Pampered Pets, Hungry Kids

[contemplative]

Date: 2005-12-17

Pampered Pets, Hungry Kids

When Fido Can Enjoy $170-a-Night Hotels and Lavish Health Care

LONDON, DEC. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Spending on pets is skyrocketing. Animal owners in the United Kingdom will spend around 85 million pounds ($150 million) on Christmas gifts for their pets, the Scotsman newspaper reported Nov. 19. The figure came from a survey conducted by Churchill Insurance. The firm estimated nearly 70% of pet owners will buy gifts for their animals this year.

And for owners planning to go away for the holidays, there is always the option of a pet hotel. In Japan a five-star hotel for animals opened recently, the British newspaper Guardian reported Dec. 1.

Located at Tokyo’s Narita airport, the Pet Inn Royal has 170 rooms, as well as cages for those on a lower budget. Veterinary and grooming services are available, as well as an exercise field and staff who will look after the pets 24 hours a day.

The rate for a standard cage starts at around 4,000 yen ($34) a night, rising to 20,000 yen ($170) for a deluxe suite – about twice the price of a room at a midrange hotel for humans, noted the Guardian. All rooms have air conditioning and purifiers. According to the report Japan has around 19 million pets – more than the number of children under 15 – and the pet care industry is worth around $8.8 billion a year.
Read More…

I’ve been thinkin’ this a very long time.

 

[contemplative]

And so was Clement of Alexandria about 1750 years ago

Some men, instead of learning how to keep house and look after themselves, have recourse to domestic servants, and get themselves cooks and housemaids.

Others, womanizer, spend whole days with their lady loves, telling lewd stories and corrupting them with their remarks and their deceitful actions.

Others still, become slaves to lust through the influence of high-ranking prostitutes and behave like pigs in the trough.

Some of our women are happy to spend their live in the company of effeminate men.

Other women, more sophisticated, amuse themselves bringing up as pets such creatures as birds or peacocks. They play with them and find their pleasure in them.

But they neglect the widow, who is obviously worth much more than a thoroughbred lapdog and they despise the elderly who in my opinion are more deserving of love than an animal is. They do not entertain orphans, but they do bring up parrots. Or they completely abandon their offspring out of doors while they coddle their pet birds in the house.

And they do not give any food to the hungry even though they are more beautiful than a monkey and know to say something more interesting than the song of the nightingale.

By Clement of Alexandria died in 215

 

[coyote]

I do not advocate that there be a movement to villify the keeping of “pets”.

Yes, there is indulgent excess. But, not exclusively in the keeping of pets. Pets are one small aspect of lifestyle. How about extreme expenditure on collecting, say overpriced figurines, dolls, antique spoons, movie DVD’s, televisions, shoes? How about the fact that some people own more than one house, only use either part of the year, yet continue to consume natural resources to maintain the many houses while there are women and children that are homeless?
How many meals would a month’s worth of cigarettes buy?

 

[Dorothy]

coyote:

I do not advocate that there be a movement to villify the keeping of “pets”.

Yes, there is indulgent excess. But, not exclusively in the keeping of pets. Pets are one small aspect of lifestyle. How about extreme expenditure on collecting, say overpriced figurines, dolls, antique spoons, movie DVD’s, televisions, shoes? How about the fact that some people own more than one house, only use either part of the year, yet continue to consume natural resources to maintain the many houses while there are women and children that are homeless?
How many meals would a month’s worth of cigarettes buy?

That is so true. There are all kinds of excesses that go beyond what is sufficient, or innocent in itself. So many in the world go to bed cold and hungry, while deadened consciences allow all kinds of excess.

I would add the overdoing of cosmetics and an extremely large wardrobe and jewelry to that list.

Although, I might add, to have a pet or two in a family helps the children to be responsible; and for lonely elderly people a pet can be great company. (But not to the extent that they lavish an expensive life-style on the pet!).

 

[Celeste88]

This is but one perspective. What you fail to see are the millions of pets that are being starved, beaten, abused and killed. Log on to any humane society’s web page to see the abuse that man has brought upon innocent creatures. Yes, there are those folks who indulge their pets to excess. And there are also parents who spoil their kids rotten.

