Cute, fluffy and horribly greedy

[Phoebe]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

No, I didn't name the goat but my dad called him Lewis after the goat who lived on the roof of the Met Office in a radio programme from way back.

I can't remember what the programme was called now but I willing to wager a pot of yoghurt there's someone out there in WAB land who can.

I would only eat the dog if she were unable to hunt for me, deploy a net rope or recover any carrion or cadavers.

Here she is this evening on watch for me in the Kent estuary.




Peeling carrots concetrates the mind.....I think the programme was called, "The Men From The Ministry" and Lewis was named after The Butt of Lewis - geddit?

What a beauty your dog is woodman!

[Gill Catton]

I'd love to have pet chickens!! Hopefully the year after next! and definately because they give me someting back!I even try to only have plants that give me something back (above being just pretty).

BUt I don't think they have taken into account their value to metal health of people or something that forces people out on walks everyday (and the corresponding health benefits).

I'm not certain about carbon foot print of things and whether this always a more important consideration above all else....

[And]

Andestine, what a moving story. If there is ever a time when you need to feel your Dad near, you have a wonderful resource to help you do this.

I know of someone who breeds chickens and she tries not to name the ones that are headed for the roasting tin, but she also has young children who have a habit of naming everything. I have no problem eating yummy wild rabbit, but I'm not so sure about eating captive rabbit that would resemble a pet. I can't eat hare though.

Woodman, I swear that gorgeous dog of yours knew she was having her piccy taken and posed. I have a piccy of my friend's old Yorkie smiling for the camera somewhere. Yorkies are good at toothy grins.

Back on topic, eating anything that itself eats red meat is a Western culture no-no, so dog will never feature on the menu in the West.

[The Woodman]

Thanks And. I've just been thinking of that Smith and Jones dog eating sketch where, " A dog is not just for Christmas, it's for Boxing Day as well"

[Andestine]

......especially boxers?

And if it's to last two days it looks as if David's dog can relax this Christmas

This is interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/sc...?_r=2&emc=eta1

Back on topic, eating anything that itself eats red meat is a Western culture no-no, so dog will never feature on the menu in the West.

And

This thing about us not eating carnivores. I suppose I lazily thought that it was something to do with the taste, but dog can't be that bad, obviously If fellow-knowledge-hound Lori doesn't beat me to it, I'll now have to find the origins of this taboo

And yes, I'm not squeamish. I eat meat so I'll not pick and choose. I would sample dog or cat out of curiosity, but never one I'd known. I mean, I just *couldn't*. I'd be physically sick and grief-struck from the first sight of it presented as a meal. But why is this?

Sarah mentioned 'humanisation' which is true, but surely it can't be a transferred fear of cannibalism which stops us from popping Fido into the oven instead of his basket at night

I'm genuinely curious about this. Does anyone have any answers?

Cheers,

Andestine (who keeps no pets but anthropomorphises every creature in her garden ).

[loripo]

We humans have many and varied taboos re food. Some religious, look at the things that were prohibited in the Old Testament. Some of these things, like eating pig, were actually sensible, in stopping the transmission of parasites. So it was a matter of safety and hygiene. Going back into prehistory, it must have been advisable not to try to hunt something that might actually eat you instead, but now people do eat bear, alligator for example. Herbivores were easier both to catch and to keep, as they grazed and didn’t need to have meat provided, which would have been self-defeating.
Even free range chickens eat bug and worm meat! It appears that herbivores might actually be more easily digested and taste better. Have a look at Wiki (not my first choice of site for info) but they have a good list under ‘Taboo food and drink’.
With dogs I think it is mainly that we form really close bonds with them and they do become members of the family.
I’ve eaten horse and whale (I don’t remember what they were like).

[And]

I lived in Germany for many years and I strongly suspect I've eaten horse without realising. As you can see from my profile pic of myself with Hiccups, I am quite a fan of horses that are still breathing. But such is life.

[Amoeba]

It's possible the taboo against eating other carnivores may have another reason besides emotional attachment. Perhaps on a subconscious level we have an aversion to eating other meat eaters without realizing it.

If you think about it, toxins in the food chain become more concentrated as you move further up the trophic levels. The higher up the food chain you are, the more at risk you are from poisoning.

This is just a passing idea - I'm not sure how high a risk poisoning was before we started to pollute. There was bound to be cases, natural disasters, algal blooms, etc that could cause poisons to concentrate themselves in the food chain, but I don't know if it was significant enough to promote the survival of those who had an aversion to eating meat-eaters. Being more versatile and less choosy might have been more advantageous.

[tcvarlh]

Originally Posted by Andestine

So would we find it harder to kill and eat an animal with a name? And if so, why? What's in a name?

Andestine

Call the beasts thus, Breakfast, Lunch, you see where I'm heading...

[Andestine]

That which we call a roast, by any other name would taste as sweet.