My point was even house dogs were attacking cows durring katrina to get food. A dog will turn wild in months if hungry. Shepards are highly aggressive dogs. Just look at bite statistics. If you do the math you'll find your more likely to get bit by a shepard then a pit. And for someone who used to deliver pizza's I can confirm this!! Pits were always sweet but a handful. Labs the people didn't even have to restrain they would just stand there. Jack Russles and yippie dogs did just that. But shepards were about 50% and even the "good" ones the owners wouldn't let you get near em. Lots of em out there but not too many friendly ones. This could in part be because the dog is very smart and hard to train properly, and it doesn't have the playful lab/pit personality.

We are talking past each other. Sorry. I don't know the statistics, and I don't have time to look them up. But I was quite clear in establishing what a German Shepherd Dog is. They *are not* those crappy things you get at a pet store. Most of them should be shot. Sorry.

There would be far less confusion if they would simply call a dog bred in the US an American Shepherd. And leave the GSD out of it!

 

At least we all agree that cats are essentially useless.

 

At least we all agree that cats are essentially useless.

Hear, hear!

(They do make good dog food, though)

 

Better hide! If bertus hears about this cat talk, he 'll start shooting bans left and right!

 

lol. I will tolerate a cat if it is docile. I like to pet them; makes me feel benevolent, and they are soft. However the cat should not be too needy though; if they follow me around and trip me up, they get thrown outside. If they shart on my shoes out of spite, they... well, I don't want to ruin bertus' day...

 

The problem with cats is the "master/pet" relationship is reversed.

 

We are talking past each other. Sorry. I don't know the statistics, and I don't have time to look them up. But I was quite clear in establishing what a German Shepherd Dog is. They *are not* those crappy things you get at a pet store. Most of them should be shot. Sorry.

There would be far less confusion if they would simply call a dog bred in the US an American Shepherd. And leave the GSD out of it!

I see about 70% German Shepards and 30% of these other "German Shepards" but there called Belgian X?X?X?X? or something like that. I think it was the breed used for the osama raid. A cousin or brother of the GS. But while I do say they are extremely agressive I will admit they are highly intelligent.

 

At least we all agree that cats are essentially useless.

As a cat lover I agree with this.

 

At least we all agree that cats are essentially useless.

May be true, but consider if people had all owned cats pre-Katrina...

How many packs of cats would have been out killing cows? All they would have done is clean up the mice and rats!

 

Mice, Rats, and Snakes. Cats kill vermin. Of course, I suspect 99% of them died.

I do not agree cats are useless. In ancient history they prevented massive famine by keeping grain from being consumed in storage.

When I was in the country they served basically the same purpose. Barn cats are not pets, but working animals.

My particular lump is useless, this I can not deny, but don't forget why cats were domesticated in the first place.

 

Not at all. Hurricanes are what spread wildlife. Thats who many animals made it to where they live. Mice, rats, etc... Are all survivor species, and as the old joke goes those are gonna be the only thing still alive after armageddon.

 

When I was in the country they served basically the same purpose. Barn cats are not pets, but working animals.

You don't own a beet farm do you?

 

Naw, but the little vermin critters love hay and animal feed.

We had a little Siamese, she loved to hunt, and enjoyed being an outdoor cat. When we saw a mouse we'd bring her inside and show her where we saw it. She would smell it, it happened so often it became routine. Within 15 minutes she would be at the door wanting out, with a dead mouse in her jaws. She was a genius at hunting, but not so smart in other ways.

 

Dwight Schute on the office said the exact same thing. He owns a beet farm and is funny as hell. Basically he was supposed to baby sit his GF's cat and he put it in the freezer because it was old and useless. Then he trapped a ferril barn cat to try to give her as a present. But he said that exact same line.

 

As with many things, the usefulness of otherwise of a cat depends on its situation. Admittedly, a pampered house cat may not be so good at controlling vermin http://www.lifeinportraits.co.uk/blog/?p=134 On the other hand, a lean and hungry farm cat (not abused and starved!) may be quite a different proposition.

For a lonely, perhaps elderly person, a cat may also provide an important sense of companionship. The fact that this may be more or less of an illusion, with the animal not really reciprocating the emotions of its owner does not alter the benefits derived, including apparently some measurable health benefits, the risks of zoonoses notwithstanding. http://www.yorknewstimes.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/doc499863da54963000243651.txt

That said, owning a dog may be even better for those in need of a bit of regular exercise!

 

For a lonely, perhaps elderly person, a cat may also provide an important sense of companionship. The fact that this may be more or less of an illusion, with the animal not really reciprocating the emotions of its owner does not alter the benefits derived, including apparently some measurable health benefits, the risks of zoonoses notwithstanding. http://www.yorknewstimes.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/doc499863da54963000243651.txt

That said, owning a dog may be even better for those in need of a bit of regular exercise!

I think I agree with this. My grandmother has a cat. I do not envy the cat. I don't think my grandma would feel lonely without the cat but from what I have seen of their interaction they engage in the sort of power struggle that I thin my grandma needs now that all the human subjects are out of the house (by the way my grandmother is very nice, but she is head of the household). I myself favor dogs as human companions, but sometimes the care that they require is beyond physical capabilities of say an elderly person.

I wanted to add something about the original topic of aggression - I think it is important to keep senseless acts of aggression or cases where violence seems to be done for entertainment (I think this was the original discussion) distinct from fighting for survival, betterment of situation etc.

 

Well, now we know there is at lease one good use for a cat:

http://news.yahoo.com/police-think-poisoned-cat-meat-killed-china-tycoon-040529940.html

 

Strantor, get rid off the cat before it decides to do something when you are sleeping.

It will, if your cat decide to visit this forum and saw you talking abt it behind it's back.

And yea, cats are known to be somewhat demonic.

 

Well, now we know there is at lease one good use for a cat:

http://news.yahoo.com/police-think-poisoned-cat-meat-killed-china-tycoon-040529940.html

You are not my friend.

I love my cat.
I love my dog.

My boy tells me I have to love him.
I'm thinking about it.

 

Intelligence ≈ aggression ? Assuming it is.

I think the scarey part of that is an assumption of SETI assuming intellligent life is benevolent, as well as NASA putting that plaque putting our location on Voyager.

If we contact other lifeforms and they are benevolent, we are good, if not we are goners. Given the risk and potentials, seems like its best not to try to contact ET.


http://news.discovery.com/space/do-aliens-exist-will-they-kill-us.html