Cat and dog ownership can provoke consumers into shopping more and spending more money

Retail therapy can come from pet companionship wellbeing. 

Retail therapy can come from human wellbeing gained through cat and/or dog companionship. - MikeB interpretation of the study

The finding as stated in the title to this article, comes from a Japanese study. The basic process, as I understand it, is that when you live with a pet, a companion animal, it enhances your life and so you feel better and when you feel better it can induce the desire to spend money in the form of retail therapy which makes you feel better as well. 

It seems to me that this is a triggering process. When you feel better because of your companion animal's presence, you seek more pleasure. And you achieve that by buying something in a shop.

pet ownership—subjective well-being—impulsive purchases.

In the words of the study authors led by Yahui Liu, "Pet ownership evokes consumers to shop more, buy more products, and spend more money" and "The pet ownership effect is induced by individuals’ enhanced subjective well-being associated with owning a pet, further increasing pet owners’ impulsive hedonic purchases."

They concluded that the emotional support provided through pet ownership - and we mean cats and dogs - "positively affects consumers' subjective well-being, thus leading to more increased purchases".

I think it's a kind of mild addiction. Addiction to feeling good. We all want to feel good and we cuddle our cat or play with our dog and we feel good. In feeling good you want to find other ways to feel good so you decide to go and buy something in a shop which gives you instant gratification. 

That's my interpretation reading the highlights to the study is published on the Science Direct website; specifically the Journal of Business Research. This is the link to the study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114838

The objective of the study was to "estimate the effect of pet ownership on consumers' purchases". And, as mentioned, they found "that pet ownership increases purchases". The effect is "induced by enhanced subjective well-being". This boosts "impulsive hedonic purchases".

They say they are the first to "empirically examine how pet ownership affects consumer purchases". I can agree with that because I've never read a study or a report which connects pet ownership with retail therapy as I would call it.

Retail therapy is very common in the world. The desire to spend money to possess a new item to give a short term increase in pleasure. It's very similar to pleasure eating. Another potential form of addiction.

The study summary says that their findings "offer valuable implications for retailers are incorporating pets into marketing". That's a good point. I believe what they're saying there is that you can include companion animals into advertising of products to enhance the advert.

I also believe that the presence of shops' cats encourages purchases. And that's a very good point. There are some people who say that cats in shops and public houses are bad for health reasons. They argue they transmit disease to people. That's rubbish I'm afraid. Recently I wrote about a pub in England where the administrators decided to get rid of two cats who liked to stay in the pub all the time.

These cats were popular with customers and enhanced the business. It is just silly senior management who get it consistently wrong. 😊😎

Think of Bodega cats in New York. They are famous and very good for business.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Do pets sell houses? Yes, normally.

A dog can certainly be a house seller's best friend and the friend of an estate agent selling the property. That is the conclusion of a report by Times journalist.

They say that estate agents encourage dogs to be in photographs of a person's property. This particularly applies to country homes. One estate agent who sells rural properties in the Cotswolds, said: "Larger, pedigree dogs may connote affluence and be something you might expect to see in a grand country house, while smaller breeds could suggest a more down-to-our family home."

They added that: "At present, whippets, Italian greyhounds and anything with a "doodle" in it seems popular in the smartest parts of the countryside. One can make the argument that having these breeds in a photograph can add to a home's appeal."

Let's not forget cats! Or coffee being percolated when a couple come to view the home!

Cats must also be a positive asset to the appearance of a home in a photograph. Who was it who said that cats are the soul of a home. 

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” - Jean Cocteau

Cats beautifully adorned the living room of a home. They make a home emotionally warmer. They help to sell a home.

Estate agents and property developers realise that dogs (and cats) are part of the family, and they can play a big role in where we choose to live and what we choose to buy.

It goes a little further. When selling a home it is useful to add details about places nearby which can benefit the dog or cat owner. For example, a veterinarian who is nearby is going to be useful. And for dog owners, a nice park nearby will be a selling point for their home.

