Friday, June 25, 2010

Who is truly the master?!?

I'm not exactly what you would call an animal lover. I've always preferred my animals with salt and pepper. I've also always been of the mindset that there are far too many hungry Koreans to be so many stray animals running around. I recently read online somewhere that there are literally tens of millions of dogs and cats in this country alone. Check this out.

Dogs
There are currently approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States
Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog
Most owners (67 percent) own one dog
Twenty-four percent of owners own two dogs
Nine percent of owners own three or more dogs
On average, owners have almost two dogs (1.7)
The proportion of male to female dogs is even
Nineteen percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter
On average, dog owners spent $225 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually
Seventy-five percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered

Cats
There are currently approximately 93.6 million owned cats in the United States
Thirty-three percent of U.S. households (or 38.2 million) own at least one cat
Fifty-six percent of owners own more than one cat
On average, owners have two cats (2.45)
More female cats are owned than male cats (70 percent vs. 65 percent respectively)
Twenty-two percent of owned cats were adopted from an animal shelter
Cat owners spent an average of $203 on routine veterinary visits
Eighty-seven percent of owned cats are spayed or neutered
Can you imagine just how many tons of cat feces are dug out of litter pans and dumped daily by their owners? I've often wondered just what cats think when they watch this happen. Are they thinking.........."where are they taking that?" or "hey, that's mine".
Also whenever I see a man or woman following a dog around with a brown bag and a pooper scooper or a baggie; I often wonder to myself, who is truly the master?!?

64 comments:

  1. In terms of dogs being social creatures and seeing its owner as part of a pack I wonder how they feel about its owner scooping their poop. If the dog owner is supposed to be the alpha dog, in the dogs eyes, does scooping their poop cause them to then think of the owner as a lesser dog in the pack?

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  2. Val if you were a member of that pack, how would you go about establishing dominance?!?

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  3. All I know is that I wouldn't be scooping any poop!

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  4. Hey, If I could find a dog that would SCOOP HIS OWN SHIT, I'd keep him !


    For the record, I'd GRILL AND EAT a cat in a heartbeat if I knew I wouldn't face punishment for it.

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  5. I love animals. I've had birds, dogs and cats.
    But I do not currently own any because of the hours of my lifestyle. I believe in responsible pet ownership. And I think it is cruel to be gone for long period of time when you are a pet owner.

    I find it interesting that Americans go batty over the idea of shipping animals for food to other countries. We condone putting a dog down but refuse to ship that animal to a culture that see Fido as the main course. The animal lovers try to stop people from eating dogs or cats. But in cultures where they are truly hungry-I bet those animals look good to them.

    I also dislike to see animals dressed in clothing. I think it is a stupid pratice and one that I find to be crazy! It would not run acoss my mind to put shoes or clothing on my dog or cat.

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  6. I have a dog. And this week he had to have emergency eye surgery that cost way way way too much money. I feel you on this right now. I am definitely not in control at the moment.

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  7. See, now I'm starting to miss my damn dog now.

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  8. Val I wouldn't be walking down the street picking up my own shit, much less a dog's.

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  9. Heff I knew you had that "Asian" look about you. I have a friend of Korean descent who is quick to make jokes about lost pets........no one laughs though.

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  10. I do have my moments BigMac, but I want you to think about something. There are literally hundreds of millions of people in the world starving at this very moment. In this country alone 3 or 4 million animals a year are euthanized because they're not adopted. The average dog weighs roughly 50 pounds and the average cat weighs roughly 10 pounds. Think about how much meat that comes to? A couple of billion Asians can't be wrong. If it's meat, it's meat. That meat should be eaten, not buried in a pet cemetery or incinerated. Although I wouldn't eat it like Heff would, it's something to think about.

