Pet needs? Or human needs? (Part Two)

Following up on my post from last month, here are two interesting articles about contemporary pet culture. The first one examines the latest trends in "pet couture" and interviews fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and his latest fashion line for dogs. This line is clothes is available at Target.

The second article, "Pet Nation: How doggone far (and far out) do we go for our beloved pets?," examines the issue of how our culture is increasingly anthropomorphizing our pets, and whether this is a good or bad thing. The report discusses a recent study finding that 83 percent of pet owners refer to themselves as their pet's "mommy" or "daddy," and highlights another study finding that 73 percent of pet owners would go into debt when it comes to treating their pet's illnesses.

In the case of the first study, I admit that I sometimes refer to myself as my golden retriever's "mama," and I often call her my "baby girl." But in terms of the latter study, I'm not sure if I would go into debt for Molly's health or not. It would depend on the situation. If Molly had a condition that was treatable but happened to be very expensive, that would be one thing and I would definitely lean towards treatment. But if she had a condition that were life-threatening and any treatment I would get for her would only prolong her life rather than save it, then I would be more hesitant about going into debt for it. It's not that I don't care for my dog because I do. In fact, I am quite happy to admit say that I love her very much and I can't imagine life without her. It is just that going into debt to prolong her life in the case of a terminal illness seems problematic to me because in such a situation, I would probably be keeping her alive more for my own sake rather than hers.

This is an increasingly common situation, with more and more pet owners willing to do anything to keep their pets alive (including life support), even if their condition is terminal. On the one hand, this pet devotion and care clearly demonstrates some of the positive aspects of our contemporary pet culture, with people viewing their pets as living beings whose lives matter. On the other hand, the desire to keep pets alive at all costs reflects, in my opinion, a potential downside of this new pet culture. People get so attached to their pets that they often lose blur the line between themselves and the pet, between humans and animals, and ultimately lose sight of what may be in the pet's best interest rather then their own.

A final point: Just because I may critique the extreme measures that some pet owners take in order to keep their pets alive when their condition is terminal, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be tempted myself to take such measures when it comes to my own dog. I hope that I would not prolong her suffering just because I wouldn't want her to die, but like many other pet owners, I have been shaped by our contemporary pet culture and find many aspects of it wonderful, both for people and for the pets.