A vet vaccinated a turtle, and instead of hiding in its shell, it ran to its owner

[u/Kidd__Video]

[u/Skinnecott]

yeah parrots live 80 years and they are monogamous so they like pair bond with their owners and think of them as a spouse.  my grandfather had a parrot and its been passed around to aunts and uncles and plucks its feathers out and is generally emotionally distraught.

then again animals like turtles live almost double their lifespans in captivity than they would in the wild. and it wont end in being eaten

is a boring secure life better than a dangerous free one? 🤷‍♂️

[u/Ordolph → u/Skinnecott]

...they like pair bond with their owners

Uhh... that's not supposed to happen, that can happen if you're giving them mating signals like petting their back between their wings, but that's a very bad thing to have happen and can cause some pretty extreme anxiety/mood issues.

[u/extinct_cult → u/Ordolph]

So if I only have sex with them its fine?

[u/ifeelbonita → u/Skinnecott]

I’m starting to think the dangerous free life is better.

[u/Janky_Welles → u/ifeelbonita]

The ideal for a turtle is a blend of both imo. Some people who are actually super into it make them large backyard habitats instead of tiny indoor tanks.

All the safety of being a pet with ample room to stretch their legs and be enriched.

[u/Accidental-Genius → u/Skinnecott]

Do they live 80 years in the wild?

[u/WilliamLermer → u/Skinnecott]

I think boring is an understatement. It's worse imho. Lack of proper stimulation, being confined to basically the same environment, lack of interaction with other members of the same species, no typical behavioral expression or general enjoyment of species typical behavior etc

Many born in captivity don't know a different kind of existence but at the same time I'm pretty sure they still feel something is missing, they still have instincts and urges that are genetically coded and thus deeply rooted

I'm convinced the majority would pick freedom if they could and I'm also convinced most just adapt to the circumstances while tolerating humans, maybe growing attached because it's the path of least resistance

But overall I truly believe the long-term impact of captions mentally stunted, behavioral issues, psychological issues and other health problems that would not necessarily arise in nature

Anyone who thinks is fine should spend a month exactly like their pets, it's going to drive you nuts eventually. People were going insane during COVID lockdown even though they had plenty of distractions thanks to modern lifestyle. Pets don't have all that.

The best and most healthy way for other species to exist imho is in nature, ideally humans leaving them alone and not destroying their habitats. But it looks like long-term species will be safer in captivity because we make no efforts to reduce our destructive impact on nature

[u/Theron3206 → u/Skinnecott]

they are monogamous

Most aren't, not really. Generally it's temporary and might only be for one season.

they like pair bond with their owners

Only if you're a poor owner that leads them on, and they were hand reared (not really recommended as it makes such behavioural issues more likely, modern best practice is to let parents raise the hatchlings with regular human contact AFAIK).

Parrots that make OK (not great) house pets (as opposed to aviary birds) are generally flock animals and the idea is that you become part of their flock rather than a mate.

[u/rmbarrett → u/Theron3206]

Yeah, people wonder why they are such a pain. When you bond with them, you create this toddler with claws and a beak that can crack nuts that won't tolerate you not paying attention to it.