(December 20, 2022 at 1:37 am)Belacqua Wrote:(December 20, 2022 at 12:51 am)Jehanne Wrote: A pet is a nonhuman animal that lives with or at least among humans, in a dependent (or, in the case of cats, a feigned dependent) relationship such that the animal in question would likely die of natural causes if the humans did not continue to provide for them.
Is this some kind of official definition? Is there a scientist's glossary?
Because some pets do quite well on their own if they happen to escape.
Absolutely true in the case of cats, but, much less so in the case of dogs. But if a cat owner would die in their home and not be noticed, the surviving cats will sometimes scavenge the remains of their now dead owners. Once consumed the cats may be trapped in their owner's hone unable to escape and succumb to natural causes, likely, dehydration.