Posted on 04/30/2011 4:43:58 PM PDT by TheConservativeCitizen
It’s time to change your ways human carers; you are insulting your companion animals and you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you use terms like pets, wild- life, critters, beasts, or pests, the Journal of Animal Ethics has a (non-animal) bone to pick with you and your lack of sensitivity.
A (wackier than normal) group of leading animal ethicists is calling for a new “animal language” because the common animal terms we use “send out the wrong message.” To whom, exactly? The Rat would call these people “loons,” but that would be an affront to loons. Anyway, check out a few of their “academic” observations:
“Pets” is a derogatory term to both the animals and their “human carers” alike. The word “owners” is insulting, of course, because it harkens back to a previous age when animals were regarded as property or things. And the point is what?
“Wildlife” is insulting because “wildness” is synonymous with an uncivilized, unrestrained, barbarous existence. Apparently these guys missed the Great Migrations episode where the “uncivilized” crocodiles behave in a rather “unrestrained” manner when the water buffalo attempt to cross the river.
“There is an obvious prejudgment here that should be avoided.” The ethicists’ preferred terminology? “Free-living,” “free-ranging” or “free-roaming.” Really? Something tells the Rat that if one of these brainiacs were being mauled by a “free-living” grizzly, he’d wish he had done a bit of “prejudgement” himself.
As if this isn’t crazy enough, there’s more. Phrases such as “sly as a fox, “eat like a pig” or “drunk as a skunk” are all unfair to animals too. (without explaining, of course, just exactly how foxes, pigs and skunks have figured out all of this “unfairness” in the first place.)
“We shall not be able to think clearly unless we discipline ourselves to use less than partial adjectives in our exploration of animals and our moral relations with them,” concluded the Journal. “Thinking clearly” are ya? Seriously?
I think my cat would argue that I am HIS pet — if not his servant.
I tell my dog that she’s ugly and her breath smells bad. She never seems insulted.
While the first two make sense I have yet to observe a skunk in a state of inebriation.
I used to call my Lola...”the Punk “...she loved this term of endearment as she was always able to Punk me...ha!
Proverbs 6:6-11 (King James Version)
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise : 7 Which having no guide, overseer , or ruler , 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep , O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep : 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth , and thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
Hmmmm
Bad dog good ant.
“It’s time to change your ways human carers...”
Er, no. No it’s not.
Never been to Texas on a Saturday night then?
Dogs are loyal to their owners (oops, human care givers) cats on the other hand are loyal to their homes, where they live.
August 2007, Business Week: "The Pet Economy: Americans spend an astonishing $41 billion a year on their furry friends." 
I call her “Dumbdog”. Is that so wrong? :)
When I was single, I called my cat “The wife.” Now that I am married she gets called “The Other Woman.” If times get really hard, possibly “Dinner.”
You’ve heard of course all about how “Dogs have owners, and cats have staff?”
My dogs (can I say that?) are unfair to me. They take up too much of MY bed and try to push me out! Where can I go to file a grievance?
Yes. My cats are convinced I'm staff. They have no hesitation about reminding me when it's feeding time.
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