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What do you think about using the term "own" for an animal? I think its wrong because we did not give birth to them and are not them. They own themselves. They just take an interest in us humans. Saying we own them is like saying Well in "My" state....
Its not "your" state just bvecause you live in it. Its the place you live in. Just like with dogs,cats,etc. You do not own them...you are just their friend and most animals know they are better than us humans. I hate to jump to that,but I think humans are horrible for claiming animals,whether the animal likes it or not. I myself have a dog and cat and wrongly use the term my or own everytime I speak about them. At a time they were their mother and father's.....not "ours." You know?
This really bugs me I think its unfair to be calling them our pets because it sounds like they are slaves.

Like I've stated many times before - that are my thoughts exactly. I see it kinda like with having kids - nobody "owns", or better said shouldn't "own" children. An animal may be a being we "adopt" and have as friend, but we do never "own" them. In fact, animals are only interesting if you let them take part on your life, and if you assign them their rights (yet that doesn't mean we shouldn't set up rules between us and animals).

I "own" an animal in the sense that it is mine (as opposed to my neighbor's or as opposed to a squirrel outside which I have no claim over) and I have legal control over it and can use it in any legal way I choose. When speaking, I find no essential difference between "having" and "owning" a pet. I have probably been known to use both terms interchangeably. Thus, I have no problem with "owning" an animal.

This is really silly We have dominion over the animals (it states this in the Bible, in case anyone here is religious). Personally, animals don't CARE what terms we use when we claim ownership. For pete's sake, they lick their own anus. I don't think they give a crap what we claim them as.

If you own an animal; feed them, shelter them, care for them and protect them, yes we own them and there's no way you could compare animals to children either. Animals aren't humans, no matter how much we like to think that.

Animals aren't "humans", yes (obviously... well even family-tree wise). But they are "beings" with "feelings" and certain "connectivity" to those who live together with them or care for them.

However... what the Bible says hardly gives one evidence on an animal's role in a social system, nor what they are capable of interpretating in the human civilization... and... well how they interpretate it, after all. One of the worst views that is really common among people today (and... even in the past, but hey... considering our religious history, that isn't a surprise at all) is the one that animals don't have personality... because - if you truely work together with animals, and specially with dangerous animals - you'll figure out that all of them have their own character and personality, going from intriguous behavior to really close friendships and a strong sense for responsibility.

The fact that we're on top of the foodchain doesn't free us from the responsibility towards other highly advanced organisms... in my opinion. That goes from species conservation to the interpersonal relationship between those who keep and care for animals and, well, the animals themselves...

I never said anything about them not having feelings or personality. I know that. I'm an animal lover too, so don't make me out to be some heartless animal basher. I have 2 dogs, 5 cats, 21 chickens, 5 ducks, 5 geese, 3 peafowl, 2 quail, 2 rabbits and 6 pigeons; and I love them all.

All I'm saying is animals don't care what you claim them as. I picked one of my cats up up today and said "I OWN you! You belong to me!". He licked my nose. I didn't hurt his feelings, because he simply had no idea what I just said

This is a pointless argument. -_-

I don't think that it's pointless. Not at all. It reflects the view of our society up on these magnificent and by far not lower creatures... personally, out of my experiences with various people I came in contact with by doing my voluntary conservation business, I see this as one of the main problems regarding the entire issue. Too many people think of animals as "things"... and not as beings that want to interact and require a strong relationship within their social environment - no matter if it's a natural environment, or a human environment. Hence - it's something I have to try to change in our society.

It's your own conviction that depends on the sentence "I own an animal". If you say you own an animal, you believe to rule it, and that you can do with it whatever you want... but actually - you've taken the responsibility for a social being with feelings and a certain capability to "think" and "interpretate". Same as with a kid (or a nephew in my case), you have to protect it - to support it - and to communicate with it... and... you can't rule its feelings towards you... or its desires... because you simply don't own it.