And for those who do spoil their pets, what will you say to them? It is their money to spend as they wish.

 

[deb1]

I find Contemplative’s second post most interesting. With all our resources and technology we still have the capability to be selfish. This hasn’t changed through history.

Being kind and loving to a pet is one thing, lavishly spending money to send one to the spa is a waste and probably sinful.

I must have missed the part in the original post that vilified the keeping of pets.

 

[Dorothy]

Celeste88:

This is but one perspective. What you fail to see are the millions of pets that are being starved, beaten, abused and killed. Log on to any humane society’s web page to see the abuse that man has brought upon innocent creatures. Yes, there are those folks who indulge their pets to excess. And there are also parents who spoil their kids rotten.

And for those who do spoil their pets, what will you say to them? It is their money to spend as they wish.

Of course the abuse of pets is sin as well, and also parents who indulge their children with anything they want.

The only way to change selfishness in the world all around me is for me to change myself. That is really what it boils down to. I must practice what I preach and be very careful to keep my priorities in order, and to remember to pray for moderation in all things.

 

[contemplative]

coyote:

I do not advocate that there be a movement to villify the keeping of “pets”.

Yes, there is indulgent excess. But, not exclusively in the keeping of pets. Pets are one small aspect of lifestyle. How about extreme expenditure on collecting, say overpriced figurines, dolls, antique spoons, movie DVD’s, televisions, shoes? How about the fact that some people own more than one house, only use either part of the year, yet continue to consume natural resources to maintain the many houses while there are women and children that are homeless?
How many meals would a month’s worth of cigarettes buy?

St. Robert Bellarmine describes superfluities quite well in
Live Well, Die Holy by St. Bellarmine
Page 73 Chapter on almsgiving

It may happen that, to some men, moderate riches may be superflous, while to others, great riches may be absolutely essential.
But since this treatise does not include or require tedious scholastic questions, I will briefly note passages from Holy Scripture and the Fathers, and so end this part of the subject.
First the passages of Scripture: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner." And in the twelfth chapter of St. Luke, it is said of one who had such great riches that he scarcely knew what to do with them: “Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of the.” St. Augustine, in the fiftieth book of his himilies, in the seventh homily, explains these words to mean that the rich man perished forever, because he made no use of his superflous riches.

 

[contemplative]

Dorothy:

Of course the abuse of pets is sin as well, and also parents who indulge their children with anything they want.

The only way to change selfishness in the world all around me is for me to change myself. That is really what it boils down to. I must practice what I preach and be very careful to keep my priorities in order, and to remember to pray for moderation in all things.

This is exactly what I am thinking.

What the Zenit article points out is the increasing rate of abuse of wealth. All this while more and more children suffer.

 

[coyote]

Celeste88:

This is but one perspective. What you fail to see are the millions of pets that are being starved, beaten, abused and killed. Log on to any humane society’s web page to see the abuse that man has brought upon innocent creatures. Yes, there are those folks who indulge their pets to excess. And there are also parents who spoil their kids rotten.

And for those who do spoil their pets, what will you say to them? It is their money to spend as they wish.

Actually I have seen it. There are people as selfish and irresponsible in their stewardship over pets as they are over the stewardship of their gifts/wealth. There is no balance. There is no justifiable reason that any person should starve or any animal be beaten.

Capitalist philosophy would agree with your last sentence. But God places conditions on the gifts we get. “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

Another thing that I have withnessed in regards to people who “spoil” their pets or even their children, they mistake indulgence for love. In doing so they actually neglect what the pet or child REALLY NEEDS, thus doing abuse to the quality of life of one and the character of the other. I think “spoiling” our dependents is more about indulging ourselves.

 

[deb1]

coyote:

Another thing that I have withnessed in regards to people who “spoil” their pets or even their children, they mistake indulgence for love. In doing so they actually neglect what the pet or child REALLY NEEDS, thus doing abuse to the quality of life of one and the character of the other. I think “spoiling” our dependents is more about indulging ourselves.