Ironically, when people view a home, it's advised that they keep their dog out of the home because they can be a distraction. I don't think that would apply to a domestic cat for the simple reason that most cats run away when strangers come into the home.

However, that said, some home viewers might be allergic to cats which would be a big negative when viewing the home and some viewers will be scared of cats. Therefore, it probably would be sensible to ensure that the cat was out of sight when viewers come around. As I said, though, most cats will hide anyway but the occasional domestic cat is very confident with strangers.

In the interests of fairness, some people are also allergic to dogs or frightened of dogs so that's another reason why they should be out of the home when the viewing takes place. This is ironic obviously because dogs and cats are an asset in a picture but they are a problem when they are actually there.

Although sometimes both the seller and buyer love dogs or cats and the subsequent connection and conversation can help to sell the property.

This points to the fickleness of humans! And the tricks that we have to play in order to get our home sold.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Taiwanese offered a free pet if they have a child

Like other developed countries, Taiwan is suffering from a low birthrate. In fact, the country has one of the world's lowest birth rates. In order to encourage the Taiwanese to have a kid a billionaire who wants to become the president of Taiwan has proposed offering couples free companion animals if they have a baby as a kind of reward. And the idea comes from the fact that while human birth rates have plummeted pet ownership rates have skyrocketed. People want pets.

Pets are popular in Taiwan but having kids is not. Image: Getty (Sam Yeh).

People want to live with a companion animal rather than a child, which brings to mind the current Pope's concern about this trend which is also taking place in Italy. He doesn't like the thought that people prefer to have pets. He sees it as children being substituted by pets and he is right.

The reason for the plummeting birth rates in Taiwan have been put down to the high cost of living and difficulties accessing childcare together with "traditional gender expectations" whatever that means. I think there are other reasons such as a lot of people don't like the direction in which the world is travelling and I mean in terms of human behaviour.

By far the most obvious and biggest reason why the Taiwanese are not having kids is because they are facing the potential invasion of their country by China! And that can happen at any time judging by the threats coming out of the Chinese government. And there are other issues, world issues.

We have the war in Ukraine started by Putin. A brutal, unnecessary war started by a deranged dictator who has become a mass murderer destabilising the world with many threats of nuclear war, which is incredibly worrying to hundreds of millions of people including potential parents. They don't want to bring a child into the world which is that scary.

And then we have global warming i.e. climate change. Billions of people are concerned about climate change. They don't see enough being done to curb it. They foresee their child, if they had a child, living through horrendous conditions in 2050 and beyond. It's not worth bringing a child into a world with these sorts of problems. That is my thought on this problem.

And I see another problem! I tend to see problems being a cynical old man. Having a 'pet' as companion animals are euphemistically called is not as easy as it looks. Kittens and puppies are cute and great and beautiful but you've got to be living in the right circumstances to make the relationship work.

Having a pet is not all fun and it doesn't always enhance your life. There are responsibilities. Very serious responsibilities. And owning a companion animal can be expensive especially with rising prices right now. And you've got to have a lifestyle which makes cat and dog caretaking workable. You can't just adopt a couple of kittens and leave them alone at home all day while you go to work. That is not going to work in any sense of the word.

You can never leave a cat alone all day for 10 hours while you go to work without some sort of problems and for it being very unfair on the companion animal. They are likely to suffer from separation anxiety and their behaviour will reflect it with inappropriate elimination such as defecating on your bed and spraying urine. And if they don't do that, they may develop cystitis. And if they don't suffer from cystitis they're going to be upset, distressed and stressed and even depressed.

The point is that this billionaire presidential hopeful thinks that offering a pet as a reward by having a child in Taiwan is a wonderful idea but he's not offering these potential parents and new car as a reward. He is offering them a sentient being who will live in the human world and you've got to be a committed caregiver to do justice to the ownership of a pet.

