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The non-aggression principle and pets


Amelius

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I have a female cat and she just reached sexual maturity.Now, I'm in a dilemma about whether or not I should spay her. I got her as a kitten from one of my friends who had too many kittens oh his hands; so, in that respect, I don't see how I might have done anything unethical or have violated NAP since the same thing could be said about adopting a child.I've weighed this from a consequentialist perspective and have found that the pros of spaying outweigh the cons(although that involves the assumption that the "happiness" she receives from engaging in intercourse and having babies are not fair greater than the effects she would have when having been spayed)What do you think? Am I initiating aggression by spaying her? Or does it not matter since she is a non-human animal? How is spaying different than, say, circumcision?

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Well i think we are in a hard position because that begs to question is it immoral to have pets in the first place? because if you didn't you wouldn't have this problem.

 

But at the same time i don't think animals are treated as equals compared to humans because they don't have the same reasoning capabilities.

 

So in conclusion i say do it but keep this in mind.

 

I hope this helped

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It's not aggression. It's necessary surgery. If it was aggression then any alternatives would also be aggression. You can kill it, isolate it, spay it or let it breed (thereby multiplying the problem).

Circumcision is unnecessary surgery and unlike spaying the cat it breaks universal ethics. 

Why are you very concerned about this? Is spaying especially painful?

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Article on Spaying and Neutering:

http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animals/spay-neuter.aspx

 

Spaying is not usually painful. Anesthesia during the surgery, pain meds for a day or two after to deal with the discomfort, and then resumption of normal activities. The real issue is the number of cats and dogs who breed in hostile, abusive, or neglected environments who the need to be killed because owners did not spay/neuter their pets.

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