Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: Pet Ownership - Killing Through Kindness

Recent research has shown that the average lifespans of domesticated
animals are up to 4 years less than those of their feral counterparts.
The findings of this research highlight the hypocrisy and selfishness
of pet owners - that these so-called animal lovers brutally and
callously cut short the lives of their four-legged companions.
Adequacy.org spoke to the scientist behind the research and asked, what
can be done to rectify this widespread and socially acceptable form of
barbarism?
The findings of this research, published in the June issue of the
Journal of the American Association of Veterinary Science and
Associated Professions, are an unequivocal condemnation of pet owners.
The facts, presented below, make chilling reading. For example, the
average lifespan of a domesticated dog is four years less than that of
a similar dog living in the wild.
Species Domesticated Lifespan (years) Feral Lifespan (years)
Cat 16 19
Dog 12 16
Fish 5 6
Hamster 2 2
Horse 25 29
Rabbit 10 12
Comparative Lifespans of Domesticated and Feral Animals
Dr. Victor O'Neill, the author of this work and a veterinary surgeon
for over 25 years, explained that several factors are responsible for
foreshortening the lives of domesticated animals.
"Firstly, animals reared in a domestic environment are not exposed to
the same pathogens during infancy as wild animals. Therefore, the
immune systems of domesticated animals do not develop properly, which
leads to a reduced resistance to disease in adulthood."
"However, the main reason for these disturbing findings is that animals
do not adapt to domestic life. Animals are simply unhappy when sharing
a habitat with humans. Humans attempt to impose their value system upon
animals and then punish the animals should they transgress this
arbitrary set of rules of which they have no comprehension. These
animals, enslaved by human tyrants, eventually lose the will to live,
which results in their premature deaths."
Following the publication of his research, O'Neill has formed a
pressure group to lobby for a change in the law, outlawing pet
ownership. In the short term, O'Neill believes that a change in
people's attitudes is necessary.
"Currently, pet ownership is seen as a harmless hobby and people are
dependant on their companion animals. However, this research has shown
that pet ownership is anything but harmless. People need to realise
that it is a cruel institution that must be stopped."
"There are many parallels between pet ownership and the practice of
slavery that was widespread in the United States of America during the
early part of the last century. Nowadays, the ownership of slaves is
socially unacceptable and is rightly acknowledged as a barbaric
practice. Pet ownership is exactly the same. I hope that people will
come to realise that keeping domesticated animals is morally
indefensible and that society will ostracize pet owners."
However, O'Neill's viewpoint has been controversial and unpopular.
"I have recieved innumerable death threats from pet owners. On one
occassion my eight year-old daughter was kidnapped and physically
assaulted by an enraged pet owner. Animal lovers are notorious for
their emotional instability and they rely on their pet animals as a
substitute for normal human relationships. My proposals to remove their
emotional safety net are anathema to them and it is hardly surprising
to see such an irrational reaction."
It is truly inspiring to meet a man such as O'Neill who is willing to
risk his personal safety in the fight for a righteous cause. It is
indisputable that pet ownership is a vile practice. Humanity will only
ever be able to consider itself an advanced civilisation when it
outlaws this cruel institution and treats the lesser species with
proper respect.

 wrote in message
news:1150199422.3...@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...

"Shiny!!11!!" ($1)
Peach

> Comparative Lifespans of Domesticated and Feral Animals
I've got a silly question. If the animals are truly feral, how can you know 
their lifespans?
Also, where I live there are a lot of feral rabbits. As the population 
sometimes approaches zero, we know that the lifespan of these bunnies never 
gets to 12 years. Whenever the population gets a little large a bobcat comes 
through and has a feast.
Charlie 

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Perhaps the good professor could explain how he could possibly know the
average lifespan of feral species.  Then you could tell us all how this
relates to digital photography, did he take their pictures.
                                 Eric

 "Shiny!!11!!" ($1)
Seriously...Panks needs a visit from guys in white coats.
-- 
++
np
www.nikknakks.net

overfeeding and obesity is probably the biggest cause of shorter lives
along with lack of activity.
the pet owners are dying along with the pets from the same causes

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We've got a family of foxes living in our area. I seem them trot by
with wabbits and the occasional chipmunk in their mouths all the time.
I think you should sue.
dam


Did it occur to the OP that the domesticated animals could be put to sleep,
and that their owners were putting them out of misery?  Whereas the "feral"
animals just suffer til they die?
Peach

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He would if he or the Journal of the American Association of Veterinary
Science and Associated Professions even existed.  The kidnapping claim
pushed this from almost believable to obvious BS.