Charles Barkley just said a cat is not a real pet because it’s not a dog

Charles Barkley. Image: Getty.

Charles Barkley has a presence and a voice on American television (see about him below). He is a sports pundit and recently made a rather strange statement: "A cat is not a real pet because it’s not a dog".

"Man, Chuck can never cease to surprise us with his opinions and takes. NBA Twitter heard the same and they couldn’t help but troll."

What does it mean?!

No one knows!! Seriously, I'll take a pot shot at interpreting this bizarre statement made on television.

As is probably typical of many male American basketball players, he is almost certainly a dog lover to the point where he regards dogs as the only true companion animal. This excludes cats.

He may believe that cats are too independent and not domesticated enough compared to the fawning, obedient and human-worshipping dog to be classified as pets.

He may be scared of cats! A lot of people are. They think they are aloof and sinister. They don't understand cats and don't take the time to try and understand them. Cats make great companions to hundreds of millions of humans across the planet.

Joking

I am sure that he was at least half-joking. Having a bit of fun. Male banter. That kind of stuff. With a little hint of truth from his perspective. 

Reflective of his true feelings?

The statement probably does reflect a dislike or even a hatred of cats. A spontaneous utterance revealing the truth in the deepest recesses of his conscience!

About Charles

Charles Barkley is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 16 seasons. He was born on February 20, 1963, in Leeds, Alabama, USA. Barkley is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, known for his fierce competitiveness, physical play, and exceptional rebounding ability.

Barkley played college basketball at Auburn University and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984. He played for the 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets during his NBA career, and was named an NBA All-Star 11 times. 

Barkley also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States men's basketball team in 1992 and 1996.After retiring from basketball, Barkley has worked as a television analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA" and has been known for his candid and often controversial opinions on various topics related to sports and society.

Man, who has eight companion animals struggles to survive under the cost-of-living crisis

In case you have missed it, in the UK, there is a cost-of-living crisis. This is due to inflation and inflation has primarily been caused by Putin's invasion of Ukraine compounded by post-Covid pandemic inflation caused in part, in my opinion, by greedy profiteers who've inflated their prices because people expect there to be inflation.

Ashely Goudou. Image: Mirrorpix. If there is a problem in using this picture here, please contact me in a comment. Thanks.

In this instance, a 20-year-old factory worker, Ashley Goudou, near Bristol, UK, struggles to pay his energy and food bills.

He is paid £6.81 per hour which is substantially under the national minimum wage at £9.18 an hour, which means that he has to work 10 hour shifts seven days a week to make ends meet.

But the key aspect of the story for me, is that he has eight pets according to the Mail Online. These are rescue animals and they cost him £3000 a month to support (seems inflated to me)! He earns £2000 a month!

He says that he bridges that income and expense gap with donations from his veterinary clinic. But to be honest, and I don't want to be critical of a man who is kind animals, he doesn't have to have eight companion animals comprising four cats and four dogs. And the vet can't be a charity to the tune of £1,000 per month. That's ridiculous.

It's expensive maintaining a companion animal. Even one cat is expensive if you do the job properly. Cat food is as expensive as human food. And according to the newspaper, the cost of looking after cats and dogs has surged in recent times in fact tripling from £1000 a month to £3000 a month for this man.

Ashley refuses to give up his pets because he is concerned that nobody else will be able to look after them to the same level.

He told the Mirror Newspaper that: "Handing them into a rescue isn't an option for me. I wouldn't have the heart. I rather not feed myself."

Ashley said that the presence of his animals is good for his mental health. But you could argue, too, that the stress that they place upon him in terms of their maintenance is bad for his mental health. He lives in a one-bedroom flat which is hardly ideal for one man and eight animals.

The underlying point that I want to make is that, in the UK, a lot of people plead poverty because of the cost-of-living crisis but they are not managing their outgoings properly.

You can make savings in a whole range of ways without detrimentally impacting one's life substantially. And in the case of Ashley, I think he needs to talk to his employer who appears to be in breach of the law in paying him two-thirds of the national minimum wage!

