Pet Cruelty in Rich Homes

In the book, City of Ash and Red a dog dies while the owner is a foreign country against his will.  In real life, owners leave dogs alone the whole day while they are at work. They also leave them in the car while they dash into the food market.

Dog and cat shelters regularly send out the appeal for adoption. People have dogs and cats as pets for one reason or the other, but are the animals happy about it?

Animals don’t talk, but what is often overlooked is that pets are in a strange environment, a house. They are not free. Can restricting their movements be regarded as humane? Pet owners come and go as they please because they are human, anything to the contrary is slavery.

There are all kinds of stories about how pets are adorable. That notion was shattered some years back in the park. A golden cat chased a squirrel and leapt on it. It was sudden like lighting and the cat dragged the dead squirrel into the foliage.

It was a rude reminder that a cat is a smaller leopard or lion. The park is next to many blocks of flats, so obviously that cat belonged to somebody. Cats are supposed to be cuddly and walk so gracefully. They lap up the milk from the saucer. Murder! Definitely not that.

Do humans help animals when they keep them as pets? The main problem is treating them as humans. L.A. for example where dogs wear shoes, have strollers, go for manicures and pedicures and hair shampoo.

If that is not pet cruelty, what is?

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.