    My father was a commissioned officer and he did a stint in Korea. He once told me that dog is "right tasty, if you can find it young enough". He also claimed that "dog stew is certainly a treat, if you've never had it before." I also have an uncle who did a couple of tours in Vietnam who says that one of his favorite Vietnamese dishes was monkey hips and rice.

    Wasting those millions of pounds of meat is just a sinful waste of food.

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  11. MsLadyDeborah those people in Asian cultures love animals too, with salt and pepper.

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  12. Eva my wife owns two cats. The cats have health insurance. I know more than a few people without health insurance. My wife's cat Maggie had an emergency procedure last year that would have cost a couple of thousand dollars if we didn't have that particular insurance.

    When I was a boy and we had dogs; and if one of those dogs would have needed surgery like that......we'd have ended up with another dog.

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  13. Wizzy Jr I live in South Carolina and the ponds that are everywhere here have alligators in them. I can't remember the last time I saw a stray animal here. Strays here end up as something's lunch. All over my neighborhood on telephone poles you'll see little signs for missing pets. Every single time I see one of those posters I have to chuckle to myself. Those alligators aren't doing anything but what comes natural. Which is what people in other cultures around the world do with their own "strays"........they end up as someone's lunch.

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  14. I have a confession to make... I am a "crazy cat lady" Yes, I have three cats.... absolute lunacy! I love my cats, but sometimes I cannot believe that I actually allow these crazy creatures share the same space as me!

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  15. Joanna I was raised to believe that animals and humans weren't supposed to share the same living space. I still believe that. But two years ago my wife moved two cats in here with us.

    Kim, my wife, has always been a "cat lady", but we didn't have any before then. She grew up having cats as pets. I grew up having dogs as pets, but they were usually outside. I still don't like sharing my living space with these damned cats.......but what are ya gonna do?!?

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  16. I have a German Shepherd and am considering getting a Komondor or Giant Schnauzer. Picking up after the dog is just good hygiene. It protects my dog, other dogs, humans and the environment.

    There are times when any dog will challenge for dominance but I don't think that has anything to do with picking up after it-although that is a pretty funny thought.

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  17. Shady Grady I guess that I don't own a dog because I fail to see the benefits outweighing me having to follow it around picking up it's spore. There's just something strange about that. I don't really want to look at my own spore, much less a dog's. Trust me though, I understand that it needs to be picked up, I'd just prefer to not be the one doing it.

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  18. At least dogs do not punish you for not cleaning up after them.... if I miss ONE DAY cleaning the cats litter pan, I wake up or come home to a pile of poop on the kitchen floor!

    Plus, you could always let the dog out in the backyard, and call one of those new services that cleans up the poop for you!

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  19. Joanna the day a cat does that in my house is the day the cat and I go fishing and only one of us comes home.

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  20. =) It's funny because the same way some folks feel about picking up after a dog I feel about having a cat do its business in my house. The dog is trained to go outside-no matter what. The cat does it inside the house and all that stuff is just floating around the home via the AC or the heat registers.. no thank u... LOL

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  21. I agree Shady Grady, either way, it's disgusting.

    Once I went into someone's home who owned dogs and cats and there wasn't one single litter box in that house. She burned candles all the time, but the house smelled of urine and feces. I remember looking at the cable that came out of the back of her television, there was fuzz growing on it. It was green and fuzzy, but it was actually some kind of mold.

    When I left that home I washed my hands over and over and over again.

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  22. Well Reggie I love animals. I love cats and dogs, although I only have a dog. My dog Savannah is part of my family. Sometimes I forget she is a damn dog. LOL. If something were to happen to her, it would be a very sad year in the house that Red built.

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  23. Dog lover!!!!

    No seriously, most of the people that I know that own dogs, feel just like you do. Their dogs are part of their families or referred to as their "baby". I know at least a few childless women that refer to their dog or cat as their "baby". From what I understand, it's a fact that people with pets live longer than those people without them.

    I'm glad to hear that you love your dog Dirty Red, don't ever let Michael Vick come over to your house to stay. I don't think that he feels quite the same way about dogs as you do.