It almost looks like that he has an animal hoarding problem. That's being a bit harsh but really you can't have eight pets in a one-bedroom flat.

There are stories in the UK of people abandoning or relinquishing their companion animals to shelters in large numbers because of the cost-of-living crisis. In a lot of cases, I suspect, that the abandoned pets are those that were adopted during Covid in order to keep their owner company during those long lockdown periods.

If a person adopted a dog during Covid and then relinquished them after Covid, we have to be critical of that person. This is because you adopt a companion animal for the life of the animal. There is no other way to do it.

I would like to see less moaning about the cost-of-living crisis and a greater emphasis on how to manage expenses or outgoings in the family home in a way which minimises the impact upon the lifestyle of that person.

What about pay-as-go mobile phone contracts that cost £10 per month and not £50! Buy a cheap smartphone (sim only) and go for a cheap contract. And reduce TV streaming services. That kind of thing. And no takeaways. 

Prepare your own food cheaply. There are ways and means to cut costs.

Flying pets into Australia is a nightmare!

NEWS AND COMMENT: There is a Facebook page providing advice on how to import pets into Australia by air (Petsflyingtoaustralia | Facebook). It is called Pets flying to Australia. The reason why there is an advice page on Facebook on this matter is because it is very complicated and troublesome. And, in my opinion, it is complicated and troublesome because the Australian authorities have a great fear of the importation of wild animals which may escape their owner's home and prey on native wildlife species. 

My distinct impression is that the Australian authorities are very risk averse when it comes to any importation of any non-native species, domestic or wild. The domestic cat is non-native to Australia.

Kucing and Amal. Photo: Brooke and John.

There is a story currently on the Internet which highlights this attitude. A couple of Australians, Brooke Jones and John Waskiw, had the temerity to apply to fly into Australia from Malaysia a couple of domestic, street cats. 

RELATED: Why are there no native cats in Australia?

The cats' names are Kucing and Amal. The importation by air process cost them AU$25,000 (US$17,692). And apparently their story is not unusual. Attempting to bring pets home means going through a lot of hoops and hurdles and includes paying massive bills, uncertainty, headaches and long waiting times. Clearly the authorities want to put people off importing domestic cats into Australia. That must be the underlying purpose.

John must've been working in Malaysia because it is said that he found Amal on the street near his workplace as the only survivor of a litter of kittens, the mother which is Kucing. When he was scheduled to return to Australia, he found that he couldn't leave the cats behind in Malaysia.

He fell in love with the cats. He said that he had no option but to bring them with him. He said that once you take them off the streets and look after them you have an obligation to care for them for the remainder of their lives. There is an argument which supports that. If you rescue a cat, it is said that you become the owner of that cat.

RELATED: Is it legal to own a caracal in Australia?

In another story, Cielle spent AU$12,000 to get to Siamese-cross cats to Brisbane, Australia on a flight out of Los Angeles. She described the experience is very stressful. She said that when they saw her 84-year-old mother they stopped screaming! I can sense the stress that that entailed.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Pygmy goats becoming popular because they are cheaper to buy than pedigree dogs

The high price of puppies during Covid-19 lockdowns because of high demand has led some people to adopt a pygmy goat instead as they are, relatively speaking, incredibly cheap at £150 for a castrated male and around £250 for a female ready for breeding compared to a few thousand for some dog breeds. I don't know what a spayed female costs, but probably a price similar to a castrated male. It seems that celebs and influencers are pushing this market.

Bella Hadid and a couple of pygmy goats. Photo: News Scans.

They are the size of a small-to-medium-sized dog but they do need to be adopted in pairs, at least, because they are a herd animal. And it seems to me that you need to have acres of land around your home to allow them to enjoy the outside. Therefore, they won't suit everybody but clearly they appeal to a lot of people because adoptions have risen fivefold during the Covid pandemic.

