Are Pets Happy?

I actually watched a show about the science of dogs and how they're so dependent on people. They had a cage with meat in it, and a wolf sniffed it and tried for like 30 minutes to get it out before they took it away. The dog sniffed the cage, then waited for the person to help him out.

I believe they are happy with people because of the way their eyes light up when you come home, but really they don't know differently.

But think about dogs that do things like wait for their owner that's been dead for a long time.

I can't say if it's because they're happy or because they don't know what else to do, but I know when I see they're face light up as they charge at me when I come home, it makes me think they're pretty freaking happy. less

I actually watched a show about the science of dogs and how they're so dependent on people. They had a cage with meat in it, and a wolf sniffed it and tried for like 30 minutes to get it out before they took it away. The dog sniffed the cage, then waited for the person to help him out.

I believe they are happy with people because of the way their eyes light up when you come home, but really they don't know differently.

But think about dogs that do things like wait for their owner that's been dead for a long time.

I can't say if it's because they're happy or because they don't know what else to do, but I know when I see they're face light up as they charge at me when I come home, it makes me think they're pretty freaking happy. less

Good question.
No, pets are not happy living inside 4 walls or in cages like birds. These animals are born to live free. They have their own world and habits. I think the most crime against animals is to treat them like criminals. Birds are the most victim of our human moods. Birds have wings to fly in all sky, but some people like to get them jailed for what? For passion !!!!

Other people remove pets claws , because cats may destroy the furniture!! It is just another crime. But the most extreme and terror crime against pets is that when some people sterilize them .

After all that, I dont think pets become happy. less

Allowing them to breed freely leads to pet overpopulation, which will hurt wildlife in the long run. Domestic cats (and other domestic animals) are what might be considered an "invasive species" when allowed to roam at will, and can damage the ecosystem over time. It's a real problem all around the world. less

You're asking the wrong questions.

First, you need to define if animals can even be "happy" or not at all. You never will, so I guess I questions like this have to, by nature, make large assumptions.

Is happiness having their needs met ? Is happiness not facing adversity ? Is happiness being safe and warm ?

Keeping a domesticated animal indoors keeps it safe, fed, and free of much disease. Is that happiness ?


Is it happiness to freeze to death in the winter ? Overheat in summer ?

Is it happiness that your paws bleed and crack ? To have your hair so matted that it hurts to move, matted with dirt and blood and fecal matter ?

Is it happiness to have parasites ?

Is it happiness to go hungry so that your body turns on itself ?

Is it happiness to become prey, to be injured and disfigured ?

Is watching your offspring starve or be picked off by predators happiness ?


I have to say, I really doubt it.

I support spaying and neutering because these are NOT natural and wild animals. If you want to look at it like that, these are invasive species we've created, and letting them populate and wipe out other creatures is just as bad as doing it ourselves. less

I agreed 100% with Rin and Chirple, the facts they've listed are SO true.

Humans know how to use birth control on ourselves while animals don't. Do you like to see even more feral cats running all over the earth, if humans don't take control and sterilize them? Do you think they can actually find enough food on the street to feed themselves? And sickness, who's responsible for curing them, do you want to see them dying allover the place? I know you love cats, but you need to be realistic and face the truth.

My groomer started a small cat adoption thing in her shop, you know what kind of cats people find and bring to her? 80% of those homeless cats are sick with infections, and/or pregnant. She pays out of her own pocket to nurse them back to health, and also rely on people's donation to keep her adoption service running. Her local vet also volunteers to sterilize all those cats before allowing people to adopt them. less

For mellions of years animals like birds and cats have lived on earth without any protection from human, do they extinct? No, but when people take care of some animal -in the name of humanity- they extinct. Do you have any idea about how many species extinct by human civilizations?
People are the most dangerous thing for wild life. We destroy animal nests to build ours, we destroy their food to have ours. So, human ethics are not a relief for animals little problems.