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  24. Reggie, they are just waiting for the opportune moment to once again overtake us and return us to their servitude as they once did before we learned to read and write.

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  25. Mutts and Cats.. you gotta be careful with Pet Lovers. If there is ever any emergency and it's between them saving your life or a dog - you can hang it up.

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  26. I LOVE MY LITTLE EARL!!!
    Ive always been a dog-person... my dad always had a dog... and i always lived with my dad... so i guess i just learned what i lived. My father preferred a dog to be an outside pet... but when your daughter is crying her eyes out cuz her new puppy is cold and alone outside and she wants him... i guess sometimes its hard to say no. Besides... if a dog is inside, living with the family... its bound to be a more mindful intelligent dog, in my opinion.

    yes i pick up dog shit... it doesnt upset me... although its not my favourite part of having a dog, you hafta take the good with the bad eh. *shrugs*

    my mom always had cats... she has 5 cats and two dogs at one point... right now shes ot 2 brand new little kittens and a grown cat... theyre cute... but they crap in her house and they arent dogs.. yanno?

    my friend shelley had a cat that would play fetch!

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  27. Folk I'm gonna need you to stop staying up late at night drinking and watching Syfy

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  28. Citizen Ojo that's something I've noticed too. People are quick to save the whales, spotted owls, fido and Garfield; but so many of them don't give a damn about people.

    Then again, I don't like people myself. The more I know people, the more I like roaches.

    But those damned animal lovers, some of them act like their dog or cat should be afforded the same status as a child.

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  29. I'm glad to see you back Michelle. You're yet another survivor of Mother Nature's wrath.

    I feel your love for animals; hell, I've got two children and I love them. But I still contend that there are far too many stray animals running around to be so many hungry Koreans.

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  30. Citizen Ojo said...

    Mutts and Cats.. you gotta be careful with Pet Lovers. If there is ever any emergency and it's between them saving your life or a dog - you can hang it up.


    Well that depends... is the person in danger a relative or not? Cause otherwise I probably would choose my Shepherd.. LOL

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  31. Actually Citizen Ojo, more than just some.

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  32. Shady Grady I'm really not surprised that's your point of view.

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  33. Hiya Reggie.... I too am an animal lover! We have had dogs in the past but currently own a beautiful cat. I can't tell you how much love & affection this cat has brought to our house.
    I get what you are saying with this post Reggie but would like to plant another seed of thought to your post. I have worked both in the field of nursing & also with the disabled and have seen animals (like birds, cats & dogs) being used in therapy for the sick, dying, depressed & disabled people etc. It has been proven that interaction with animals has lowered blood pressure levels, decreased stress levels, lowered triglycerides in blood levels, alleviate pain, increase levels of activity & socialization & even increased the length of survival of a person. There are also assist animals that help a person live a more independent life. I know of 2 people that could not survive alone at home without there loyal & loving dogs. One is blind & the other is epileptic. The person with epilepsy gets no warning (aura) of when a seizure is about to happen but the dog can sense it & lets her know. This gives her time to get herself in a safe position to ride the seizure out. It is truly amazing. I love animals but believe that we need to be responsible when taking on ownership of a pet. Animals, when treated right, can give so much back.

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  34. I'd heard that Katherine; that people that owned animals typically live longer. It makes sense too. It's just like when older people have jobs to go to; they seem to have a reason for living, hence they live longer.

    My wife owns two cats. She adores those cats. She and I have been married for 21 years and up until 2 years ago we never had pets. After my children left home, our house was kinda empty. My wife went out and picked up those cats.......they're her new children.

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  35. I think I might like your wife Reggie...she sounds like a treasure, which she surely must be seeing as you've been together for 21 years. My hubby & I have been together for just a few more than that. We met as teenagers!

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  36. Longevity in a marriage has it's place Katherine.

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