Like all companion animals they need to be weaned properly. They need to suckle from their mothers for the first 12-14 weeks of their lives. The same basic rules apply to cats and dogs. If you wean a kitten too early, they can develop behavioural problems such as sucking on people's earlobes or arms, as an example. And they'll do that as adults for their entire adulthood, at least potentially. Some people believe that pica (eating non-food items) is due to early weaning.

Another issue with pygmy goats is that they are considered by Defra (in the UK) to be "agricultural holdings". They need to be formally registered with this government agency.

Also, their calls can be quite loud which might disturb neighbours and the RSPCA warns that they are likely to cause damage to fences.

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Comment: it is incredible how distorted the pet market has become in the UK thanks to the pandemic. The dog market went mad and I am not the only one who has noticed it very distinctly in the local park where I go for walks. There are many more French bulldogs for example and I see lots of Dachshunds. All, it seems, recently adopted. This has fuelled illegal importation of puppies into the country and the government is taking steps to curb that by banning all imports of puppies below six months of age. Some breeders import pregnant females and there will be a ban on that as I understand it.

Sadly, commercial market forces result almost inevitably in animal welfare issues. It is humankind's way. The problem with pygmy goats is that you are likely to get some people becoming fascinated with the idea of adopting one without having the facilities to become a proper caregiver. That, too, will potentially lead to abandonments just as it happened with many of the dogs impulsively adopted during Covid.

Pygmy goats are much cheaper to buy than purebred dogs but are they cheaper over their lifetime when factoring in maintenance? That's the key.

The cat: humankind's most interesting friend

The dog is often referred to as "man's best friend" so perhaps it is fair to say that the domestic cat is "humankind's most interesting friend". We have to drop the word "man" nowadays because of equality policies, rules and in all fairness to be honest. It's about time the word was dropped. In 2003 Linda P Case said that the cat had surpassed the dog in total numbers as a household pet in the United States.

The domestic cat. Photo: in public domain.

I'm not sure that we know that for certain. I've always considered the number of cats and dogs to be very similar in America and indeed in the UK and other developed countries. In less well developed countries the dog surpasses the cat because the dog is utilitarian i.e. working animals.

In the West it is also more common for people to share their lives and their homes with two or more cats at the same time. And it is known now very clearly that cats provide a range of benefits to their human carers, the most important of which are emotional and psychological. Domestic cats are perhaps more important than people realise in society today.

The domestic cat is probably a distinct species today. Some people refer to the domestic cat is a subspecies but I would call the household cat a species in the same bracket as the African wildcat, the Chinese desert cat, the European wildcat, the jungle cat, the sand cat and the black-footed cat. They are described as the "domestic cat lineage" in terms of the taxonomy of the cat family by two distinguished authors (the Sunquists).

The cat, although similar in terms of status with the domestic dog, has an entirely different relationship with their human caretakers and co-specifics within the human society. Doctor Bradshaw says that the cat is barely domesticated which means that they have retained to a large extent their independence, certainly of mind and their ability to hunt effectively. So although they develop enduring bonds with humans they have a necessity to express these innate desires.

Perhaps in another 1000 or 2000 years of domestication they will have lost this mentality and at that time they will behave more like a domestic dog. Domestic cats are somewhat of an anomaly in that they are beloved members of the family as well as being feral in far too great a number. This is only due to human carelessness. It is a great shame that humankind has been so careless in the domestication of the cat.

This was never envisaged at the beginning of domestication of the North African wildcat about 10,000 years ago. It wasn't part of the deal. And feral cats are the cause of so much argument among people as to how to deal with them and invariably there is a large section of society who want deal with them in an inhumane way. I am referring to the politicians and administrators of the continent of Australia as a sharp example.

The cat is a member of the order, Carnivora. This includes a diverse group of animals all of which are predators. They are named because of their carnassial teeth. These are at the back of the jaw where the human molars are. They have a shearing action a bit like scissors to tear flesh from the bodies of the animal that they've killed.

