i think they are pets if you don't have many, but if you have a bunch, like an african chilclid tank, they are collections.
Are they pets or collections ?
- Thread starter redtailfool
- Start date
Interesting thread . . . I guess it depends on how you define things. I breed and exhibit Ragdoll cats and they are beautiful to look at and I like to show them off to visitors, but they are very much my babies.
I'd say my fish have always been pets. The big, personable ones get names (that's Tristan in my avatar). The little ones with the high mortality rates don't.
Laura
I'd say my fish have always been pets. The big, personable ones get names (that's Tristan in my avatar). The little ones with the high mortality rates don't.
Laura
this is cool thread, awesome to the thread starter to think of a topic like this.
for me, i would say they are both my babies and my collection. collection in a sense that i take great pride in keeping them in their best condition and its really so tranquil and a great way to destress to sit down in fron of the tank at nite with the surrounding dark and only the tank lights on.
my babies because, i want the best for them, and i love them very much, esp my rays. hehe, i cant wait for them to grow up, get marridge, mate and let me be a grandpa.. keke
for me, i would say they are both my babies and my collection. collection in a sense that i take great pride in keeping them in their best condition and its really so tranquil and a great way to destress to sit down in fron of the tank at nite with the surrounding dark and only the tank lights on.
my babies because, i want the best for them, and i love them very much, esp my rays. hehe, i cant wait for them to grow up, get marridge, mate and let me be a grandpa.. keke
I would have to agree with zhuangsw. I got 16 baby Kenyi and I can sit for hours just watching them. At this moment I'm worrying like mad about them because my power is off at home. Even though I have a backup airator, I still worry that the batteries will go down. I'm sitting her between classes, just worrying about my babies! XD I think of them as my adopted children.
, it is a good one though.Id say a bit of both i collect them but i treat them as pets just like you would a cat or dog (i dont take them out for walks though)
I would have to say neither. It's purely a hobby for me. I like the idea of taking care of a mini Eco-system. I would actually prefer if it was more like a Zen garden that I could change around often. It would be great if I could have my fish and plants on a rental bases. Change them for new ones every month. Of course because of cycling , stress, disease and a thousand other reasons that's just not possible. 
I guess some of our fish are pets. Like i know of atlest 3-4 fish that have names and that are years old that we consider pets that we would surely be very upset if we lost them and we take great care that nothing happens to them. Yet there are some fish that i guess we collect bcuase they are rare or not usually seen by the average fish keepers. When u go to someones house and thy have 3 goldfish in a small tank that famliy has pets, but in our case we have fish in our "collection" that weve set up tanks for just so we cna have them. We all have our fish wish list of fish we want to collect or keep it all depnds on how u look at it.
I think of my fish as beautiful creatures that I choose to keep in my home for my enjoyment; however, they are not pets.
I define pets as animals that are totally dependent on me for survival, but most importantly, they demonstrate complex levels of physical and emotional interaction with me and I with them.
Currently I have two dogs (Goldendoodles), a cat, and four tanks full of large African Cichlids. The fish show increased physical activity and are capable of identifying the source of food (me) when they are hungry. The only emotion I observe is fear; that varies from terror (sudden noise) to trust (virtually no fear) when they eat out of my hand or let me touch them. Those are generally categorized as basic survival instincts.
The dogs on the other hand; demonstrate a full range of two-way interaction with humans.
For example:
- They seek affection
- They enjoy playing
- They demonstrate anger and sadness
- They show happiness not related to food
- They touch and enjoy being touched
- They are sad when their owner is disappointed with them and happy when their owner is pleased
- They sense their owners negative emotions and either whimper or offer comfort by snuggling
- They will protect their owner and willingly give up their life for them
Fish are not pets.
I define pets as animals that are totally dependent on me for survival, but most importantly, they demonstrate complex levels of physical and emotional interaction with me and I with them.
Currently I have two dogs (Goldendoodles), a cat, and four tanks full of large African Cichlids. The fish show increased physical activity and are capable of identifying the source of food (me) when they are hungry. The only emotion I observe is fear; that varies from terror (sudden noise) to trust (virtually no fear) when they eat out of my hand or let me touch them. Those are generally categorized as basic survival instincts.
The dogs on the other hand; demonstrate a full range of two-way interaction with humans.
For example:
- They seek affection
- They enjoy playing
- They demonstrate anger and sadness
- They show happiness not related to food
- They touch and enjoy being touched
- They are sad when their owner is disappointed with them and happy when their owner is pleased
- They sense their owners negative emotions and either whimper or offer comfort by snuggling
- They will protect their owner and willingly give up their life for them
Fish are not pets.
Wow, old dig.....anyway.....
You're comparing animals that aren't even remotely similar. - How are your fish not totally dependent on you? -Your fish can't seek affection like your dog because of the huge piece of glass between the two of you. Fish/human interaction has been well documented on many occassions. -How are you going to play with an animal that can't leave water, and you can't fit in your tank? -Fish CAN'T show happiness. They can't just sit and wag their tail, they'd bash their face into the glass once and be done, there's no other debate there. Even though they do get rather excited to someone heading toward the tank.....though food driven, that's not happiness? ----I'm not going to go on with the rest, because the basic point is that fish are not like any of your other pets, which by the way, is what my fish are to me, pets. One's cold blooded, the other warm. One has fur, the other scales (or bare skin). One has legs the other fins. Floppy tongue, unexposable tongue......Fish are as much pets as any other animal you assume the responsibility to care for.
vfc;2203172; said:
You're comparing animals that aren't even remotely similar. - How are your fish not totally dependent on you? -Your fish can't seek affection like your dog because of the huge piece of glass between the two of you. Fish/human interaction has been well documented on many occassions. -How are you going to play with an animal that can't leave water, and you can't fit in your tank? -Fish CAN'T show happiness. They can't just sit and wag their tail, they'd bash their face into the glass once and be done, there's no other debate there. Even though they do get rather excited to someone heading toward the tank.....though food driven, that's not happiness? ----I'm not going to go on with the rest, because the basic point is that fish are not like any of your other pets, which by the way, is what my fish are to me, pets. One's cold blooded, the other warm. One has fur, the other scales (or bare skin). One has legs the other fins. Floppy tongue, unexposable tongue......Fish are as much pets as any other animal you assume the responsibility to care for.
