OT: Wrong pets?

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Why do we keep cats and dogs as pets when they're so bloody thick? Why not monkeys?

[Rod Speed]

Jimmy Wilkinson Knife wrote

Some prefer not so smart animals if they like the behaviour.

After all, some keep much more stupid pets like snakes, sheep, horses, birds etc.

They have real downsides. If you don't like the way some cats knock things off stuff, monkeys are much worse in that regard. And some can be much more vicious too.

I lived in Singapore for a number of years and a few people did have monkeys for pets, but far more had the usual cats and dogs. The monkeys were mostly working animals, good for going up palm trees and twisting off the coconuts and throwing them down.

[rbowman]

People do not like pets more intelligent than they although with monkeys it's a toss-up. Chimps, which are apes, are smarter. The are also a pain in the ass.

I watched the Today show before going off to school. Muggs was definitely the brains of the operation.

[Richard]

Nice try, but I'm not having you in my home.

[Brian Gaff]

You have answered your own question. We want to feel superior. In any case, most dog owners like them as they are like young children, and most cat lovers like them because they are independent and a little daft. They are also cute and stroking a cat which likes it can be a great way to calm down. Monkeys on the other hand need to be with other monkeys. Being intelligent unlike dogs they need companionship of members of their own species, whereas dogs make us into honorary dogs of their pack which is why we must act as pack leader to keep them in check. Also looking after a monkey often requires specialist dietary needs and a good environment or for their mental health.

Now other animals are available of course , but many are really short lived, which means a major problem for the owner every couple of years, or tend to maybe hard to keep, like snakes and reptiles and insects, or fish, and not easy to stroke a fish. Birds, well hard to keep humanely in my view, as they fly and hence that is an issue.

The question of why we keep pets is an interesting one though. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I was minded to treat him as the troll he tends to be, but Trolls live under bridges not in houses. So I replied in the normal sane manner. Brian

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

But cats and dogs produce smelly shit and have no idea how to bury it themselves. The others you mention aren't that bad.

Yes I suppose too much intelligence in a pet can be a bad thing.

They trained them as workers? Cool.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Parrots are good pets. Quite a bit of mess and you need to keep them away from things they can chew like wires and furniture, but their shit doesn't stink like cats and dogs.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

You're one of the few sane people in here.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Not even if I let you tie me up?

[Tim Streater]

Dogs don't, but cats do. So give over talking bollocks, would you.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Because, like you, they can't be house trained.

[Rod Speed]

Jimmy Wilkinson Knife wrote

Easy enough to get them to shit outside the house where you don't notice the smell.

I don't care when they shit outside.

But are much more stupid and imo useless as pets.

Yeah, specially when it ends up training you.

Plenty of dogs are like that too.

[Josh Nack]

Depends on whether you step on it before its dried out.

[Tim Streater]

I should have made it clearer that I meant that dogs have no clue about burial but cats do have.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Prick.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Keep your jealousy to yourself, you will never get to play with me naked.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I have cats. I seldom notice a shitty smell inside. When I do I go to the litter box and it's usually a cat failed to cover it.

Last year I did have one cat that shit on the floor, but it was never smelly.

[snip]

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

I've got 7 cats and not one of them has EVER buried the shit. Half of them make a feeble attempt, but just end up pushing litter randomly around with one paw. They have no clue as to where the shit is.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Prick.