3 ms·

Having grown up with a cat lady (17 cats at some point) I can tell you that anyone who claims 'look in the mirror' and try to apply human ethics to their pets i

Having grown up with a cat lady (17 cats at some point) I can tell you that anyone who claims 'look in the mirror' and try to apply human ethics to their pets is completely irrational. Most of the time these people will actually make up complete nonsense story to justify the pet behaviour, including completely stupid stuff like "it's Tuesday, he always like to be on the dinning table on tuesday" and endless other nonsense. There are several papers [ Example: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/toxoplasmas-dark-side-the-link-between-parasite-and-suicide/ http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/toxoplasma... ] describe how Toxoplasmosis could not only get into owner's system, but also change their behaviour; they had demonstrated that mices infected with it would actually be /attracted/ to cats completely irrationally. When you look at this and extrapolate on how many people are actually /crazy/ about cats [ Check, the interweb! ] and could be affected by that sort of brain damage --all of them driving, voting and making 'rational' decisions-- it's really worrying...

Ntrails 11y ago
I go home to see my mother on the weekends a lot at the moment (temporarily of no fixed abode). When I start getting ready to leave at around 6pm on a Sunday the dog will lie in the Hallway between me and the front door. We consider that he knows I'm about to leave, and that's why he's there. I spend plenty of time in my room without seeing that behaviour. Am I suffering from brain damage in anthropomorphising his behaviour somewhat? Or am I simply choosing the explanation that gives me the most comfort? The reality is I can't tell why any human being does something, regardless of the fact they can actually talk. I choose what to believe as the motives for them, and do the same for my dog.
- thedaemon 11y ago
  Dogs are not cats. The dog cares about you and knows you usually leave then. They have a very good sense of time even thought they "live in the moment."
pvaldes 11y ago
Agree with the first part, but not with the last paragraphs. Neither Cats nor toxoplasma are known to change the behaviour of adult humans. Every human brain in the world is strongly wired to react in the same way to an animal with short face, round head, big eyes and high pitched voice. Round face (still developping bones), means "cub" and "do not harm. Protect". Most humans react in the same way to seals or cub dogs for example, and simians and all mammals do the same also. Is just that cats are like babies in many aspects; they like to drink milk, cry like human babies, have warm bodies... having similar weight and size thanhuman babies, can be carried around also, and they remember you, can communicate with you and want to stay next your body to warm himselves, so is easy to create a bound. Toxoplasma can damage permanently the brain in human foetus, but normally is not a major concern in healty adults unless you have a defective inmune system. Lots of people with antibodies do not even remember to be ill or know when caught it. Inmunization is for life normally.

Ntrails 11y ago

I go home to see my mother on the weekends a lot at the moment (temporarily of no fixed abode). When I start getting ready to leave at around 6pm on a Sunday the dog will lie in the Hallway between me and the front door. We consider that he knows I'm about to leave, and that's why he's there. I spend plenty of time in my room without seeing that behaviour. Am I suffering from brain damage in anthropomorphising his behaviour somewhat? Or am I simply choosing the explanation that gives me the most comfort? The reality is I can't tell why any human being does something, regardless of the fact they can actually talk. I choose what to believe as the motives for them, and do the same for my dog.

thedaemon 11y ago
Dogs are not cats. The dog cares about you and knows you usually leave then. They have a very good sense of time even thought they "live in the moment."

pvaldes 11y ago

Agree with the first part, but not with the last paragraphs. Neither Cats nor toxoplasma are known to change the behaviour of adult humans. Every human brain in the world is strongly wired to react in the same way to an animal with short face, round head, big eyes and high pitched voice. Round face (still developping bones), means "cub" and "do not harm. Protect". Most humans react in the same way to seals or cub dogs for example, and simians and all mammals do the same also. Is just that cats are like babies in many aspects; they like to drink milk, cry like human babies, have warm bodies... having similar weight and size thanhuman babies, can be carried around also, and they remember you, can communicate with you and want to stay next your body to warm himselves, so is easy to create a bound. Toxoplasma can damage permanently the brain in human foetus, but normally is not a major concern in healty adults unless you have a defective inmune system. Lots of people with antibodies do not even remember to be ill or know when caught it. Inmunization is for life normally.