turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) (08/21/90)
----- Follow-ups to sci.bio only. ----- In article <1990Aug19.233106.371@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>, djr@cslvs4.csl.ncsu.edu (David Rasmussen) writes: >> You have stated that a tiger is a person. Is it the "unwilling >> slavery" of the tiger to tell him not to eat the chimp? In article <2947@wpg.com>, russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes: > Personhood is based on an individual's mind, David, not on his diet. > > The fact that either a feline or human hunter may eat a human, a > chimp, a goat or a cantelope [yes, tigers eat cantelopes] is > neither a reflection on the diner's personhood, nor is it a > reflection on the personhood of the objects on the menu. It should be noted in allocating rights to animals that some animals are obligate carnivores. Cats do eat vegetable matter. (For some reason, domestic cats seem to prefer grass.) But they can NOT survive on it. Cats cannot synthesize from a vegetarian diet certain fatty acids that are required for mammalian survival. These they obtain directly from their animal prey. Russell
decay@cbnewsj.att.com (dean.kaflowitz) (08/21/90)
In article <11397@cs.utexas.edu>, turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) writes: > (For some reason, domestic cats seem to prefer grass.) Cats eat grass because it makes them vomit, thereby eliminating hairballs. Other solutions must be supplied for indoor cats. Or do you mean truly cool cats, who eat their grass baked in brownies? I can tell you why they do that too. Dean Kaflowitz
ethan@ut-emx.UUCP (Ethan Tecumseh Vishniac) (08/22/90)
All of which reminds me of an article in Science that pointed out that some
'strictly' herbivorous animals are quite capable of eating meat when the
opportunity arises. A specific example given was the consumption of small
mammals (mice? lambs?, I can't recall) by deer.
--
I'm not afraid of dying Ethan Vishniac, Dept of Astronomy, Univ. of Texas
I just don't want to be {charm,ut-sally,emx,noao}!utastro!ethan
there when it happens. (arpanet) ethan@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU
- Woody Allen (bitnet) ethan%astro.as.utexas.edu@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
These must be my opinions. Who else would bother?mhiranan@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu (Melanie Hiranandani) (08/24/90)
If anyone wants to read about cats being vegitarians, teh pro and the cons, let them suscribe to Rec.Pets. There is a neat thread about it going on. Melanie