What do you think of pets?
A QUESTION OF CULTURE
Name: Mohamed
From: Qatar
Qatari people are known for their love for animals and it reaches a point where it becomes an obsession that costs thousands to own rare breeds of pigeons, falcons and horses, not to mention that many Qataris build large farms where they are keen to raise camels, goats and deer.
I myself own a farm where I reserve a wing particularly for pigeon breeds that have cost me a small fortune.
However, pets are not seen in a Qatari house.
We might keep dogs as a protection for farms only. Cats and dogs that are widely kept in the west as pets sleep on their owners’ beds, floor and furniture – like we see in the movies - which is considered unhygienic in Islam. Hygiene is very important in the core of our religion as we pray five times a day, which requires a clean house and body to practice the prayers.
Name: Kinda
From: Lebanon
I adore animals, especially cute cats and dogs.
I inherited my obsession with cats from my mother who went crazy every time she saw one. But for some reason she refused to have such a pet inside the house. In Lebanon it is common to see such mentality. We like pets but hate to have them inside our homes.
The best some people can do is to keep a cat. However, they end up dying, often hit by cars because of a lack of care.
There is also a trend that even I have it. We make fun of those who are crazy about a pet they are raising.
Personally, I believe that no matter how much one takes care of his pet, in terms of vaccination and hygiene, a cat or a dog is still an animal and dirty. And in our times, we hardly take care of ourselves and kids, let alone take care of a pet.
Name: Ralf
From: US
I adore dogs, big and tough ones, such as bulldogs and Siberian Huskies. I really would like to raise one here, but I realised that it is not a popular practice.
I had a bulldog back at home and I thought about bringing it here, but my housemate did not like the idea, and then I thought of all the vacations I am going to spend at home or work trips, so I just gave up the idea.
I personally think that these creatures are the best friends a human can get. They stay loyal and around no matter what. They are so easy to please.
The best part was when I had Kruger and Sam, my bulldog and cat. Both got along pretty well. However I do not think one should get too attached to them because it will only break your heart when something bad happens to them, and this is frequent in the case of pets.
Name: J Selvaratnam
From: Sri Lanka
It is bad to keep pets such as animals or birds at home and this has got nothing to do with my religious inclinations, it is just that I believe the animals we keep as pets are being deprived of their natural way of living. For instance, if you keep birds as pets, you are cutting them away from their natural habitat, which is full of trees, shrubs and sunlight as they need to perch on trees from time to time, sing and enjoy themselves. The cage in which you are keeping them can never fill this vacuum.
The choice of food for the animals or birds might not even be right as humans tend to decide what they eat all the time.
Also, same thing goes for animals like dogs and cats, they are being exploited by using them as guards to ward off intruders in human’s homes or helping to catch and kill mice or rats within the house. Although, many people claim to provide proper care for their pets, I’ll say this is still far from what the animals would get from the abundant gifts of nature.
Apart from these reasons, people – especially children – can get diseases like bird flu or malaria from birds or animals they keep in their homes.
Name: Mary Augustine
From: Philippines
I don’t see anything wrong in keeping pets at home, especially dogs, which are believed to be man’s friend.
In fact, I believe there are benefits in keeping pets as they bring you closer to animal life; you tend to understand them and feel what they feel. It makes you compassionate toward other creatures other than humans.
I love dogs a lot because in my family house we have three different lovely dogs and we take good care of them.
The dogs provide some protection and security for us, whenever there is any intruder they raise an alarm.
Dogs are very easy to tend to as they don’t get lost easily, if they go out they can easily find their way back home. They are easy to feed as well.
My dogs eat what I eat and we play together a lot.
Source: Gulf-times.com
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Speed Comments:
Let's see our QLers opinion about Pets in General.
Do you think it is good to keep cats and dogs inside the house?
