I'm almost 15 years old and if I get seriously ill, my human will have no choice but to have me put to sleep. Some folks would say she's a bad "owner" because of this, but I do not agree. My human saved my life in 1999. I was born under the porch of a mobile home and would have been feral... if I had lived to adulthood. She has always kept me warm and fed, and kept my litter box clean. When we had to leave the apartment we lived in, she refused to go anywhere I was not welcome.
Some people equate pets with children. My human does not do that, and I am okay with it. Humans outrank pets in the grand scheme of things, if only because they have access to medical cards and food stamps.
Other people equate pets with -- well, I don't know what, really. They sure don't treat them with the respect due any living creature you claim to care about. I've heard talk of dogs tied to a tree and ignored, except at feeding time. Why? Pets exist to keep humans company! If a human is not willing to do a little extra for the sake of the pet, they should not adopt one. My human sure doesn't enjoy cleaning the litter box, but she does it for me.
My human does her best for me and always has. I'm a grumpy old lady, something I could never have been without her. I've never gone hungry or been in danger of freezing to death. So she would have to have me put down if I got terminally ill - that's what she'd probably choose if she could afford treatment, to be frank. (She's watched too many of her fellow humans suffer those things.) If you think that makes her a bad "owner" I hiss at you. I scratch and bite you.
You are respectful of life. I love you for that.
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