{"id":238,"date":"2009-12-01T07:54:08","date_gmt":"2009-12-01T07:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/talentedanimals.com\/blog\/?p=238"},"modified":"2009-12-05T22:20:21","modified_gmt":"2009-12-05T22:20:21","slug":"celebrate-struggle-in-a-life-of-leisure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talentedanimals.com\/blog\/celebrate-struggle-in-a-life-of-leisure\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Challenge in a Life of Leisure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every conscientious animal lover wrestles with the question: what is the best, happiest, longest, richest life for an animal? Parents, zoos, Disney, rehabilitators, rescue groups, and \"July09PlaygroundTrip002\"animal rights organizations have relentlessly asserted that, \u201cAnimals belong in the wild; nature is beautiful, peaceful, and good; captivity is bad; if you love animals, leave them alone; animals are happier in the wild than in captivity; animals need freedom to be happy; if an animal \u2018must\u2019 be in captivity, the highest goal is to recreate a wild life as faithfully as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Animal lovers should set aside such propaganda and honestly examine this issue and decide for themselves what is truly best for each animal. While a \u201cnatural\u201d existence is one possible life, in many cases humans can provide a better life for an animal in our world than it could enjoy in the wild: not merely an acceptable alternative, but a better life.\u00a0 Recreating nature should not be our objective: nature is brutal and unforgiving, and most wild animals live harsh, brief lives fraught with danger, hardship, and pain. Long ago man came in from the wild, sacrificing some theoretical freedoms for safety and comfort in a civilized world. Almost immediately, animals began following us, and most animals if given a choice will elect to live with man rather than in the wild.<\/p>\n

If a person cannot provide for an animal a life that equals or surpasses the life it would live in the wild, then he should not commit to possessing the animal. The only intrinsic difference between a wild animal and a pet is that the pet has a caring, competent person dedicated to tending to its every need.\u00a0 Keeping most animals in an authentically \u201cnatural\u201d way \u2013 even if such a thing were possible \u2013 would be neglectful, abusive, and unconscionable. We can and must do better than \u201cthe wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, because man has overrun the entire planet, \u201cthe wild\u201d is essentially a thing of the past, a haunted memory.\u00a0 There are grievously few authentically wild places left on the globe, and many species are near extinction for the simple reason that there is no wild place left for them to live.<\/p>\n

We should carefully study natural existence as a starting point from which we create optimal lives for our pets. We must set aside human preferences and rigorously evaluate every decision from the animal\u2019s perspective.\u00a0 We may like cleanliness, but pig will rarely prefer a clean enclosure.\u00a0 We may like bright colors and lights, but many animals do not.\u00a0 We may like fluffy fabric beds, but furred animals may not care about texture and would prefer a material that is cooler and cannot harbor parasites. We may like the notion of an animal lounging comfortably in an huge meadow, but the animal might prefer to be in a small cave. What is ideal for one animal might be miserable for another. Forget about what you like, or what you think will look good to your friends, and focus on what is truly best for the individual.<\/p>\n

Two primary arenas demand our attention in animal care: the physiological and the psychological.<\/p>\n

Ensuring excellent physiological care is relatively straightforward: wild animals are inundated with fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, heartworms, flies, mosquitoes, and other parasites from which our pets should be kept free. Wild animals spend much of their life without enough food or water, or drinking brackish filthy water; our pets should have clean, fresh water at all times along with high quality balanced meals and vitamins, supplements, and treats to ensure maximal health. Wild animals are shot, poisoned, leg-trapped, and struck by vehicles. They are under constant stress and are held captive by geographic boundaries or other animals\u2019 ranges. They are hunted and killed by animals of other species and regularly dominated or attacked by members of their own species in territorial or mating disputes; our pets should have ample space without threat of predation or injury and appropriate companionship. Wild animals are uncomfortably cold and wet or hot most of the time; our pets should be kept close to an ideal temperature at all times, and have access to dry clean bedding and shelter. Wild animals are unvaccinated against even the most common diseases and their injuries and illnesses go untreated and are often agonizing and eventually fatal; our pets should be given excellent preventive care, any injury treated immediately, any pain carefully managed, and as appropriate they should receive massage, chiropractic adjustments, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc. Our pets should receive well-planned exercise and regular grooming. Consequently they live an average of two to three times longer than their wild counterparts, and for much more of their lives they should be healthy, robust, and comfortable.\"IMG_2049\"<\/p>\n

For some animals, particularly some fish, reptiles, and amphibians, meeting all of their physiological requirements may suffice to ensure an excellent life, but for many animals it is every bit as important to consider their psychological welfare. Our pets\u2019 psychological needs are often subtle, and meeting them requires thought and careful observation. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting an excellent wolf facility with fabulous enclosures: acre upon acre of beautiful and natural space, regular natural food, wolves in pairs with virtually all of their requirements met.\u00a0 They were free to lounge where they wanted, had virtually no demands made upon them, and had hardly any stress in their lives.\u00a0 At first blush, it seemed excellent.\u00a0 Yet I found myself feeling profoundly sad as I walked around and looked at the animals. They had not found a home in man\u2019s world; they were captive wild animals, caught between two worlds, living in extremely nice cages. Our host carefully explained that these were not pets, but I found myself wondering, \u201cWhy not?\u201d\u00a0 Why not welcome them into our world and cherish them and give them the very best of both worlds? Their lives seemed empty: comfortable and safe, but with little purpose, little joy. (I was only there for a few minutes, and they may have great lives at other times; I am not commenting on their existence, only on my \u201cfeelings\u2026\u201d)<\/p>\n

Driving home, I thought at length about why those animals\u2019 lives did not seem rich to me, and I kept returning to the same notion: for millennia, canids have spent much of their time struggling: hunting, searching for water, digging a den, trying to cross a river, courting a mate. Their bodies, their minds, their endocrine systems, even their \u201cspirits,\u201d have evolved in the fire of struggle, and their health, fitness, and happiness are all linked to meeting and overcoming challenges.<\/p>\n

When we take care of an animal, we remove danger and challenge in its life, but in doing so we risk removing most of the joy that comes from accomplishment.\u00a0 This may sound a little anthropomorphic\u2014that animals would share our sense of joy at having achieved goals. But if you carefully observe an animal for a protracted period, it seems clear that they relish accomplishment.\u00a0 Solving a puzzle to get food, chewing through something large, dragging a log up a bank, catching a fly, digging a hole, winning a wrestling match \u2013 these are favorite activities of most canids. If you have ever watched a goat or a squirrel eating, you may have observed that they will often forgo easy food in preference for identical food that is more challenging to acquire.<\/p>\n

Truly excellent animal care balances comfort and safety with challenges, obstacles, and activities that fulfill the animal\u2019s nature, preclude boredom, promote exercise, and develop confidence. Be creative, and think about what would genuinely stimulate your animal.<\/p>\n

Here are a few suggestions. Not all of them will fit your circumstances, but hopefully they will get you thinking about how to enrich your animal\u2019s life:<\/p>\n

First, some general concepts to remember:<\/p>\n