Cats evolved during the Eocene epoque. This is about 54 million years ago. Many of these animals were tree dwellers. They had long slender bodies and short legs with a long tail.

About 30 million years ago the miacids split into two groups: the viverines and the miacines. The former are now known to be the oldest ancestor of the domestic cat whereas the latter are the ancestors of the dog, bear, raccoon and weasel. The viverines branched into two primary lines. One of these lines produced several very large prehistoric cats including the sabertooth tiger. The other line included a small cat, Dinictus, which later evolved into several distinct cat species. The evidence suggests that Dinictus is the main ancestor of all cat species alive on the planet today including our beloved domestic cat.

Exotic pet insurance - UK - discussion

UNITED KINGDOM: ExoticDirect is BOUGHTBYMANY's sister insurer and they are said to be specialists in exotic pet insurance. They been going for 20 years or more and they get a decent 4.1 out of 5 stars on their Facebook page. BOUGHTBYMANY bought the parent company of ExoticDirect in 2015 which is why they are in this stable of insurance companies.

F1 Savannah cats except for the cat on the right! These are exotic pets as far as I am concerned. Photo: PoC.

Exotic Pet?

There is a discussion about what is an exotic pet and I can understand that. Technically it seems to mean in non-native species to the UK. In which case it would include rabbits because they've been wild in the UK since the 12th century but are non-native as I understand it. The issue with this definition is that I wonder how far back you have to go before you describe an animal as non-native. The other side of the coin to non-native is 'invasive species'.

I'm not sure that this is a good definition. I think we should take an ordinary dictionary definition of the word 'exotic' and decide that exotic pets are companion animals which are outside of the mainstream and which are not normally considered to be pets. In the world of cats, for example you might include the wild cat hybrids such as the F1 Savannah cat (see above) or the F1 Bengal cat. You might even include, in that vein, the wild cat component of these animals such as the serval and the Asiatic leopard cat. These are all exotic as would be a big cat or any other medium-sized wild cat species if they are kept as pets.

As for dogs, I would include hybrid wolves and wolves themselves as exotic. And of course you have to include birds and reptiles such as dragons et cetera. And it appears that snakes are quite popular amongst a segment of society in the UK and elsewhere. There is certainly a fascination with reptiles. Even large spiders I guess are in this bracket of animal. These are my personal views and I would think that the description of exotic pet is quite elastic. In short they will be non-typical animals.

You will have to make sure that you are allowed to own exotic animals as pets. You'll almost certainly need a license to do so and have facilities. Check with the local authority.

Insurance companies and what they cover

Another recommended company is E&L pet insurance. They appear to cover bird insurance and they get a good rating online in reviews. A third recommended company would be Cliverton Exotic Pet Insurance. This is a specialist company which is been around for more than 40 years. They insure dog walkers, wildlife rescues, falconry centres and farms. They appear to be more into businesses than individuals who want exotic pet insurance.

Exotic pet insurance by ExoticDirect covers veterinary bills, and for tortoises, parrots, birds of prey and large mammals they cover death as a result of an accident or illness, death by fire and extreme weather conditions. ExoticDirect does not cover the death of small birds and small mammals under these circumstances.

Cliverton offers public liability insurance but not insurance for veterinary costs. E&L's Bird Insurance covers veterinary bills as well as death by accident or illness. They also cover aviaries. It would be important that exotic pet insurance covers theft since they are exotic animals and therefore I would have thought liable to theft. ExoticDirect covers birds of prey, parrots, tortoises, reptiles and large mammals against theft but not small mammals or small birds.

Public liability insurance is important

Public liability is important because some of these exotic animals are dangerous. For example, there have been many servals escaping their homes. This is quite typical because this animal needs a large range in which to live and they are confined when they are regarded as pets. When they escape the home they present a danger or a perceived danger to the public. ExoticDirect provided policy for public liability for animals kept on private land and in case they escape. They also cover animal shows and displays and events, animal clubs and centres and animals included in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act. For example, if you have an exotic bird and they fly away and become lost and don't return then ExoticDirect pay out "some money" for replacement. You can arrange this insurance over the phone but it cannot be bought online.

