Why Animals Matter More Than Humans

Read Time:5 Minute, 38 Second

13738353_1132659436807583_4043259072413099722_o

Many humans, perhaps most humans at least in western civilizations, have ‘pets’. They might have dogs or cats or hamsters or rabbits or budgerigars or lizards or, in more bizarre cases, tigers or monkeys or even aardvarks. I confess I haven’t heard of anyone having a pet aardvark but, especially in America, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised.

The thing is, we, humanity, tend to put our ‘human values’ on our animals. We talk to them as though they have the vaguest idea of what we are saying. Clearly they don’t. Usually they sit there looking at us as though we are nuts and, generally speaking, they are correct.

Of course dogs in particular are supposed to understand what we are saying but they don’t. They are very clever at understanding the sounds we use and, for want of a better description, sensing how we feel.

We can train a dog to ‘sit’ by saying ‘sit’ and, probably, using an arm movement as we speak. The dog actually has no idea what ‘sit’ means but, due to training, it identifies the sound and arm movement and, as often as not, gets a doggie treat for performing so, not entirely surprisingly, said dog will think – in a doggie way – ‘Hey! I’ll get a doggie treat if I respond as the idiot human wants me to’. Not daft dogs are they?

The only animal that challenges dogs as the number one human preference for a pet is the cat.

There is a clear similarity between dogs and cats. They both have fur.

That is where the similarity ends.

A dog will live in your home and behave as you want it to. You will live in a cats home providing you do what it wants you to do.

That is why, whilst adoring dogs and, indeed, all other creatures, I do have a particular preference for cats. Cats don’t give a fuck. I can identify with that and, as a result, whilst I have long wanted to own a dog, I have settled for being owned by cats.

Mind you, dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils and so forth are naturally associated with human connections albeit that they all exist in the wild too.

Most animals exist in the wild whether they are related to so called ‘domestic’ beasts or not.

Animals exist and live within the natural order of things – I nearly said ‘the circle of life’ but Elton John might have sued me for copywrite so I thought I should avoid that – oops.

The more I think about it the more I realise that animals are far more important than humans and I include non-human life forms who are classified as creatures that don’t come under the umbrella of ‘animals’ as such. Insects for a start.

Ants, for example, are incredible life forms as are spiders. Whales and sharks are quite magnificent albeit sharks are bloody frightening for obvious reasons courtesy of Mr Spielberg.

In my mind, or, if you prefer, what passes for my mind, I consider all life forms on the Planet earth more important than humanity and for one simple reason.

No other life form on this planet ever destroys the planet. No other life form on this planet ever kills in remotely the way that humanity kills.

The only life form on this planet remotely capable of destroying this planet is humanity.

We have reached this awesome place due to the fact that we, unlike other life forms on this world, have intelligence.

Now, before I go into a tirade against intelligence, I accept that intelligence has given humanity heart transplants and brain surgery. Intelligence has given us art and books and films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger – ok we’ll bypass films then – and ways of saving species on the verge of extinction (albeit that it’s probably us who pushed them to such a brink in the first place).

Intelligence is, in my view, rather like religion. There’s nothing wrong with it in principal but, almost invariably, when humanity is involved, it isn’t used as it should be all of the time. Sometimes it is used to fuck everything up.

Intelligence built the atomic bomb. Intelligence destroyed natural environments and, as a result, destroyed entire species of various creatures.

Intelligence is not something that should have been entrusted to humanity. We are far too good at fucking everything up – usually because there is some kind of profit at the end of it. After all, intelligence, as used by humanity, created money and, therefore, created greed.

There is only one life form on this entire planet that is capable of ending all life on this planet and it is only capable of doing so due to it’s so called intelligence. That life form is humanity. Aren’t we the clever ones eh?

Whales, Polar Bears, Apes, Wolves, Sheep, Goats, Cats, Dogs, Lizards, Fish, Elephants, Deer, Crocodiles and on and on et al. There is no other life form on this entire bloody world that has any intelligence in the way that humanity has intelligence and guess what?

There is no other life form on this entire bloody world that has the capability through intelligence of ending everything. The only other way it is likely to end is a large meteor hitting us and, as far as I know, meteors are big bits of rock so intelligence doesn’t enter the equation. Well? Have you ever met an intelligent rock?