Pet ownership has nothing on just straight up frying/broiling/roasting for 
shortening the little furballs lives.
-- 
v/r Dread Pirate Rackham
"You know one things that's wrong with this country? Everybody gets a
chance to have their fair say." - President Clinton 28 May 1993
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending
that you can love your country but despise your government." -
President Clinton 5 May 1995 

This truly seems like a dubious claim.   Undoubtedly there are a lot of
abandoned pets,  or 'abandoned in place'    ie kids raising their first
fishes,  but seems to betray a serious ignorance of nature-  ecosystems
are marvelous, but few organisms reach maturity-  species succeed in
exploiting available niches precisely by over-producing young.
        Suggests a frugal longevity path for humans-  GO FERAL!

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Right.  If the average wild rabbit lived until the age of 12, you
wouldn't be able to swing a dead housecat (if only it had been feral :(
) without hitting a wild rabbit.

, 
animalrightsa...@yahoo.com
 says...
:)  Species Domesticated Lifespan (years) Feral Lifespan (years)
:)  Cat 16 19
:)  Dog 12 16
:)  Fish 5 6
:)  Hamster 2 2
:)  Horse 25 29
:)  Rabbit 10 12
:)  Comparative Lifespans of Domesticated and Feral Animals
:)  
:)  
Extra years of living in hunger and cold and fighting for territory or 
ranking of group orders.
Hmm wonder if "ferrel" people of the streets would give five years of 
their life for a do over that would have them pampered like a king from 
birth.
-- 
Lar


Let's see, if you had a choice of lives, you could be a feral puppy
dog.   Better learn to fight well as a youngster because you will need
to do that every day just to survive, take in shotgun blast potshots
from farmers and malicious teenagers, eat garbage, freeze to death on
cold winter nights, contact horrible diseases, be stalked by
coyotes....
or...
You could choose to be an owner's dog, be loved and pampared, have
enough to eat every day, receive medical care, have a warm home or
doghouse to sleep in, feel security....
OK.... what choice would you make for the better life...?

 bobcat comes through and has a feast.
-- 
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 animals just suffer til they die?
That was my thought--"longer life" != "better life".

Did it occur to anyone that this troll is just furthering PETA's "no
more pets" agenda?
Jo Ann
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 Lar
No doubt about it. My cat is a former feral who adopted us when he was
about 2 years old. It took him about 6 months just to trust us enough
to come up onto the porch for food, and then the next day he decided to
move in.
He is released into the wild every morning, yet every evening he
returns home to his food bowl and warm bed. He chooses to sleep in a
bed, under the covers, cuddled up with his people. Frequently he comes
to the door on a bright, sunny day just to get picked up and snuggled,
and, I think, to make sure he's still welcome in the house, even though
he'd prefer to lounge in the sun on the deck. He shares the yard with
deer, wild turkey, geese, a groundhog, the occasional fox, and all the
birds and rodents he can chase. Since he's now over 21, and rarely
catches what he pursues,  I guess it's a good thing that his food bowl
is always full. <sarcasm>Yes...we're DEFINITELY holding him against his
will. Oh yes, I see that now.</sarcasm>

 wrote in message 
news:K5adnbcqps-KJxPZ...@comcast.com...

Feral animals do not die of old age.  That's just the way it is.  To believe 
otherwise one must be a city-dwelling nimrod of the firstwater. 

   
Live birth rates are lower for feral animals, infant and juvenile 
mortality rates are higher for feral animals. The natural environment is 
not as forgiving as our homes and back yards are.  Competition within 
groups and with rival groups leads to deaths and injuries.
OK, there is a tradeoff being made, shorter overall lifespans due to 
weakened immune systems and in some cases too little genetic diversity 
vs a life relatively free of the daily threats from predators that the 
ferals face, and in most cases, adequate amounts of food, albeit, not 
always the tastiest compared to what the ferals eat.

 Jo Ann
PETA has a "no more pets" agenda?  ODL, what's next?
Peach

foreshortening the lives of domesticated animals.
The guy has more BS than a Christmas turkey too.
Sounds like more PETA garbage, but then again I'm all for People
Eating Tastey Animals too.
Roger
Roger

the pet owners are dying along with the pets from the same causes
Any replies except to RPD are wasted.
My cat Streak gets his exercise by raiding the bird feeders.  We've
raised them to between 6 and 7 feet and he still gets birds off them.
I tell my wife we should just lower the things and call them cat
feeders. Every once in a while we'll hear a crash and there's old
Streak hanging onto the bottom edge of the larger feeder as it swings
back and fourth.  Some times we'll find him stretched out on the limb
above one of the feeders waiting to be served,  kinda like the drive
through window at a restaurant.  He does come in to check what we are
serving, but usually goes back out for something fresh.  Most cat food
smells like it's already been through the cat.
 He's now 17#, over 40 inches toes to toes and can grab birds off a
feeder who's base is 7 feet above the ground and he is not fat.  He
gets plenty of exercise.  He even brings home birds and other critters
to share with me although I prefer them cooked.  And according to
those numbers our old cats are living longer than the longest listed.
I've posted this before, but just to stay on topic...
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/cat_files/Lunch.htm
 This is a couple
years old and he's grown a bit since.
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