Costs?

Of course the cost varies depending upon all the factors including the animal insured. You can take out a vet fees only policy with ExoticDirect. As an example, for small mammals under this sort of policy you would pay 10 monthly instalments of £15.10 p for £2000 of veterinary fees. Please visit their website or phone for details. Providing a list here is unwise.

Worth it?

As to whether it is worth it to take out exotic pet insurance, this is obviously a personal choice. Insurance brings peace of mind. My personal choice would be to run your own self-insurance program by saving money for a rainy day. It's about risk and reward and whether you are risk-averse or prepared to take some risks in life. Perhaps a big factor would be public liability insurance. If an animal has a potential to cause serious injury to a person if it escapes then it would seem very sensible to take out exotic pet insurance because the cost of compensating somebody under these circumstances would or might be exorbitant and beyond the normal budget of an average person.

It's time to stop calling our companion animals "pets"

I have always thought that describing companion animals as "pets" is inappropriate or to put it another way, we can do better. I subscribe to the attitude of PETA in this respect. It's interesting and ironic that the word "pet" is in their acronym which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. This is why they have asked the public to pronounce the acronym as if they are saying "Peter". It's a slight embarrassment to the organisation, but back to the point of this article.

Discussing the topic: Are humans more valuable than animals? And: the pros and cons of using the word "pet".

The point is that the use of language effects the behaviour of humans. It works backwards. Humans create the language and if that language is imperfect it can have an impact upon the behaviour of humans. Or it perpetuates bad behaviour. Use of the word "pet" encourages the notion that people own sentient beings and can do what they like with those animals. Clearly, the vast majority of people treat their companion animals nicely but there will always be a significant minority who don't. Changing the use of language may have a beneficial impact upon these people and upon society in general which may in turn improve companion animal welfare. The law supports the notion that people own animals as they are considered "chattels" under the law in the UK. The law needs upgrading.

In the video we see Piers Morgan barely giving the lady from PETA a chance to respond to his questions. He bullies and dominates and she handles it very well. It is very hard to deny that she has good sense. It is hard to argue against PETA's argument. It doesn't matter whether you're right-wing or left-wing or down the middle. Piers Morgan is clearly a right-wing personality or at least he behaves like that. Right-wing people are more prone to regard pets as an object to be owned. That is the stereotypical argument.

They also discuss other sayings like "let the cat out of the bag". This is a very old fashion saying which goes back to times when farmers were selling pigs in a bag. Rather than put a young pig in a bag they put a cat instead because the cat had a lower or nil value and if the cat escaped the fraud was exposed hence the phrase "let the cat out of the bag", which means that a lie or fraud has been exposed. PETA don't like the phrase because it denigrates the domestic cat. It's a phrase from past times which should be pensioned off to put it politely.

As a society, we owe it to ourselves to do all we can to improve animal welfare. It reflects on us. Small changes to language may help us achieve that objective. Piers Morgan should do better as an interviewer! Although, I do like him.

African Golden Cat Pet

People search the internet for "african golden cat pet" - hence this page.

The African golden cat is extremely rare in captivity. In the USA the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) list one cat in a licensed facility in the country (1). And there is one in a private facility. These cats will die without breeding.

The point I am making is that the rarity of this wildcat in the West indicates that there will be no pet cats of this species. In addition it will be unsuitable as a pet. You'll need to socialize kittens for that. It would be wrong and in breach of CITES to try and find kittens in the wild in African for the sole purpose of selling them as future pets in the West (i.e. exporting wildcats).

Some wildcats are more suited, namely the serval and margay. The Asiatic golden cat, a different species, is less rare in captivity.

Note:
(1) Feline Conservation Federation July/Aug edition of magazine.