Mind you, come to think of it, rocks probably do have more intelligence than humanity. Apart from occasionally falling on some unfortunates head they generally don’t kill anything at least intentionally.

I would, if I may, like to dedicate this contribution briefly to Billy No Mates.

He was one of our cats. He had a terminal heart condition and survived for 10 months after diagnosis rather than the days predicted.

He wasn’t intelligent in the sense of human intelligence but, on the other hand, he didn’t invent the atomic bomb nor did he shout ‘Allah Akbar!’ and slit some innocent’s throat. Come to think on it, neither did he participate in the extinction of any species – well, he probably made a dent in the Field Mouse population over the years but there’s still plenty around.

Billy No Mates was a very handsome white cat who clearly loved life and, apart from the odd Field Mouse, lived his relatively short time in this world not actually doing anything that hurt or damaged said world.

Billy No Mates is gone now and we mourn his loss.

Billy No Mates was more important than you because you are part of humanity. He wasn’t a virus on the face of the Earth. You, and I are.

Intelligence your way out of that one then.

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

16 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ella
1 year ago

shut up.

Ella
1 year ago

please.

Nelson Naifeh
7 years ago

As many have pointed out, there seems to be far more outrage about some foxes than the welfare cuts that could devastate thousands. Even the “save the NHS” petitions didn’t get this level of interest. Yes, people are easily outraged , but this is excessive. But where does this prioritising of animals over our own species come from? It’s a uniquely human feature. You don’t get hippos taking on lions to defend the zebras, or seagulls dive-bombing cats to protect their ratty comrades.

Reply to  Nelson Naifeh
7 years ago

I’m an animal lover. They need us to live. Those welfare cuts you are talking about affect people who could actually take care of themselves in most cases. Animals can’t do that. We are at their mercy.

jess
7 years ago

Hey, you never said bats. Bats are the cutest little things ever, srsly. I have been drop feeding a couple tiny bats and using qtips to give them tiny baths, like their mommas would give them. Their teeny little teefs are trying to leave marks but they are not being very successful at all, at best it’s a pinch, not like my cats at all where they go for the kill with me. Me, myself and I are of the opinion animals are way better than half the world’s population and it’s why I have already signed up to do more volunteering with the animals this past week. I’m trying to do a sanctuary in one of the African countries next year, wish me luck.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  jess
7 years ago

LUCK!!! xxx Bats are really really cool creatures! One thing you’re wrong about though is “Me, myself and I are of the opinion animals are way better than half the world’s population”….make that ALL the population of humanity eh?

Reply to  jess
7 years ago

Big bat fan here! Love ’em!

Ella
Reply to  Professor Mike
1 year ago

Bats are cool and God said to take care of them. we are still supierior to them. that dosent mean we can hurt them it means we should take care of them.

Bill Formby
7 years ago

Really good post Neil. As I have written before in poem and prose we are the enemy of this big rock floating around the sun. We and other life forms seemingly arose from nothingness and all but us seem to thrive well and balanced. However, the day that humanoids started was the beginning of the end for the planet. I am really sorry about Billy.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Bill Formby
7 years ago

Thanks Bill. We are indeed the enemy of our world…until the world bites back and I reckon it will one day

Admin
7 years ago

I added four links to prior stories of Billy No Mates. Again, old bean, sorry about Billy.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Professor Mike
7 years ago

Thanks mate. His best pal Purrrdy is normally a bit aloof…lately she’s very vocal and affectionate…they do know don’t they?

Reply to  Neil Bamforth
7 years ago

Yes they do…

7 years ago

So sorry about Billy Neil. I’ve no doubt he had a good life with you and your family.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Rachael
7 years ago

Thanks Rachael…I’ve typed this once and it vanished…I think I said “I’m still delving into the undergrowth behind our house and it is DENSE…I just want to bring him home one last time”…some’at like that anyroad

Ella
Reply to  Neil Bamforth
1 year ago

Humans were created for a reason. not an accident.

Previous post American Politics: When A Good Man Became A Laughing Stock
Next post Which Side of the Law Is Donald Trump Really On?
16
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x