Pets aren’t people… are they?

When I was growing up, I never understood why people would get so upset when their pets died. Of course, I never really cared for the pets I had—starved my hermit crabs to death; fed my guinea pigs but didn’t love them. I wasn’t sad when they died.

Then, years later, my then-girlfriend (now-wife) and I got a cat. We’ve had him seven years, and I can’t imagine life without him. Now, just thinking that we probably have only another seven to ten years left with him makes me sad. I know I’ll be shaken with grief when he dies. Cats and dogs are special pets. They really form a bond with you and you with them.

They aren’t people, though. I’ve noticed that. People seem to have very little problem neutering/spaying, microchipping, or euthanizing pets. (Apparently, though, it’s cruel to declaw a cat?) And, apparently, neutering/spaying, microchipping, and euthanizing humans are unethical acts, at least for most people.

It’s just one of those things, I guess. We’ll eat animals. We’ll befriend animals. We’ll spoil animals, but we won’t quite treat them as human. I think I’ll stop writing now… go have a conversation with my cat instead.