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inv...@notreal.none (Beachcomber) wrote:
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If you were like most of the humans on the planet, you'd choose security
over liberty. 

 wrote in message
news:oISjg.5961$WM4.986@trnddc01...
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Oh brother....
Peach

Dog 12 16
One of my dogs is going to be 14 tomorrow and he's going strong,
albeit blind. The other is 13 and still acts like a puppy, so I don't
believe this research a bit.
JAH
Net Crimes & Misdemeanors
netcrimes.net
2nd edition NOW OUT!!
haltabuse.org

The cited research organization does not appear to exist, confirming
that this is one of the more inept pieces of anti-pet tripe. For
heaven's sake, at least take real information and twist it, like a REAL
activist!
There is a certain segment of humanity that lives in the lap of luxury
(relatively) and has no real challenges to face. They have no purpose
in their lives, nothing that lets them fell superior to their fellow
man, which is what they crave. So they decide to "save" something,
whether it be whales, fetuses, or pet animals. This they do in the face
of all logic and reason, until it is identical with religious zealotry.
I love animals. I recognize that some pets do not receive adequate
care, and that some species are not suitable as pets. But that doesn't
mean that pet ownership (or anything else) should be painted with a
wide brush and condemned. If these activists really cared about the
animals, they would devote themselves to owner education - but that, of
course, would not satisfy their sense of self-righteousness.
For example: I own several exotic parrots. (All, I should point out,
are captive-bred) One, with proper care, will likely see the 22nd
century. In the wild she'd have been eaten by an eagle long before
then. Another was well known as having a short lifespan in captivity.
Recent research has shown special dietary requirements, and these birds
are now expected to have a human lifespan in captivity. I should ALSO
point out that ALL of these birds are likely to be alive, in my home,
long after their species are extinct in the wild.
Even assuming the questionable proposition that long life = good life,
are these animals really being done a disservice?


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For the past eight months we have had a female cat with looks and size 
like Streak. Diva was apparently dropped off in our neighborhood by 
someone who had tired of her. Her behavior was that of an exclusively 
indoor cat. The vet said she was between seven and ten years old when 
she came to us, spayed and skinny, although she had obviously littered 
several times.
Since she has been here she's had the run of the place, indoor and 
out. It's interesting to see her learn about birds: she knows to watch 
them, but not what to do when she has an opportunity.
http://static.flickr.com/43/79047032_6daa24f7c2_o.jpg
I do everything I can to increase her motivation and opportunities, 
with slim feedings, bird feeders and all. Trouble is, the main 
response to our invitations is among the rats-with-wings crowd: 
pigeons, and even she seems to disdain them.
Our long-time resident dog is about the same weight as the cat, and 
they chase each other around all day and some of the night. It was fun 
to watch him learn to play cat-style, and her to learn to pull her 
punches. Now they sleep butt-to-butt or nose-to-nose.
http://static.flickr.com/70/167170082_18a4d4d5d3_o.jpg
-- 
Frank ess 

Yes, PETA has a "no more pets" agenda, the rationale being that using
animals as our companions is just one more way we exploit them.  Not
sure my two spoiled Corgis and their two feline roommates would
agree....
Jo Ann
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along with lack of activity.
Although another cause could be averaging in all the domestic animals
that end up in the pound and get killed after a few days.  Or all the
new-born kittens that are drowned.  The original post needs to give a
lot more details before any of us can understand how long he is saying
animals live.
Despite what you say about obesity, and I'm sure it's true, I still
think well-fed and overfed animals in good homes live longer than wild
animals of the same species.  
Other than alley cats, which I think have no houses but are not
actually feral, I don't know where one can find a population of feral
cats that are of the same species as house cats.
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Sound applicable to people, too.


http://static.flickr.com/70/167170082_18a4d4d5d3_o.jpg
Cute.
BTW, I did pick up one of the Tamron 200-500 zoom lenses.  I'm
impressed. Although not cheap, it's certainly inexpensive for what it
is and I'm surprised at the image quality.  I'll have to post that
separately and put up a link to some of the shots.



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 callously cut short the lives of their four-legged companions.
I did do some research, both at Google and at PubMed. The so-called
expert cited has not published in a peer-reviewed journal or even
credible public magazine. The research has ZERO credibility unless you
first accept the premise and then the statements only reinforce your
already skewed view.
This poster is a troll, and as such has been reported.

This poster is a troll, and as such has been reported.
Roger