This is all besides the point. My original point was simply that you shouldn't necessarily consider pets in the same way you consider people, because they ARE different. A cockroach doesn't love you. Even if it keeps coming back to you for food, it is not capable of love.
Of course they are different. So what ? Is the cockroach required to love you before it gains your respect ?
Again, how do you know how a cockroach feels? We can only assume what anyone or thing thinks or feels because unless someone tells you how they feel, you can't be certain what they are feeling. If Butterflies can have personalities, cockroaches can have feelings.
This thread got too long to respond to all of it at once. I'll start with Page 1. Do you take everything literally? You must be hard to deal with! When people give names to their cars or call them "baby," do you think they really mean that too? Women do it more in public. I say silly things to my dogs but not around strangers. That's not true. Dogs are pack-social animals like humans, and furthermore they've been living with us in multi-species packs for around 15,000 years. The wolves who didn't have the inclination or temperament to socialize with us stayed out in the wild, but the ones who liked being with us stayed and they still like us. Most dogs think humans make fabulous pack-mates. We're fun, we're affectionate, we're loyal, and we buy all the food. What's not to like? You need to learn more about pack-social animals versus herd-social animals versus solitary animals. Members of a pack cooperate to improve everyone's life. Dogs love their family and will risk their life for us. Again, you don't know much about pack-social species. Have you ever even had a dog?
Pets cause problems? You're entitled to your own opinion. Just don't ever try and take my hypothetical Alsatian away from me. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! (I really want an Alsatian, when I have my own place.)
So.. does that mean you don't know, or does it mean there are hedgehogs in the US ? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
There are no hedgehogs native to the US. I just looked it up. The ones that are there are introduced. There are sixteen extant species of spiny hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to North America; those in New Zealand are introduced. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hedgehog In the US it's illegal to own hedgehogs as pets by the way. So I'm afraid your hedgehog will stay hypothetical.
Where do you live ? Edit: Oh, I see. Some African species IS allowed. Just not the one commonly sold as pet.