I know that this sounds cruel but I sometimes wonder if people that overindulge either their offspring or a pet actually understand what love is. It seems to me that such people are desperate for something to love, accept and admire them, so they buy those that are dependent on them too much stuff or never say no. They might say that this is done out of love but in reality it is a selfish desire to get love not give it. Does that make sense?

I have noticed that pets and children who are overindulged or spoiled seem to never respect the person who is doing the spoiling.

 

[Dorothy]

<>

That is so true. Unfortunately they don’t know what their boundaries are and really feel insecure.

 

[Giannawannabe]

deb1:

I find Contemplative’s second post most interesting. With all our resources and technology we still have the capability to be selfish. This hasn’t changed through history.

Being kind and loving to a pet is one thing, lavishly spending money to send one to the spa is a waste and probably sinful.

I must have missed the part in the original post that vilified the keeping of pets.

I agree with this deb1.

Has anyone ever noticed some parents that are perfectly dressed in the most expensive clothing, have the most fashionable hairdos, and are in the best physical condition----have chubby, messy, and ill mannered kids? It appear that they spend all of their time, money, and energy on THEMSELVES, and overindulge their children with food and sedentary activities (i.e. video games), so they can have more time for THEMSELVES! I know it’s a little off topic, but somewhat related…

 

[Island_Oak]

Dorothy:

The only way to change selfishness in the world all around me is for me to change myself. That is really what it boils down to. I must practice what I preach and be very careful to keep my priorities in order, and to remember to pray for moderation in all things.

 

[Rob_s_Wife]

Children are not pets and pets are not children. It is 2 seperate issues that have little or nothing to do with each other.

People waste money and act foolish. If it isn’t pets, it would be and often is something else.

Societies do not want children because they are viewed as a drain on society. Not true to anyone with any common sense, but society these days is not known for being governed by common sense either.

 

[contemplative]

Spending on pets is skyrocketing. Animal owners in the United Kingdom will spend around 85 million pounds ($150 million) on Christmas gifts for their pets

happytailsspa.com/home.htm

The rate for a standard cage starts at around 4,000 yen ($34) a night, rising to 20,000 yen ($170) for a deluxe suite

unicef.org/sowc06/intro.html

it is “unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery.” Moreover, the text explains, while one can love animals, “one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons.” Spoil the beast, maybe, but first spare the child.

 

[CSN]

deb1:

I know that this sounds cruel but I sometimes wonder if people that overindulge either their offspring or a pet actually understand what love is. It seems to me that such people are desperate for something to love, accept and admire them, so they buy those that are dependent on them too much stuff or never say no. They might say that this is done out of love but in reality it is a selfish desire to get love not give it. Does that make sense?

I have noticed that pets and children who are overindulged or spoiled seem to never respect the person who is doing the spoiling.

You make complete and perfect sense. I agree entirely.

 

[mary_bobo]

deb1:

I know that this sounds cruel but I sometimes wonder if people that overindulge either their offspring or a pet actually understand what love is. It seems to me that such people are desperate for something to love, accept and admire them, so they buy those that are dependent on them too much stuff or never say no. They might say that this is done out of love but in reality it is a selfish desire to get love not give it. Does that make sense?

I have noticed that pets and children who are overindulged or spoiled seem to never respect the person who is doing the spoiling.

What you say makes sense. But what about those people who live alone and the only companionship is from a pet?

 

[Dorothy]

Mary,

<<What you say makes sense. But what about those people who live alone and the only companionship is from a pet?>>

In that case the pet is serving a good purpose, companionship, and also being a watchdog.

It is the “excess” (fancy clothes and jewelry for the dog, etc.) that is not commendable.

 

[contemplative]

Dorothy:

It is the “excess” (fancy clothes and jewelry for the dog, etc.) that is not commendable.

Are your referring to the Ralph Lauren http://polo.imageg.net/images/pixel.gifhttp://polo.imageg.net/images/pixel.gifCashmere Sweater for Dogs $95.00 Sale Price: $57.00 ?