I totally agree with Kovu. But not only dangerous animals have own personalities, even small ones: My two rabbits couldn't be more different - from the appearence and behaviour. For example: Hyzenthlay is very calm, and 'Hexe' (which means just 'witch' because she is one =P she always finds a way under a cupboard.) is well as I already said very active and curiously.
Hyzenthlay is very trustingly whyile Hexe isn't. Well, she comes to the door to get food or whatever etc, but she isn't so trustingly like Hyzenthlay.

Let me put it simply: I don't own the songbirds that roam my property. I DO own the birds that I feed and sell. Because I do sell poultry, I do OWN them. *You can't sell what you don't own.*

You make it like the word 'own' is a cuss word. Like I said before (and I'll continue to say it) the animals couldn't care less whether you tell them you own them or not.

I hate when people say this...really.....animals DO think...and humans are animals too. Thats why I hate the fact we claim animals. You don't see wolves claiming bunnies for anything rather than a meal. So why should we keep animals as pets? Its silly to say this kinda stuff when humans are indeed animals. and its against the rules to bring up religious views on this matter too. So DON'T bring it into this. Also this isn't meant to be an arguement. Its a trail of thought I was having at the moment. LORD. Also if you think its pointless,why in the world comment?! When I find a topic thats uninteresting I IGNORE IT.Now please take this stuff into deep thought. Thank you.

I never ONCE said that animals don't think. Please read through my comments before you start to bash me I never said animals don't have personalities and I never said animals should be mistreated. ALL I'm trying to say is THEY DON'T CARE!!!!

If you tell a person that you own them, they're gonna flip you off. If you tell your dog or bunnies or whatever you have that you own them, they're not going to hold it against you; the dog will wag it's tail and the rabbits will just stare at you. They don't understand what you're saying (and I'm not trying to stay that animals don't understand anything because they do understand SOME human speech.) But they don't have the capacity to understand everything we say to them. And once again, I'm not saying animals don't think!!!

Well...it seems like it. Saying "they" don't care is steryotyping the animals stating that they all could care less. I can tell that animals sometinmes dislike their owners and you never know whats going on in the back of their heads. >__> If you got this idea from scientists or whatever I don't even care. They say dogs are colorblind and I know thats total bull because my uncle's border collie Raider can grab any of his balls.You tell him go get the yellow one and he gets it. I don't think people understand animals no matter how hard we try and I try hard. Sorry if I sounded snobby to you I just got a little mad ^^;; but I understand what our trying to say....but I really do think these people that "find out" stuff about animals mislead us. I think animals perfectly understand what we say. We just don't have the capacity to understand them. My opinion and belief. ^__~ Seriously once again my uncle's border collies will drink water,get balls of any color,stop playing when told to,walk right beside him,det the exact toy you tell them,etc......so I have no reson to believe they only Understand SOME.

Just a little question: Where do animals come from? riight they were born or hatch from eggs etc.
And can they tell you if they want to be 'ownt' by you or whoever? no they can't. I bet they would run away and never come back if you wold put them on the grass outside.
Hence: You sell them, although you dont own them. Noone owns other living creatures. NOONE.
You would own an animal if you would've completely made it, but did you make them? No.

It is compareable with slavetrading: they weren't asked either. But many pets etc are threated better than the slaves were... (Luckily those times of slavetrading are over)

Don't get me started on ownership in the bible. (Another story for another day)

But Yes animals can learn to a point. You can teach a dog to understand "walk" and various other commands. But you can't teach a dog to have an intellectual conversation.

That's one of the deviding factors for people and animals. People have a bigger brain which we can use more of. Basic systems that alert the nervous system to stimulus, that sense events in the environment, and monitor the condition of the body are similar to those of even non-mammalian vertebrates.

But our brain also has advanced cognitive skills, Human encephalization, and the proportion of the human brain that is devoted to the neocortexis is larger than in all other mammals.

Exactly because animals don't understand the concept of ownership.