I feel that animal should not be mistreated or abused because the majority of humans would feel sympathy if this were to happen to a human being, so I feel that sympathy should be extended to animals. Some humans only use animals such as cats for their own selfish needs like to kill rats, and they still mistreat and disrespect them. I think humans should think about how they feel when they are mistreated and apply that to animals. To me it has nothing to do with their ability to rationalize but it deals with pain. All modern day pets are creations through selective breeding.
Selective breeding is the mating of individuals with a desirable trait over many generations.
Eventually, the trait will breed true. Pets, like the common house cat and dog, are bred to be domesticated animals. They cannot survive in the wild like their distant cousins the bobcat or Dingo. Domesticated animals need humans to survive. Therefore, I do not think it is wrong for humans to have pets because it leads to their survival.