On humans and other animals

[Tuor]

Why is it that humans have a particular affinity for pets and other animals? I was thinking about the practical uses of an animal, but really I could only think of four (off the top of my head):

1. Food.

2. Emotional satisfaction -- For example, having a pet, say a dog or cat, might make someone feel a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps, we keep them because of the bonds of love and gratitude that an animal can create. While an emotional attachment of some sort can be had with a dog, cat, goldfish, horse, etc., why is it that we care so much for other animals, like the ones found in a zoo?

3. Physical labor -- Some humans use animals as workers, like for plowing a field, riding, pulling a carriage/sled, etc..

4. Educational purposes -- There is a lot to learn, obviously, from studying animals. We can learn a lot about our own evolutionary background by studying living, breathing animals, and all sorts of other things really.

Discuss why you think different kinds of animals are so important to us as a species.

[Lord Romanus III]

It shows that we can dominate anything in the world, I'd say.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Dont know but theres a gorilla that loves to take care of kittens.

[Daily]

Maybe it's in our instincts after several thousand years with the same kind of pets? For example dogs and cats.

[Blau&Gruen]

We would have to count role plays (predator vs prey) and other play behaviors as an additional affinity that can bring especially young animals of different species together (humans included). Another factor can be company, like the moon bear and the cat or the gorilla and the kitten in the examples.

Kitten plays with gorilla (company behavior).




Old moon bear lady Maeuschen being visted by cat Mushi (company behavior).




Young bear plays with cat, later the roles change and the cat plays with the bear (role play).

http://www.dnewsvideo.de/verrucktes/...mit-katze.html

[Molly Norris]

@Blau
Your examples could give the impression that social contacts like role play behavior between different species of animals was restricted to animals hold in captivity or in close contact to humans. But it seems as there are cases documented in the wild at least for young animals where different species play together, e.g. young Chimpanzees with young Pavians.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Humans are not the only animals known to work with other animals (including humans, if you follow) for mutual gain. Dolphins for example work with humans off the coast of Africa - a pod of dolphins drive fish to shore, where humans collect them with nets. The dolphins eat the fish that are forced to try to escape past them.

Broadly humans have used animals as tools. Pest control, agriculture and as engines.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

1. Food.

also other materials such as fur, wool or whatever.

[Phier]

We have bred animals into willing slaves.

Slaves for meat, leather, wool, milk, transportation, energy, protection, and companionship.

There is an interesting evolutionary question if this is exploiting them or helping them. There are FAR more cats, dogs, cows, chickens, etc than their ever would be if we didn't domesticate them. Their success is tied directly to our success. In the long run at a genetic level of thinking, we are helping them even more than they help us.

[Tuor]

also other materials such as fur, wool or whatever.

Like I said in the OP, these were done off the top of my head. Obvious ones like this one were forgotten. Thanks for mentioning it.

We have bred animals into willing slaves.

Slaves for meat, leather, wool, milk, transportation, energy, protection, and companionship.

There is an interesting evolutionary question if this is exploiting them or helping them. There are FAR more cats, dogs, cows, chickens, etc than their ever would be if we didn't domesticate them. Their success is tied directly to our success. In the long run at a genetic level of thinking, we are helping them even more than they help us.

You probably wouldn't say that we're benefiting chickens if you had seen Food Inc. They've been artificially selected for bigger breasts, so much that some can no longer stand up upon becoming adults. It's really saddening, even though they're just chickens. As for cats and dogs, I would definitely argue that we're helping them in many ways.

Also, to those of you that are posting about other animals that show these traits, I wasn't trying to say that this was exclusively human behavior, but merely trying to figure out why any animals have adopted this behavior toward other animals in the first place. Humans were just used as my example because, well, we're human. I figured at least some of you might be able to relate.

[Phier]

You probably wouldn't say that we're benefiting chickens if you had seen Food Inc. They've been artificially selected for bigger breasts, so much that some can no longer stand up upon becoming adults. It's really saddening, even though they're just chickens.

Yet every farm has free range chickens just for eggs and the occasional stew which are doing just fine. Obviously at the individual levels, its exploitative, but in the big picture its harder to judge.

[Tuor]

Yet every farm has free range chickens just for eggs and the occasional stew which are doing just fine. Obviously at the individual levels, its exploitative, but in the big picture its harder to judge.

After some thought, I postulate that, while the treatment and selective breeding of chickens in cases such as the one that I mentioned is cruel, it should not affect the populations of actual free range chickens living on family farms. One would benefit the chicken population, and the other would be a detriment. You're right about the bigger picture being harder to judge.

[The Dude]

Pets invoke feelings, feelings are inherently irrational. Irrationality can't be explained and defined. We like animals, that's really all we can say about it.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Another way to look at it... dogs and cats tend to become very attached to their owners.. we call them owners but they treat us like family in a way. Dogs tend to regard the human as the pack leader and cats can show affection when they want to. It is not a one sided relationship.

[Nanny de Bodemloze]

Safety - guard dogs, alerting for intruders (a common use in castles), protection

Sanitation - much of the literature points to the earliest domestication of dogs starting from wild dogs/wolves being attracted to the garbage pits in early settlements. They often devoured the rotten materials, increasing the overall sanitation of the village, and then provided the added benefit of protecting the settlement from other beasts by their very presence.

[conon394]

Broadly humans have used animals as tools. Pest control, agriculture and as engines.

Good start but a bit too 'Human centric'. I think at lest with out oldest co domesticate dogs both sides reap rewards. proto-dogs get a 'tool' too someone to protect their pups, make shelter etc. or take Cats the feral cats that moved into my barn get protection from coyotes and raccoons and a regular diet, they return the favor by killing rodents and collectively neither hurting my chickens and as a whole helping to keep away smaller chicken predators. Of the litter they brought with them only one kitten out of seven was tamable (before we trapped them and had them fixed). On the whole I guess I say we are a bit domesticated as well by our associates.

[Helm]

Pets tend to tap into the human parental nuturing instinct.



That kind of seems like a baby, so you feel the instinct to look after it. Domestic pets tend to preserve their babishness into adulthood so you'll keep looking after them.

[(s)AINT]

In our case, as primates, we are the only species that bonds with other animals (like domestication, love, etc). It is extremely interesting. (Feel free to correct me).

[Helm]

Dogs can emotionally bond with humans as well, probably the only non-primate animal that can do that.