Are all animals equal in your eyes?

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Sean_Boyle

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This theme seems to be going around here… very interesting

“IF” faced with starvation of yourself and your family through natural disaster or something terrible, is there any animal that you could never consider as food to feed your family?

If there is an animal that you could not consider as food, why is that? What rational explaination do you have for the exception? Why are not all animals equal in your eyes as part of God’s creation.

I’m assuming that there are people around us that would rather die than eat certain animals such as pets. I’m left wondering why that is.

If there are people that would rather die that eat an animal for food, does that mean that we as a society place to much importance on our loving relationship with animals?
 
If faced with starvation, I wouldn’t have a problem eating most animals. This isn’t what your looking for, but I would rather starve to death than eat a cockroach. They are just too disgusting.
 
As a cat lover, I always thought I’d never eat a cat. Not that I have - yet - but I dreamt about it last night! Very weird.

Like OneAugustKnight, there are plenty of bugs I would probably find impossible to choke down.
 
I reckon the family dogs would be off limits. Not much meat on a Sheltie anyway.
 
I’m pretty picky about what I eat, but IF faced with such a situation I think I could eat my dog. I just could not kill him first so that would still be a problem.

I’d eat bugs and other such critters without too much of an issue if I were that hungry.
 
Bonnie said:
As a cat lover, I always thought I’d never eat a cat. Not that I have - yet - but I dreamt about it last night! Very weird.

Like OneAugustKnight, there are plenty of bugs I would probably find impossible to choke down.
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Well, how’d it taste?
 
My husband ate dog and cat in Korea. He said it doesn’t taste bad, it’s just meat.

He also had the misfortune to swallow a cockroach. It had fallen in his soda and took a drink without seeing it. It was still alive, and trying to crawl back up his throat as he swallowed it.

I guess he would eat just about any animal.
 
RichT - My dream taste buds weren’t working, so I don’t know. 🙂
Code:
Re the cockroach:
It was still alive, and trying to crawl back up his throat as he swallowed it.
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Now THAT would have totally freaked me out!
 
If there are people that would rather die that eat an animal for food, does that mean that we as a society place to much importance on our loving relationship with animals?
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Serious answer: I think too many pets are substitutes for children. Those people would very likely die before eating a cat or dog. But then, I know people who won’t touch rabbit (too fuzzy & cute), but I grew up on it. No different from chicken.

Books & movies have given animals human persona - Bambi & Chicken Run are the only ones I can think of at the moment. This leads people into thinking that all animals think & feel as humans do - which just isn’t true.

Even though we raise some of our own meat, I still get get caught up in the idea that the animals are more than animals - especially those that have been around awhile. I have to be really firm with myself or all our animals would die of old age & we’d be buying our meat at the grocery store. 😉

On the other hand, there’s the grossness factor. I’d have a hard time eating a bug, mouse, or rat, but in other cultures it’s the norm. Every year I try to talk myself into eating grasshoppers - they’re loaded with protein - but I guess I’m going to have to get a lot hungrier.
 
Hi,

Right now I would say I would starve, but in the situation 🤷 I guess anything is possible when you are hungry enough:shrug:

I have to say though I am already a picky eater–so hopefully I will never have to find out.😃

SPIDERS would be OFF LIMITS FOR ME!!:eek: :eek: Im arachnaphobic:o

That cockroach story–:bigyikes:
 
Bonnie said:
Serious answer: I think too many pets are substitutes for children. Those people would very likely die before eating a cat or dog. But then, I know people who won’t touch rabbit (too fuzzy & cute), but I grew up on it. No different from chicken.

Books & movies have given animals human persona - Bambi & Chicken Run are the only ones I can think of at the moment. This leads people into thinking that all animals think & feel as humans do - which just isn’t true.

Even though we raise some of our own meat, I still get get caught up in the idea that the animals are more than animals - especially those that have been around awhile. I have to be really firm with myself or all our animals would die of old age & we’d be buying our meat at the grocery store. 😉
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Excellant points. I agree it’s easy to do.

This time of year I think of kids in 4H selling their prize steer or sheep for slaughter. Animals that they themselves have raised for the last couple of years.

