Companion animal rights

[bitspike]

My girlfriend and I, after weeks of preparation, got three mice this morning from a small-animal rescue.  We've read about what to feed and provide them to keep them healthy and happy while we look after them, but I've also read a lot about mouse 'training' and I'm not sure how I feel about it, exactly.

Comments

[stellamaris]

I see this happening sometimes with dog 'owners', and it doesn't strike me as being fair, or at all understanding of a dog's needs, to say "do this or you won't eat," or worse, "do this or I will hurt you."There are plenty of people who have dogs (or rats, or rabbits...) and train them without using punishment. Hell, even the dog trainers who work at places like PETCO aren't allowed to advocate anything that might cause a dog physical pain or distress

[bitspike]

"There is really no way to know what goes through an animal's mind as it learns to recognize the name you give it. I think you're thinking about this a little too much :) . . . I don't really see how it's infringing on their rights to give them names. "

I don't think it's infringing on their rights, but I do see it as imposing (though not in a negative way) a human quality on an animal. It's handy to give them names, but it's not necessary I guess. I'm just interested to see if anyone has thought way too much about this, too, and what conclusions they have come to =)

And thanks for the advice. I may substitute 'local library' for 'reliable Internet source', but I will definitely look more into what level of human interaction is preferred by mice. I don't know why that wasn't one of my initial ideas.

[liadlaith]

Because you're stupid.

[bitspike]

=(

I try to be a good person. Why can't you ever be a supportive girlfriend?

I think we should break up. I get to keep the (micey) children.

[liadlaith]

Nuh-uh! Fiddy-fiddy split! I get the front half of the brown one.

[bitspike]

That's so mean. I'd rather you kept all of them than one of them was injured.

Poor things.

(Ha ha! According to Seinfeld rules, this means I am their true carer.)

[liadlaith]

Those rules go back further than Seinfeld. Google King Solomon! Gosh!

You really are stupid ; )

[bitspike]

Yeah, well . . . um . . .

*cries*

[liadlaith]

Why are you still with me?

[bitspike]

Sometimes I really don't know. It can't be because of your calm and reasonable personality.

;)

[bitspike]

They're still quite young. In fact, one is still quite small. I think they all came from unwanted (by humans) pregnancies, and I think they've always had other mice around and been exposed to at least some gentle human contact.