By: Hugo Evans
Editor of Editorials
You might want to take a seat, I’m going to tell you something that may alarm you. There are animals living in our homes. Live animals. Animals of all shapes and sizes. Animals with fur or hair or feathers or scales. Are you still with me? Because I’m about to drop another bombshell on you. These animals have been living in our houses for a long, long time. In fact, we’ve been condoning this animal habitation. I’m talking about the crazy things we, as humans, refer to as pets. Most people who have pets love them, I know I do. But why? On the surface, pets are straight up just a weird concept; an animal we keep in our house that we take care of. Does that not sound odd?
Supposedly, cavemen developed a sort of symbiotic relationship with wolves way back when. The wolves had swifter jaws and were faster, making them valuable in hunts and for defending a camp or cave, or whatever they slept in. In return, a wolf was given food and warmth. That makes sense, with the animal as a sort of asset that’s aiding somebody’s physical welfare. But nowadays, pets, by definition and an energy standpoint, are more or less parasites. They cost us money, energy, and time, with little to nothing practical in return. These animals we just let into our homes just lounge around and do as they’d like all day as well. My dog, an ancient springer spaniel-poodle mix, for example, sleeps all day, is cranky, takes up too much of my bed, barks constantly and for no reason, stinks, begs for food, and usually gets some. And we just put up with it. In fact, we love our pets for stuff like this. Not only that, but our human instinct has completely fled us when it comes to these animals we’ve allowed to live with us. Instead of screaming and running for our lives when a large ball of teeth, fur, and claws capable of permanently maiming us comes barking and running toward us, we smile, crouch down, and reach out to touch it. What have we become? What about these domesticated animals that cost us so much make us love them all the more?
The technical definition of a “pet” is, “a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.” So I suppose it couldn’t be identified as a pet if it didn’t offer us some sort of companionship or source of love. And I think when it really comes down to it, that’s really what pets have to offer us in return for the love and shelter we give them. They offer us some mental and emotional stability instead of physical assistance in a day when we don’t really have to fight for our food anymore. So animals are still serving us in that aspect. In all reality, people probably wouldn’t still have pets after these thousands of years if all they did was protect our food and help us kill stuff. They offer us so much more in the form of companionship and unconditional affection.
Editor of Editorials
You might want to take a seat, I’m going to tell you something that may alarm you. There are animals living in our homes. Live animals. Animals of all shapes and sizes. Animals with fur or hair or feathers or scales. Are you still with me? Because I’m about to drop another bombshell on you. These animals have been living in our houses for a long, long time. In fact, we’ve been condoning this animal habitation. I’m talking about the crazy things we, as humans, refer to as pets. Most people who have pets love them, I know I do. But why? On the surface, pets are straight up just a weird concept; an animal we keep in our house that we take care of. Does that not sound odd?
Supposedly, cavemen developed a sort of symbiotic relationship with wolves way back when. The wolves had swifter jaws and were faster, making them valuable in hunts and for defending a camp or cave, or whatever they slept in. In return, a wolf was given food and warmth. That makes sense, with the animal as a sort of asset that’s aiding somebody’s physical welfare. But nowadays, pets, by definition and an energy standpoint, are more or less parasites. They cost us money, energy, and time, with little to nothing practical in return. These animals we just let into our homes just lounge around and do as they’d like all day as well. My dog, an ancient springer spaniel-poodle mix, for example, sleeps all day, is cranky, takes up too much of my bed, barks constantly and for no reason, stinks, begs for food, and usually gets some. And we just put up with it. In fact, we love our pets for stuff like this. Not only that, but our human instinct has completely fled us when it comes to these animals we’ve allowed to live with us. Instead of screaming and running for our lives when a large ball of teeth, fur, and claws capable of permanently maiming us comes barking and running toward us, we smile, crouch down, and reach out to touch it. What have we become? What about these domesticated animals that cost us so much make us love them all the more?
The technical definition of a “pet” is, “a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.” So I suppose it couldn’t be identified as a pet if it didn’t offer us some sort of companionship or source of love. And I think when it really comes down to it, that’s really what pets have to offer us in return for the love and shelter we give them. They offer us some mental and emotional stability instead of physical assistance in a day when we don’t really have to fight for our food anymore. So animals are still serving us in that aspect. In all reality, people probably wouldn’t still have pets after these thousands of years if all they did was protect our food and help us kill stuff. They offer us so much more in the form of companionship and unconditional affection.
