Hey ya'll
"Your cat, dog, hamster and bird is as much your animal as you are his/her human."
How far and how true is this statement to you? The thing is, most of us are not without animals in our lives. I suppose since mankind discovered that he could domesticate animals for food, it would be inevitable that they would start keeping animals for various other reasons outside of food. But as simple and straightforward as the concept of keeping an animal in your home may seem, human-animal relationships are probably more complicated than just that.
For instance, animals kept in the house are generally known as pets, however, a conversation I couldn't help overhearing has led me to the conclusion that there are in fact three ways human-animal relationships can be defined.
1. The Pet
Although this is perhaps, the most general and commonly used to defined ALL human-animal relationships, it is in fact more specific than it may seem. The Pet is the most basic of all human-animal relationshisp which refers to a strict hierarchical system where the pet is still regarded as something below the human which is usually considered as a master.
These relationships are the ones where the humans are constantly and always holding the reigns. It usually involves leashes, obedience schools and various other methods designed to conform the Animal's behaviour to the Human's wants and needs. This is a relationships where decision making is entirely in the human's hands. Think Respected Boss and Subservient Subordinate.
2. The Family Member
The Family is perhaps a more recent development of human-animal relationship. It probably stemmed from a point in time when Human started developing deeper feelings for their Animal. The name basically says it all. The Family is basically where people treat their Animal as family and, eventually, the Animal is assimilated into family-like activities.
Although the Animal usually plays the role of Baby or Younger Sibling, there too are times when the Animal can play Older Sibling or Caretaker of the young Human. This relationships is one defined by compromise where, the animals wants are met as much as the animals needs while at the same time not compromising the Human's.
However, it is still important to take note that the decision making process is still very much in favour of the Human -albeit a lot LESS than that of The Pet - because, like dealing with their Babies or Younger Siblings, people may have a tendency to always believe they "know what's best..". Of course, the reality is a lot less extreme than it sounds. It could be something fairly simple.
Take the scenario of when relatives arrive to visit the Human. After awhile of mingling the Animal soon retreats back into his/her corner. The Human who practicies this human-animal relationship will believe that the Animal wishes to come down and move to carry him/her. If I were to ask such people why did they not just let the animal be, they would probably respond with "But I know she wants to come down!"
Leashes and obedience tools may still be used, but for different reasons. Instead of restraining the Animal, they are used in the same way parents send their children to 10 different after-school tuitions; - For their own good!
3. The Friend
The Friend is probably an even more recent development of human-animal relationships which differs ever so-slightly from the family. Again, usually both the wants and needs of both human and animal are met. Again affection and devotion can run as deep as that of The Family However, the main difference and factor that sents The Friend apart from The Family is simply the decision making process.
Just like between two Human friends, the decisions are usually left entirely in the individual's hands. Except for some unavoidable necessities -think cleaning out the litter etc. etc.- the Animal is almost always given freedom to behave how he or she wishes.
In that respect, in the same scenario as the family of visisting relatives. The Human would allow the animal to do as he/she pleases. Basically instead of saying "I'm sure he/she wants to come down," the Human would simply say "If he/she wanted to come down, she would". In that sense, just like how one hardly makes such decisions for their best friends, the Human leaves the animal to his/her devices.
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I suppose I lean most to The Friend. Because I believe that with care, love, time and understanding, most animals will come to adapt to your lifestyle as much you will learn to adapt to their habits, quirks and pet peeves. Take Strawberry for instance, who has been my Friend almost two years now, who learned to adapt to my lifestyle as much as I have learnt to adapt and respect her need for her night-time jaunts when she sees fit to explore every corner of the house.
So what is your animal to you? Is he/she a Pet, a Family or a Friend? Or is he/she more than one of the above? Or is there something else that you can define your relationship by?
PEACE OUT
