Well there have been a number of suggestions for halting the breeding of animals for aesthetic reasons. As with most problems there is no single magic answer. Some ideas have been put forward, it is up to us to use what we have learned (if anything).

I thought that those of us who value our animal companions would be interested in the following:

The story of Oscar the Cat both on Youtube and article (for those who do not have the software, Foxy). Sure, its sentimental feel-good stuff and why not? There is nothing wrong with feeling love for all the people and other animals in our lives:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxI3efVVeI&feature=fvw

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1210909/Abandoned-piglet-lost-hound-Giant-farm-dog-saves-baby-pigs-bacon-adopting-own.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0

Pericles: "Keeping animals for our personal pleasure has to be on a par with slavery, as one of the most unattractive traits of supposedly civilized human beings."

Are you serious? If so, here is a scene from Douglas Adams' "Restaurant at the End of the Universe"? It opens with two friends taking their seats in the restaurant. A cute furry animal carrying the menu leaps onto the table. He speaks English, and goes through the menu in a fairly conventional manner until he comes to the meats, at which time he bends over and asks the guests to feel his rump. He says he has been working on it for months while eating a high fat diet to get the marbling just right. He recommends charcoal braised medium rare, as his sister was done like that and the result was just divine.

The earth man recoils in horror. The animal is at first startled by his reaction, then devastated. The man's alien accomplice intervenes, apologising profusely on his behalf of his friend to the animal. The animal regains its composure, and then proceeds to patiently and soothingly explain his species was created for this very purpose. He actually wants to be eaten; his entire life has been devoted to this moment. He has practised every move, every word delivered today 1000's of times. He says he has even been trained for this very situation, but then apologies profusely for handling it so badly. He looks like losing it again, but then recovers.

Chastised, the earth man listens to the remainder of the animals spiel with suitably rapt attention, and orders braised liver and kidney served in a crispy crackling shell from the right leg. The animal looks blissfully at him, and hurries off to cuts its throat while hanging upside down from a meat hook, so it would be well bled.

Its been a while. I probably have the details wrong. My point is, it's not entirely fiction. Maybe our cows and pigs don't want to be eaten, but our dogs and cats most definitely want to be our companions.

Pericles is talking about the ideal world for animals and is correct, we get every pet fixed right now. I’m sure we’d still be allowed to rescue and care for the odd damaged animal from the wild.

Also in this ideal world we would all be vegetarian’s.

Dear Fractelle,

A much better version of Oscar the Cat
then the one I gave. And,
what a positive and uplifting story on the
dog and the piglet.
Loved the photos as well!

Thank You!

Dear Foxy

I was chatting on the phone while preparing my last post, I wouldn't have made the link if I'd known you were on the exact same trajectory as I. What can I say?

Great minds thinks alike.

Piper, Rstuart

We have all argued with Pericles many times on this issue. I do understand his point and agree to some extent. For example, race-horses (and greyhounds) would fit Pericles' "slave" ideology. There is little aspect of a relationship between breeders, owners, trainers, riders with the horses - it is only about profit.

But the issue is not straight forward. We do have distinct and dual relationships with many animals. The magpies who fly free never swoop me, cats and dogs (and in my case goats) who greet me when I am out walking. My dog who protected me (miss her). It is a relationship where we hold the greater power, therefore it behoves us to behave responsibly and respectfully. There is not a single animal rescue organisation that releases animals for adoption without the animal being neutered first, the same cannot be said about (all/some) breeders.

PS

Foxy are you still getting a new PC?

While I remain off topic (due to my bloody mindedness), I remind posters that during the 17th century, over 100,000 people perished in and around London from the black plague. London’s Lord Mayor had 250,000 cats and dogs slaughtered; believing they carried the plague flea when it was in fact the rat which rapidly increased in numbers when its predators were extinguished.

If cats had done even a quarter of the damage claimed for the past 200 years, there would be no small native animals of any description left in Australia. While there is no denying that cats kill wildlife, cats are also convenient scapegoats for wildlife depletion due to human activities and without the feral cat, destruction caused by the introduced rabbit would worsen.

Cats are always considered to be responsible for decreasing wildlife numbers despite the evidence that pollution, farming and cloven hoofed livestock, road-building, housing/industrial development, mining and habitat destruction has wiped out many native animals.

Additionally, when feral cats are culled, rodent numbers increase, posing an equal threat to wildlife as well as carrying zoonotic diseases. A huge number of native animals fall victim to 1080 poison and the brutal traps set for bush cats but omnicidal man keeps that secret.

Proponents of these dubious and unsuccessful culling methods are farmers, whose unsterilised cats and dogs roam freely in rural Australia.

Infectious diseases of livestock are a major threat to global animal health and welfare.Threats from old and new pathogens continue to emerge, fuelled by changes in the environment, climate, hydrology, disruption of ecosystems and intensive farming.

“It is estimated that approximately 75 per cent of ‘new’ human pathogens reported in the past 25 years have originated in animals and the risk of zoonoses is predicted to continue to increase and several presumed non-infectious conditions are now known to have infectious aetiologies.

"Over 1600 human pathogens are now described, an average of three new diseases is reported approximately every 2 years, and a new infecting organism is published every week. The new influenza A (H1N1) is an illustration and has spread to 91 countries."

contd.....