Every week the members of the Watcher’s Council weigh in on a single issue in a feature called “the Forum”. This week the Council turns its eyes away from politics to something more interesting: pets. Here’s a snippet:
Dogs and humans were natural hunting partners, since dogs could sniff and chase, while humans, using weapons, could do a long distance kill. (Dogs could only do close kills, which put them at risk.) When humans transitioned to farm life, dogs protected them against predators, both human and animal.
In other words, where would we be without dogs? And can anyone say the same thing about the human/cat relationship?
As I wrote in my offering over the course of my adult life I’ve had cats, rabbits, and dogs. I like ’em all. We presently have four dogs: three Samoyeds and an Australian Shepherd.
Just remember that killing off the cats helped spread the Black Plague. (OK, I am a cat person.)
Steve
You could train a bird to perform the services of a watchdog. A bird wouldn’t inflict continual misery on you neighbors or spread the plethora of zoonoses commonly affecting dogs and cats. Loving a woman, cat or dog means not keeping one.
Dog and cat “lovers” are usually their abusers.
I have no particular antipathy towards pet birds but you’re kidding, right?