Posted on 06/26/2012 12:11:10 PM PDT by fteuph
Hi. I'm Art Caplan, speaking to you from the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Today I want to talk about a very serious healthcare problem: irresponsible behavior on the part of a lot of Americans that isn't getting much attention, and that means you if you own a cat.
Many types of health costs are associated with cat ownership. We have allergies and asthma, people who wind up going to the hospital because they have allergic reactions either to the cat or the medicine they take, and there are all types of skin problems. The list goes on and on.
It is pretty clear that these miserable mousers are a huge healthcare problem. I started thinking about this when I saw a recent poll that was published in Forbes magazine that said that most Americans believe that there ought to be a tax on people who are overweight. They make a lifestyle choice and wind up causing more healthcare costs for everybody else due to the diseases and ailments linked to obesity, so Americans think they should pay more. By the way, their employers are starting to think that as well, that they should start to levy penalties and fines on people who are overweight at the workplace.
All of which takes me back to the issue of cats. If we are going to put a penalty on lifestyle choices, then shouldn't we penalize all lifestyle choices? If cats are really causing healthcare problems in the way that I think they do, then I think we need to be fair and tax cat owners.
If you look at the situation, there are probably 60 million or more Americans who own a cat. A lot of you out there choose to own more than one. Many of you have a cat and you actually keep children in the house near this cat, so these are all horrible, terrible, inappropriate, and immoral decisions.
Why? Well, we don't know exactly how much cat ownership costs, but it probably runs into billions of dollars every year in terms of allergy medicines that people take, hospitalizations that I mentioned earlier, and treating skin diseases. You are also exposing others who don't want to own a cat to cats because you can never get the cat dander and the cat allergen out of the rug, the furniture, and the carpet. Even if you move the cat, so to speak, the presence of the cat is left behind. This is a very burdensome thing, not just for people who live with cats but the rest of us who try to visit you or who want to move into a place where you have been.
Therefore, it is pretty clear -- probably beyond any ethical dispute -- that cat ownership is an irresponsible choice. Let me add that none of this applies to dogs. I own a dog. I think they are wonderful. In fact, there probably should be a tax break for dog owners. But for cats, looking at the kinds of costs that are involved and the irresponsibility that cat owners exercise in choosing to have them, I think we need to start thinking more seriously about ways to extend penalties if we are going to make personal responsibility a part of healthcare.
Cat owners, think hard about what I said. And those of you who are in favor of personal responsibility as a way to cut down healthcare costs, you know who I am talking about.
This is Art Caplan at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. I wish all of you a happy summer.
Are the reptiles next?
Where have you been?
They recently passed a federal ban on a whole bunch of reptiles, based solely on junk science.
Totally harmless *Ball Pythons* have been banned under ‘dangerous species’ laws, for crying out loud.
pETA has their ‘man on the inside’ with Odrama and they’re grabbing everything they can while the getting’s good.
Would’ve been easier if you’d simply told her to take her foot out of her mouth before she posted.
;]
Yes, we are perfectly serious: dogs understand dog body language; when a human approaches a dog, that human needs to approach the dog using body language which a dog can correctly interpret.
Your friend would be wise to educate herself on the subject to prevent further injury to herself or her family through foolish assumptions (”I like hugs, Fido must like hugs too.”)
Humans have arms; dogs do not; why would you, or any wise dog owner, suppose that a dog would view a hug the same way you do?
Your friend’s injury was caused by her own foolish assumptions; her dog is incapable of saying. “Excuse me, but for my species, you are expressing either that you are challenging me to a fight or that you wish to dominate me.”
It is capable of giving other body language signals that it is uncomfortable with a breach of canine etiquette (which your friend certainly ignored) and, failing those, of biting to get its point across.
Those who are bitten due to their own foolishness should learn from their foolishness, not blame the dog for acting in self-defense.
You have freepmail.
Bookmark USARK for up to date info.
The federal ban is still in effect, though somewhat modified from its original form.
States have been passing/dumping bills at the state level.
[big cheers for those states who refused to kneel before Zod]
As has become painfully apparent today, Big Brother is -here-.
Listen don’t bother me with your stupid excuse crapola. I grew up with shepards, schnauzers, dalmations...and guess what. I was able to hug them without my face being torn off. The woman lives with this pit bull...her son/DIL and DOG moved in with her about a year ago...they had a baby and the dog knows her...she hugs it and gets attacked....it’s a PIT BULL. That should NOT have happened. Case over...no excuses.
My Djinni likes hugs and presses into me for them but smaller Gypsy, bless her heart, suffers my ‘baby cuddling’ fits patiently but with little joy.
Odin does not like hugs at all, from me or anybody else.
He will tolerate me hanging over his shoulders for legitimate reasons such as nail clipping or examinations but would, I believe, bite anyone else who tried.
I do not feel “slighted” or “unloved” because he doesn't like to be hugged.
He is a dog and it is his space.
I know better than to violate it and respect him too much to force it upon him, just as he has learned that I don't like the typical ‘mouth licking’ that dogs do to their owners.
I'm not likely to heave up a partially digested antelope for him so he's lowered his canid pack behavior expectations.
