NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm doing a thesis on the history of pets and the keeping of companion-animals in Western Europe between 1500 and 1800. I don't exactly need help with this, but I would like your opinion of some of these statements/questions.

Do you own pets?
If so, which one(s)?
How big is your nuclear family (# members)
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?
If you do own pets: why do you own pets?
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets?
Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me?
Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx

Do you own pets? No.
If so, which one(s)? I just said, no
How big is your nuclear family (# members) 4
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Did grow up with 3 cats
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? -
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets? Because our garden isn't sealed at the back so if we got a dog it could just run away. Plus, no-one is home all day, so owning an attention hungry animal would be cruel.

Do you own pets?Yes

If so, which one(s)? Cat named Katie and i think a mouse somewhere.

How big is your nuclear family (# members) 3 (including the cat)

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Yes almost all dogs.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets? Good for stress and company.

If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets? I do. We just went through this. If your not listening there's no point in continuing......

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I'm doing a thesis on the history of pets and the keeping of companion-animals in Western Europe between 1500 and 1800. I don't exactly need help with this, but I would like your opinion of some of these statements/questions.

Do you own pets? Yes
If so, which one(s)? Two Australian Shepherd dogs
How big is your nuclear family (# members) If you mean my current household, it's down to just my husband and me and our 2 dogs (our children are both grown and have families of their own)
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Yes
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? I enjoy having animal companions and can't imagine being without them.
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets? N/A

We are currently a 3 people household with 2 cats. I have grown up with pets (guineapigs and cats) and I have always had pets after I grew up (rabbits, a guineapig, mice, rats, cats). Quite often we get a pet because somebody else doesn't want it anymore. One of our cats is a stray who was given to me by a tramp who found him on the street when he was only a few weeks old, the other one we got because the owner was going to "get rid of him". I love animals and can't imagine being without them. :)

Do you own pets? - Yes
If so, which one(s)? - 2 cats
How big is your nuclear family (# members) - 2 members
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? - yes
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? - Companionship
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets? - N/A
Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me? - N/A

Hmm... Thx people. Still need to find muslisms and jews, though. C'mon folks!

Do you own pets? Yes
If so, which one(s)? 2 cats and 2 dogs. Would have more if we had more space and money.
How big is your nuclear family (# members) 2 cats, 2 dogs, wife and me. I think that's 6.
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Yes
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? My pets are all rescued.


Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx
rural-suburban

pets? yes
types? dog
nuke fam size? currently 3
always? yes, different types for different times including a rabbit hedgehog several hundred fish a 25y.o. cat...
why? Because they are good companions and some of them force you to exercise.
rural or urban? I ahve been both but am currently in the large gray area btween the two called small town America

Do you own pets?

Yes.

If so, which one(s)?

Dog.

How big is your nuclear family (# members)

2 + dog

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?

Grew up with pets - 1 cat, several dogs over my childhood.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets?

Companionship/child substitute

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx

I live in a suburban environment LOL - from Atlanta, GA USA

Do you own pets? Yes
If so, which one(s)? Dogs, cats, "exotics"
How big is your nuclear family (# members) 6
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Yes
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? For the companionship many pets offer, and the joy they bring to myself and my family. Also for just for fun!
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets?
Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me?

(city, country) Kansas City, Missouri
urban or a rural environment: Suburban

Do you own pets? Yes
If so, which one(s)? Two cats, a dog, goldfish
How big is your nuclear family (# members) 3
Have you always owned pets?Yes, in the same ratio (2 cats: 1 dog)
why do you own pets?Because I've grown up with them, because cats are just great company, and because my mother likes dogs for some reason

I'm from an urban environment, I suppose.

*bump*
Thx again people - c'mon jews and muslims! (I'd really like to know... see my first post)

I'm doing a thesis on the history of pets and the keeping of companion-animals in Western Europe between 1500 and 1800. I don't exactly need help with this, but I would like your opinion of some of these statements/questions.

Do you own pets? Yes
If so, which one(s)? 2 cats. (Chinchilla of 14 years recently passed).
How big is your nuclear family (# members)? 1 living here.
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? Yes.
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? Companionship. They provide a home a "soul" if you will. I grew up with pets and with livestock -- so familiarity. They provide entertainment, comfort, etc.

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx

San Diego, USA. Urban.
(Originally from very rural environment.)

Not a Muslim or a Jew, but still, my thoughts: If you're doing the Jews/Muslims question from a historical point of view, my best bet would be that keeping "useless" (pet) animals around was a joy of the wealthy at that time.

I'd check the rules concerning purity/cleanlines on both religions, too, they might have an effect on it.

Not a Muslim or a Jew, but still, my thoughts: If you're doing the Jews/Muslims question from a historical point of view, my best bet would be that keeping "useless" (pet) animals around was a joy of the wealthy at that time.
I'd check the rules concerning purity/cleanlines on both religions, too, they might have an effect on it.
Pets weren't 'useless' - but that would take a very long time to explain (anthropologically, psychologically, economically, etc), it's about 60 pages in my thesis. If you want more info, try checking out the names James Serpell or Keith Thomas (maybe on Google)
I'll just say this: companion animals were, although more frequent there, by all means not something exclusive for the rich.

