[pbhjpbhj]

I don't think it's evolutionary at all - people who associate with some animal types convince themselves they're in a bilateral open relationship (the animal is choosing to be their friend), or even adopt a mental attitude where they use the animal as a proxy for a human infant.

This seems the result of socialisation in to that behaviour.

In the UK, outside food chain fraud, we don't eat horse, but plenty of other countries do - I don't think that's because we evolved differently.

[0xBA5ED]

I don't believe it's entirely a trick of the mind. There is a difference between animals which have been selectively bred to perform social roles and ones bred for food. They actually do display more social traits because they've been bred that way.

[alex_hitchins]

Not generally, however it's possible to buy horse meat from some butchers and in fancy restaurants. It's not as taboo as eating cats/dogs.

[pbhjpbhj]

I didn't think horse was even legal, I've never seen it on sale in UK.

Totally legal though:

http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summ...

[alex_hitchins]

Yeah, although a life long vegetarian I've done a small amount of work with systems for butchers. Personally, I agree with others in this thread that eating pig is really no different than dog, cat etc. looking at things objectively. Being a soppy old Buddhist I try hard not to hurt any living creature.

[pbhjpbhj]

I'd agree that from a position of inferred intelligence implying a mind is present then the morality is similar.

I think there are moral implications of dogs and cats having been bred as domestic animals; probably also there are tertiary implications through the differences in resources and methods needed to farm them (though these would presumably reduce as the animals were adapted to be cattle).

Meta: I know self-deprecation is a common pastime for us Brits but standing by your moral convictions to preserve all life is a noble endeavour, not soppy, and probably the greater for the wisdom that usually follows age.

[alex_hitchins]

Thank you for your comment, spot on about our British reservations. Also interesting point about cats and dogs being domesticated. I'd say to a large degree most animals farmed are in some way domesticated and wouldn't be able to survive in the wild as well as you would think. I know scrub bulls and other 'estranged' animals can thrive if the environment allows, but most pigs say wouldn't survive as well as wild boar do.