Let us look at the human mercy: A wife bring 2 little beautiful Canary birds (in cage) to home, for what? Not to cooks them actually, but to add a (love) passion to her (nest) . How can she feels (love) if she has no mercy about these two cute canary? She locked them inside a 30cm cage and prevents them use their wings to fly, and build their own nest. She stopped them enjoy their own instinct, but otherwise allows her self enjoys (love) passion of two little poor jailed birds.
This is the conflict in our ethics toward bets (mainly: birds and cats)

Pets will not be happy if (jailed) inside homes. Do you think cat will be happy after getting a warm shower!! No, the happiness of cats is by their freedom. I saw 2 cats at my Aunt house they are very sad, all time just setting behind the window watching the street. I felt by them and tried to convince her to release them, but she refused.

Bed, Wiskas, and aircondition mean nothing to cats and birds, the only thing they care about is their free life. these animals living on earth before us, they don't need our help.

Please I beg you to feel this: If these pets have the superiority, do you feel happy if they locked you inside 4 walls and they give you just a food with no hope to get out for all your life? less

For mellions of years animals like birds and cats have lived on earth without any protection from human, do they extinct? No, but when people take care of some animal -in the name of humanity- they extinct. Do you have any idea about how many species extinct by human civilizations?
People are the most dangerous thing for wild life. We destroy animal nests to build ours, we destroy their food to have ours. So, human ethics are not a relief for animals little problems.

Let us look at the human mercy: A wife bring 2 little beautiful Canary birds (in cage) to home, for what? Not to cooks them actually, but to add a (love) passion to her (nest) . How can she feels (love) if she has no mercy about these two cute canary? She locked them inside a 30cm cage and prevents them use their wings to fly, and build their own nest. She stopped them enjoy their own instinct, but otherwise allows her self enjoys (love) passion of two little poor jailed birds.
This is the conflict in our ethics toward bets (mainly: birds and cats)

Pets will not be happy if (jailed) inside homes. Do you think cat will be happy after getting a warm shower!! No, the happiness of cats is by their freedom. I saw 2 cats at my Aunt house they are very sad, all time just setting behind the window watching the street. I felt by them and tried to convince her to release them, but she refused.

Bed, Wiskas, and aircondition mean nothing to cats and birds, the only thing they care about is their free life. these animals living on earth before us, they don't need our help.

Please I beg you to feel this: If these pets have the superiority, do you feel happy if they locked you inside 4 walls and they give you just a food with no hope to get out for all your life? less

My poodle definitely prefer living a domesticated life, he often behaves more like a human than a dog. He loves to roam the open space, only if it's on a good dry day. He likes to sniff around in the yard, if the grass is not wet and soggy. He hates stormy weather, and he'll pick a room where there's no opened window, so he doesn't have to listen to the howling wind. While some dogs love to pick up and munch on a lot of inedible stuff, mine doesn't even bother to sniff at them. I can go on and on about how human-like he is! less

I actually watched a show about the science of dogs and how they're so dependent on people. They had a cage with meat in it, and a wolf sniffed it and tried for like 30 minutes to get it out before they took it away. The dog sniffed the cage, then waited for the person to help him out.

I believe they are happy with people because of the way their eyes light up when you come home, but really they don't know differently.

But think about dogs that do things like wait for their owner that's been dead for a long time.

I can't say if it's because they're happy or because they don't know what else to do, but I know when I see they're face light up as they charge at me when I come home, it makes me think they're pretty freaking happy. less

Good question.
No, pets are not happy living inside 4 walls or in cages like birds. These animals are born to live free. They have their own world and habits. I think the most crime against animals is to treat them like criminals. Birds are the most victim of our human moods. Birds have wings to fly in all sky, but some people like to get them jailed for what? For passion !!!!

Other people remove pets claws , because cats may destroy the furniture!! It is just another crime. But the most extreme and terror crime against pets is that when some people sterilize them .

After all that, I dont think pets become happy. less

I think it entirely depends on the pet.

For example, a dog that is bred (by human control) for hunting might very well be happier outside and "wild"so might a bird that while hand raised parents were wild. But when you get to some breeds that have a major disadvantages in the wild, (think Pug, Boston Terrier, Papillon, ect) who would likely suffer and die in the wild I am not so sure about.

Also I doubt working dogs would like being a strict "pet". less

YES! I think that "overpopulation" is a manmade concept and that it is measured by our own standards of normalcy. It ignores the fact that humans themselves have created imbalanced ecosystems, which ultimately allow invasive species to thrive (like the snakehead fish). less