Pets, Primates, Parasites

• About this book
• Animal personhood – Should animals be regarded as persons?
• Orangutans – Their habits make them fully unsuitable for civilized society.
• Gorillas – At the zoo, gorillas groom each other.
• Koko and All Ball – Koko adopted a kitten and named him All Ball.
• Chimpanzee cousins – We share the same ancestors.
• Neanderthals – Neanderthals were Homo sapiens.
• Family members – Many regard their pets as a family members.
• Companion – Older gentleman seeks someone to talk to.
• Pigs – The stereotype is false and cruel.
• Pet cemeteries – We may bury our pets with dignity.
• Easy to love – It’s easy to love a lovely creature.
• Man walking dog – There is but one purpose.
• Little yapping dogs – The yapping is only an act they put on for fun.
• Purpose – Not every domesticated animal gets to be a pet.
• Drug-enforcement beagle – She sniffs the baggage of the sweaty travelers.
• Animals in space – Several animals died in space.
• The pirate’s parrot – The parrot flies to safety and calls out obscenities.
• Organ grinder’s monkey – His capuchin wears a fez and vest.
• Buddhism – The Buddha urged us to avoid attachment.
• Many creatures – They all share, with us, this little blue planet.
• The David and the Goliath – Tapeworms seem to have the winning strategy.
• New York City rats – The rats of New York are legendary.
• Vampire bats – People fear the vampire bat without good reason.
• Bed bugs – Bed bugs have evolved with humans.
• Head lice – Head lice prefer to inflict children.
• Cat lady – The milder versions of this disorder cause no harm.
• St Kilda house mouse – These small brown mice were house mice.
• Raccoons in the suburb – It’s easy for them to find what they need.
• Coyotes eating cats – Neighbors are upset about coyotes eating cats.
• Horseback riding – Horseback riding involves considerable overhead.
• Horse racing – Racing horses is a form of animal cruelty.
• Wild horses – Wild horses damage their own ranges.
• Wild animals – Wild animals will never be ours.
• Zebra finch – The small zebra finch is truly a wild animal.
• Barry the barred owl – Barry is eating squirrels in Central Park.
• Conure – This small parrot is curious and cute.
• Parrots – Parrots can understand what we teach them to repeat.
• Unsinkable Sam – The sinking of the German battleship Bismarck started his career.
• Presidential pets – Pets are thought to humanize politicians.
• The queen’s corgis – Her Majesty has always loved corgis.
• Lassie – Lassie’s real name was Pal.
• Asta and Odie – Crossword afficionados know these dogs.
• Snoopy, Hobbes, Rover – Snoopy doesn’t need that round-headed kid.
• Pommes Frites – Pommes Frites lives a simple life.
• Toto – Toto pulls back the curtain.
• Saint Bernard – A dig with a keg of brandy on its collar rescues a traveler in the snow.
• “Pet” – The term suggests petting.
• Tarantula – It can be dangerous to handle.
• Dinosaurs are not pets – All that’s left of them are rocks.
• Kitty litters, poop bags – The poop reminds us we do this for love.
• Cat scratch fever – It’s a real thing.
• Cats on the bed – Cats may not recognize our authority.
• Mohammad’s cat Muezza – You show your faith by loving cats.
• Sentience – I’m watching our parakeet and thinking.
• Eating vegan – Some believe it’s better.
• A vegan feeds his cat – I eat vegan but feed my cat meat.
• Buddhist petting – A sentient creature can not be cruel.
• Freedoms – Domestic animals should have certain freedoms.
• Animal cruelty – Circuses don’t keep animals any more.
• Doomed mink – The mink had already been doomed.
• Abandoned pets – The reasons never excuse the loss.
• Holly Golightly’s cat – Holly calls her unnamed cat “Cat.”