;]
[and yes, dog owners, when Fido or Fifi licks your mouth, that is -exactly- what they're doing...they're trying to elicit a maternal regurgitation response from you...aren't you happy?]...LOL
We all know that pits are the only type of dogs that bite.
Is there a subject that you know less about than dogs? I sure hope not because less than nothing is like dividing by zero.
“as a dog returns to his (or your) vomit” Can’t remember the rest of this right now. LOL!
[and the purple ones get eaten first in 'the ward']
Just sayin’....
;D
*Eeeeyew!*
[if you do remember the rest, *don’t* ping me, please?]
Bleah!
LOL
Yet again you blithely disregard cold, hard facts and post alleged anecdotal “proof” to emotionally support your own pet neurosis.
[yes, bless your heart..that was witty word play]
I rather think that ~you~ should be at DU where you can more comfortably and freely express your feeeeeeeeeeeeeeelings.
What is wrong with you. Those are STATS...not by me. NO feelings are involved. YOU, my dear, are the one using your feelings.....look up the words ‘statistics’.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1211/048.html
I’ll take my chances with “pit bulls” and Rotts, thanks.
The odds are in my favor.
[obviously]
Did you even bother to read the links I posted or did you just frantically search the universe for hysteria-inducing stats to support your kill-all-dogs pogrom?
Keep going, Fawn.
All you do is undermine your own case *and* cement your reputation as FR’s resident ‘crazy cat lady’ every time you post.
I have all the time in the world to dance with you.
:)
Isn’t this topical detour taking time away from your crusade to kill all the “killer” birds?
Air Sack Mites ... Air Sack Rupture ... Allergic Alveolitis ... Anatomy (Avian) ... Aspergillosis ... Avian Brain Disease ... Avian Flu ... Avian Goiter (Thyroid Hyperplasia or Dysplasia) ... Avian Gout ... Avian Influenza ... Avian Pox ... Avian Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium) Bacterial Infections ... Baldness ... Beak & Feather Disease ... Beak Problems / Deformities ... Bird Fancier’s / Breeders Lungs (Allergic Alvolitis) ... Bird Flu ... Bite Wounds ... Bleeding ... Blepharitis ... Blocked Gizzard ... Bordetella ... Botulism ... Brain Disease ... Breeding-related Problems ... Broken Legs / Toes ... Bronchitis ... Bumble Foot ... Bursal Disease Canary Pox Virus ... Candida / Candidiasis ... Cancer ... Canker (Trichomoniasis, more commonly known as pigeon canker) ... Chick Deformities ... Chlamydia / Chlamydiosis ... Chronic Egg Laying ... Cryptosporidium / Coccidia ... Coccidiosis ... Conjunctivitis ... Coryza Diabetes ... Diarrhea Egg Binding ... Egg Laying (Chronic) ... Egg Yolk Peritonitis / Egg Peritonitis ... Emphysema ... Enteritis ... Eye Problems Fatty Tumors ... Feather Cysts / Feather Lumps ... Feather Disorders ... Feather Lice ... Feather Plucking / Chewing ... Fowl Cholera ... French Molt ... Fungal Infections Giardia ... Gizzard (Blocked) ... Gout Heavy Metal Poisoning ... Hemochromatosis ... Herpes ... Hypothyroidism Infectious Bronchitis ... Infectious Bursal Disease ... Infectious Coryza ... Infectious Sinusitis ... Influenza Kidney Disease / Problems Laryngotracheitis Lead Poisoning ... Liver Disease ... Lymhpoid Leukosis Macaw Wasting Disease ... Marek’s Disease ... Megabacteria / Megabacteriosis ... Metal Poisoning ... Mites & Lice ... Mutilation ... Myialges Nudus ... Mycoplasmosis Necrotic Enteritis ... Neuropathic Gastric Dilatation ... Newcastles Disease ... Nutritional Disorders Omphalitis ... Overheating Pacheco’s Disease ... Pasteurella ... Papilloma ... Parasites ... Parrot Fever ... PBFD ... Pneumonia ... Psittacosis / Chlamydiosis / Ornithosis ... Pseudomonas ... PDD ... Poisoning ... Polyoma ... Pox Virus ... Prolapsed Cloaca ... Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease. Regurgitation ... Respiratory Distress / Diseases Salmonella / Salmonellosis ... Sarcocystosis ... Scaly Face & Scaly Feet Disease ... Seizures ... Self / Skin-Mutilation ... Sinusitis ... Skin & Feather Disorders ... Stargazing Teflon Poisoning ... Thyroid Problems ... Tuberculosis ... Tumors (Cancer) ... Tumors (Fatty) ... Toxicities / Poisoning / Ingestion ... Trichomonas Visceral Gout ... Visceral Leukosis (Marek’s Disease) ... Vomiting West Nile Virus ... Wet Vents Yeast Infections Zinc Poisoning
God knows none of us ever want to come down with “beak and feather disease”, “Bumble foot’, “Teflon poisoning” or “blocked gizzards”!
[yeah, your little ‘crazy page’ is legendary on FR..it gets passed around and laughed at quite a bit]
Self serving BS from discredited or government (liberal) sources.
Why don’t you just quote HSUS whom, like you want all dogs dead?
BTW, did you get your bumble foot taken care of?
You obviously already caught Bumble Foot.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.