirldren take care of the pet themselves, and usually they end up dead and getting a new one..