About the rules: yep, that's what I thought as well. But I'd really like someone of said religion explain it to me... Guess that'll take less time for me...

Do you own pets? - No
How big is your nuclear family (# members) - 3
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? - Yes. We had damned near everything at one time or another, but primarily it was dogs. We always had at least one. Birds were also common.
If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets? - The wife. She's severely allergic to dogs, and a neat freak besides.
Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me? - I never even knew this was an issue.
Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. - Southern California, USA, urban
Thx - No problem.

Do you own pets? - Yes
If so, which one(s)? - Terrier mix bitch (Mollie)
How big is your nuclear family (# members) - 2 members (couting me and my girlfriend in this case)
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)? - yes
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? - Companionship & the ability of a dog to alert you to the presence of intruders (also... just something about getting home after a hard day at work... to see the dog standing in the doorway, all happy to see you)

Dogs are more suited/responsive to humans than any other animals, pet or otherwise.

If so, which one(s)?

One cat

How big is your nuclear family (# members)

Three people, Myself, my wife, my son (8)

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?

Nearly always. Most often cats but we had one dog when I was about 5.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets?

To catch the lagatixas! (gecko type lizards) Seriously to help my son learn how to treat other living things, and for some companionship when anyone is at home alone.

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment.

São Leopoldo, Brazil
Urban but not metropolitan.

Do you own pets?-Yes
If so, which one(s)?-I've got three cats and two box turtles.
How big is your nuclear family (# members)-Including me? 4 members.
Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?-So far I've grown up with pets at almost all times.
If you do own pets: why do you own pets? (This is gonna be a long answer)

Our two cats died, and after only a few months, my mother couldn't stand it any longer; she needed a cat again! We got Angel (our first cat) from a local rescue group; my brother picked her out. My Mom wanted a Burmese, so we found Star (our second cat) from a rescue group in Kansas, and picked her up in Nashville at the Hard Rock Cafe on Easter Sunday. We didn't actually mean to end up adopting Cloud (our third cat), but she lived in the woodsy area outside our home and kept yowling at my Dad who was, at the time, playing basketball in the driveway almost every day. She was small, skinny, frail, and eating LEAVES for food. We got a "Have-a-Heart" trap, and when we caught her, we brought her to the vet. Before we knew it, we had a third cat! We got Michaelangelo (our first box turtle) at Mentone, Alabama. I spotted him, helped catch him, and care for him until we got back home. My Mom brought Leia (our second box turtle) home when a bunch of kids found her in the middle of the road, her shell cracked.

Whoo! You had to ask. ;)

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment.-Birmingham, Alabama, USA. I live in the suburbs.

Do you own pets?
Yes

If so, which one(s)?
Currently an old, arthritic dog, a guinea pig, a red-eared slider turtle, and 3 corn snakes.

How big is your nuclear family (# members)
4

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?
Yup. Full list (not including the ones we currently have): 3 guinea pigs, a hamster, a parakeet, a different red-eared slider, an American snapping turtle, and between 50-60 mice used for feeding the turtle and snakes.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets?
Mostly they were ones that didn't have anywhere else to go, ones that were let loose to live or die on the street. We figured it was better to let them live with use than be subject to cars, stray dogs and cats, pollution and violent kids.

If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets?
N/A

Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me?
N/A

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx
Major city, center city, very urban.

Do you own pets?

Yes.

If so, which one(s)?

Three cats.

How big is your nuclear family (# members)

2--myself and the wife. 'Cause it's creepy for people in their 30s to be living with their folks.

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?

Yup.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets?

I like cats. They type funny things when they walk on the keyboard.

If you do NOT own pets: why do you not own pets?

NA

Question for muslims and jews: I very rarely see a muslim or jew with a pet, especially the fanatic ones. Why is this? Can anybody (of said religion) explain this to me?

NA

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx[/QUOTE]

Madison, Wisconsin, USA--Urbanish (200,000 population).

Do you own pets?

Yes.

If so, which one(s)?

I have a leopard gecko (lizard) and an aquariam containing fish, frogs, and snails.

How big is your nuclear family (# members)

2.

Have you always owned pets (iow; did you grow up with pets)?

Yes. I grew up on a farm, so we always had at least 1 dog, and an uncountable number of cats. Furthermore, all of our horses, some of our cows, and many rabbits and chickens were also treated as pets.

If you do own pets: why do you own pets?

The lizard and the frogs were charity cases - their owners' wives wouldn't let them keep them and they had to live somewhere. The fish I got because they are pretty and non-allergenic. The snails just happened, but they're kind of cool. I like cats and dogs, but I'm allergic to cats. As for dogs, we don't spend enough time at home to own a dog, in my opinion. Plus we rent, so having a dog would make it hard to find a place.

Edit: also, could you tell me where you are from (city, country) and if you live in an urban or a rural environment. Thx

Victoria, BC, Canada -- Small Urban (less than 500,000)