Doing the best we can to be responsible and eliminate suffering as far is practical and practicable is all we can aim for at the moment!
My cats were also strays (thrown out and left behind by people who moved out of my apartment building) and it really is hard to say given the choice again in the future that i'd do it any different, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I am very concerned about the obligate carnivore aspect, because it is massively hypocritical of me to care so much for one life over other similarly domesticated animals who suffer immeasurably more than my little furballs do. I seriously can't wait to get lab-grown meat for cruelty-free food options for cats and snakes and other domesticated carnivores who rely on human-provided homes through no fault of their own.
omg heartbreak at the frail one. being so skiddish around you + dirty & frail, it would be really hard for me to ignore these warning signs too. someone at an animal shelter told me that the only way to deal with it is you have to tell yourself they're ok. otherwise, it's too much to bear. the shelter is the most responsible move, good on you for taking the time to do it too.
one of my cats had lots of behavioral problems (especially in the beginning). she's been with me 10 years and has since learned to love attention, getting petted/brushed, and recently is even starting to learn to play with toys and random shit around the house. it's been a remarkable transformation honestly. she went from clear neglect and abuse victim to an attached-at-the-hip cuddly happy cat who won't let me out of her sight for a minute. sometimes when i move too suddenly tho, i can see her flinch painfully hard and i still get sad and try not to think about what she must've went through before coming to live with me.
This is really interesting to me. I similarly just have a vicious pitbull from the pound. I just rationalize her meat eating as: look at her fucking teeth, that animal needs meat. But yeah, she's not exactly natural.
I'm with ya, though. Not sure if I'd do it differently.
yeah it's tough and nothing is easy (no ethical consumption and all that jazz). the good news for your pitbull is that dogs are a bit easier than cats from an ethical food perspective because they are great scavengers and unlike cats are not obligate carnivores. they're closer to people in that you can pretty easily replace some/all of meat they eat with starches and veggies. There is some very early new evidence that dog foods which are both grain-free + vegetarian/vegan might be bad for kidneys long-term, but the general consensus is that similar to people, reducing dogs' meat intake is good for them and better for other animals who would otherwise be bread and killed just for food.
If you don't feel comfortable reducing/replacing your pet's meat consumption, then consider donating to organizations trying to develop animal-free meat options and supporting regulations that allow lab-grown meats in stores. it's lib shit and not as effective as more direct action, but this is pretty much where i'm at with my cats till they pass or better options are available.
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Doing the best we can to be responsible and eliminate suffering as far is practical and practicable is all we can aim for at the moment!
My cats were also strays (thrown out and left behind by people who moved out of my apartment building) and it really is hard to say given the choice again in the future that i'd do it any different, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I am very concerned about the obligate carnivore aspect, because it is massively hypocritical of me to care so much for one life over other similarly domesticated animals who suffer immeasurably more than my little furballs do. I seriously can't wait to get lab-grown meat for cruelty-free food options for cats and snakes and other domesticated carnivores who rely on human-provided homes through no fault of their own.
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omg heartbreak at the frail one. being so skiddish around you + dirty & frail, it would be really hard for me to ignore these warning signs too. someone at an animal shelter told me that the only way to deal with it is you have to tell yourself they're ok. otherwise, it's too much to bear. the shelter is the most responsible move, good on you for taking the time to do it too.
one of my cats had lots of behavioral problems (especially in the beginning). she's been with me 10 years and has since learned to love attention, getting petted/brushed, and recently is even starting to learn to play with toys and random shit around the house. it's been a remarkable transformation honestly. she went from clear neglect and abuse victim to an attached-at-the-hip cuddly happy cat who won't let me out of her sight for a minute. sometimes when i move too suddenly tho, i can see her flinch painfully hard and i still get sad and try not to think about what she must've went through before coming to live with me.
This is really interesting to me. I similarly just have a vicious pitbull from the pound. I just rationalize her meat eating as: look at her fucking teeth, that animal needs meat. But yeah, she's not exactly natural.
I'm with ya, though. Not sure if I'd do it differently.
yeah it's tough and nothing is easy (no ethical consumption and all that jazz). the good news for your pitbull is that dogs are a bit easier than cats from an ethical food perspective because they are great scavengers and unlike cats are not obligate carnivores. they're closer to people in that you can pretty easily replace some/all of meat they eat with starches and veggies. There is some very early new evidence that dog foods which are both grain-free + vegetarian/vegan might be bad for kidneys long-term, but the general consensus is that similar to people, reducing dogs' meat intake is good for them and better for other animals who would otherwise be bread and killed just for food.
If you don't feel comfortable reducing/replacing your pet's meat consumption, then consider donating to organizations trying to develop animal-free meat options and supporting regulations that allow lab-grown meats in stores. it's lib shit and not as effective as more direct action, but this is pretty much where i'm at with my cats till they pass or better options are available.
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No, I'm mostly joking. I just made a comment in the other thread this references about my dog fighting outdoor cats and just kept it going.