Perhaps the orginal post was worded to strongly, everyone seems to be firmly ground so far. I’m pleasantly surprised by that.
 
As a former ambulance officer I can say that animals do not hold us in such high esteem. I have been to a number of call outs in which a person with pets has passed away and was left unattended for many days…the animals sure didn’t starve; need i say more?

Personally I have no problems eating any animal that would eat me without a second
thought… 😃
 
Probably off topic.

I would eat any animal: cat, dog, horse, chicken, ant, grasshopper, squirrel. I have eaten horse, chicken, ant, grasshopper and squirrel. But if a friend or relative had died (say we were in the mountains of CA in the winter with the Donner Party) when starving and came across their body, would I eat them?

In order to preserve my life, and I only need to survive to spring to survive, I think I could eat them too.
 
Sorry…but no animal would be off limits. I would eat anything if I were starving.
 
Sean_Boyle said:
“IF” faced with starvation of yourself and your family through natural disaster or something terrible, is there any animal that you could never consider as food to feed your family?

If there is an animal that you could not consider as food, why is that? What rational explaination do you have for the exception? Why are not all animals equal in your eyes as part of God’s creation.

I’m assuming that there are people around us that would rather die than eat certain animals such as pets. I’m left wondering why that is.
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Well, I dropped biology after grade 10, so my first problem would be knowing when i’m actually approaching starvation.

In normal situations, for example, a restaurant setting, the only animals I would not like to eat are dog and turtle, as I have bonded with members of those particular species…

In a starvation situation, I suppose Murphy could be on the menu, but then, see problem #1… :o
 
I am more likely to eat bugs rather than a mammal or bird, all my pets are mammals and birds plus they are of limits because of medications, for example, horses that are given dewormers and certain shots are not safe to eat(thats why selling horse meat for human consumption is a huge debate in the US, but if i explain more we will get off topic), same with dogs, and cats.
 
I love our pets, but if we were starving they would be first on the menu. My husband likes big dogs for exactly that reason (our black lab is particularly porky at 96 lbs). They are dogs and would give their lives for us, i’m sure, if they could conceptualize it. Even if they wouldn’t, i’m still bigger and smarter and would make it happen. I’m not watching my babies starve because of some misplaced attachment to two walking wool coats who **** on my rug when they’re bored.
Also, i would eat some of the meatier looking bugs (grasshoppers, etc). but most of the spiders in my basement are too scrawny to seem worth eating. I’d burn more calories catching them, i think.
I think some animals simply are more valuable than others, from a utilitarian perspective. Dogs are smart enough to be trained to do so many useful things. Cats can kill mice (and spiders). I think there is an aesthetic value we place on animals, too, which is why cats are more popular than pigs. Fuzzy=cute. All animals have some value because they are creations of God. This doesn’t mean we can’t use them or defend our families from them if a cute fuzzy pack of wolves is circling the cabin. It does mean, however, that if we’re going to off them, we do it humanely and if we use them, we give thanks to God. I think watching a human starve to death when an animal is available for a food source would be murder. Animal companionship is a wonderful gift from God, but is not meant to be placed above human life.
 
Sean_Boyle said:
This theme seems to be going around here… very interesting

“IF” faced with starvation of yourself and your family through natural disaster or something terrible, is there any animal that you could never consider as food to feed your family?

If there is an animal that you could not consider as food, why is that? What rational explaination do you have for the exception? Why are not all animals equal in your eyes as part of God’s creation.

I’m assuming that there are people around us that would rather die than eat certain animals such as pets. I’m left wondering why that is.

If there are people that would rather die that eat an animal for food, does that mean that we as a society place to much importance on our loving relationship with animals?
Click to expand...
Faced with death by starvation, I would eat anything. This includes poodle, kitty cat, hamsters, snakes and anything else around the house. Aunt Mabels cocker spaniel would be lunch!😃
 
I’d have a hard time eating a chimpanzee or gorilla or orangutan. They resemble humans a little too closely. Besides if there are gorillas around there’s probably plenty of fruit to eat.
 
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