06-04-2024, 03:18 PM
All domesticated animals that are human companions must deal with a singular problem dealing with their human cohabitants.
Generally speaking, humans cannot be said to be capable of effectively 'guessing' exactly what the animal is thinking, or feeling. Sure there are cues, and there are patterns that humans could recognize... but despite that, humans often "don't pay attention" or "gloss over" such cues... it comes with some who see pets as 'amusing objects,' 'pets with a purpose,' and sadly 'entertainment fodder.'
I think cats, dogs, and even horses and others bite for too many reasons to simply attribute to a single cause. And when they do bite, it isn't always reasonable to assume that it's specifically because of anger, passionate play, fear or anxiety, or even a bad mood. We just can't know for certain unless we actually read their mind (hell, many people can't reliably muster any true knowledge about why they themselves do some of the things they do.)
The problem isn't that cats sometimes bite, I think. The problem is that we don't ever seem to "see it coming," and thus we automatically consider ourselves 'victims' of the bite.
That 'victim' attitude is what precipitates all manner of bad things, from hitting an animal that truly doesn't understand, to having it "put down" because we're too prideful to consider changing "our" behavior, or investing in the work it takes to be an animals companion. I often see young families where the child is actually afraid of interacting with the "pet" because of this weird persistent attitude of human "mastery" manifested toward the animal. It's kind of sad.
Some pets (and especially cats) cannot be "mastered," and will not naturally accept a "master-subject" relationship. But many people will "insist" on that relationship, considering any deviation from it as "bad;" then projecting the sentiment that the animal itself is "bad." Weak sauce.
Generally speaking, humans cannot be said to be capable of effectively 'guessing' exactly what the animal is thinking, or feeling. Sure there are cues, and there are patterns that humans could recognize... but despite that, humans often "don't pay attention" or "gloss over" such cues... it comes with some who see pets as 'amusing objects,' 'pets with a purpose,' and sadly 'entertainment fodder.'
I think cats, dogs, and even horses and others bite for too many reasons to simply attribute to a single cause. And when they do bite, it isn't always reasonable to assume that it's specifically because of anger, passionate play, fear or anxiety, or even a bad mood. We just can't know for certain unless we actually read their mind (hell, many people can't reliably muster any true knowledge about why they themselves do some of the things they do.)
The problem isn't that cats sometimes bite, I think. The problem is that we don't ever seem to "see it coming," and thus we automatically consider ourselves 'victims' of the bite.
That 'victim' attitude is what precipitates all manner of bad things, from hitting an animal that truly doesn't understand, to having it "put down" because we're too prideful to consider changing "our" behavior, or investing in the work it takes to be an animals companion. I often see young families where the child is actually afraid of interacting with the "pet" because of this weird persistent attitude of human "mastery" manifested toward the animal. It's kind of sad.
Some pets (and especially cats) cannot be "mastered," and will not naturally accept a "master-subject" relationship. But many people will "insist" on that relationship, considering any deviation from it as "bad;" then projecting the sentiment that the animal itself is "bad." Weak sauce.
