When a child sees a rabbit,

[Cetacea]

is the child's response one of delight or the desire to run over to it, grab it, and rip it to shreds and then eat it. The question also applies to hungry children.

[AlienGirl]

1. Eat it, of course!

What, you never tore up and ate a rabbit as a kid?

What's wrong with you?!

Tucker

[Cetacea]

4. hehe

I wonder how many adults would actually eat meat if they had to do that every time they desired meat.

[everythingsxen]

18. I would...

though I would not shred it, I would kill it as humanely as possible. I would prefer synth/vat meat though, if possible.

Unlike other meat eaters on the board, I do not actually see any moral distinction between eating "animals" and eating humans. Aside from the legal and societal ramifications, humans are, in my opinion just as edible as any other animal. (Though I do not eat people, as a rule... but if the world goes all Road Warrior on me..... well, I do not believe in wasting perfectly good meat. :evilgrin:)

[rainy]

27. you should eat it raw like all the other meat eating animals

out there. When you cook it it looses most of its nutrients. All nutrition starts with the plant. We should just skip the animal and go right for the source of energy in food, the plant.

[AngryAmish]

39. Our gut has trouble eating raw meat

Mammal meat that has not gone through rigor mortis is extremely unappatizing. We like our meat a little rotten. That is why steaks are aged for taste.

[rainy]

47. I was jesting. My point was that most signs point to the fact that we

were not meant to eat meat. All other meat-eating animals eat their meat raw. Before we cooked our food we lived millions of years eating just fruits and veggies, maybe some raw bugs. All neutrition comes from the plant. So, I was thinking we could just skip the animals and go right for the plants and fruits.

[AnneD]

49. You've never had

clams on the half shell, steak tartar, sushi, jerky, pemican, a protein shake with eggs? Just asking? I never had any problems digesting them and they are raw. If hungry enough man will eat anything. If there is no fire, it can be eaten raw.

[everythingsxen]

50. I've eaten everything you just listed...

except steak tartar. Though I have always wanted to try it.

I am on a mini-quest to try pretty much everything. Fortunately I have an exotic meat store nearby. I think with the cold weather I am going to have rattlesnake chili this weekend.

[AnneD]

77. What?

No dinner invite? That's as cold as a well diggers * in Montana. Guess I'll have to eat my juicy elk steak by myself while you're picking the bones out of that chili. HEHEHEHEE I'll show Bill how I fight the war on Christmas. HEHEHEHEE

[buddysmellgood]

60. Tell me more about the bugs...are they meaty bugs?

[johnaries]

63. Not meant to eat meat? Look at your teeth.

Those teeth in the front of your mouth are specifically for eating meat. The teeth in the back are for eating vegetables.

We were designed to eat both meat and vegetables.

[Cetacea]

52. Bingo.

Thank you.

[youthere]

79. Well, our family would certainly qualify..

The only meat we eat in this house is meat that we have raised and butchered ourselves.
Chicken, duck, rabbit, pig and cow have all made their way from our property to our table without every touching a supermarket styrofoam tray (Rabbit being the preferred meat in our house). We also have the occasional deer or fish should my husband and kids be so lucky in their outdoor pursuits.
The children help to feed, stick, pluck, skin, draw and butcher everything we raise, and they also help decide how it should be prepared when it comes time to eat it. And what's more, the kids (7,9,&12) have pretty much taken over the "cute and fluffy bunny" production themselves. The breeding, the feeding, AND the butchering.
In response to your original post, I can only relay the events of last Sunday...My son butchered twelve rabbits that afternoon with the help of his older sister. He came in the house, finished his homework then played with his pet rabbit, Maizy, until it was time for supper. I served rabbit and dumplings. I have never seen him "rip" any animal to "shreds"...my daughters either.
They look at all animals in wonderment, even the ones they consider food.

[TahitiNut]

51. I guess it depends on whether Glenn Close has been seeing Daddy.

:evilgrin:

[Erika]

2. Or the homeless who Virginia wants to eat out of the dumpsters

Please take a moment and contact www.falwell.com

This idiocy has to stop.

[MazeRat7]

3. You'll starve to death on a diet of only rabbit....

Who is looking out for the childen here ?

MZr7

[k_jerome]

17. you can eat the innards and brains to delay starvation. nt.

[aquart]

23. Nuh uh.

Evidence that early woman fed the family with a net and lots of bunnies while man the mighty hunter was off stalking that meaty mammoth.

[MazeRat7]

24. Uh Uh.... it's a classic example in all survival training and books on the subject...

Your best bet is to know what "plants" will provide more optimal nurtition.....

MZr7

[johnaries]

61. Beg to differ - my parents used to raise rabbits.

Rabbit is awfully tasty fried or baked. As for the scraps, mixed up with mayo and relish they make excellent rabbit salad sandwiches.

I hated cleaning the shit trays under the cages, though.

[RB TexLa]

5. I didn't watch much news tonight, has there been a problem with children

ripping rabbits apart somewhere? :shrug:

[Cetacea]

6. sorry. I am talking about natural urges here.

Adults meat eaters should ask this question of themselves, myself included. (I am mostly veggie)

[RB TexLa]

7. Do you think children see a squash and want to rip it open and eat

it? They are children, that's part of the reason adults provide for them.

[Cetacea]

8. Fr uit, yes.

And if you explained to them where their burgers came from, and then asked them if they'd like to go out and kill a cow, I think they'd still go for the watermelon.

[AlienGirl]

9. You never stalked and brought down cows when you were a tot?!

[MazeRat7]

10. We tried cow tipping once when I was a teen... it didn't go as planned. (n/t)

[AlienGirl]

11. You need to bite at the jugular! Sink those 4" canines in and hold ON!

[MazeRat7]

14. Ohhh... we were just trying to push them over....

it was rumored they sleep standing up and if you sneak up on them and give them a push... they will fall over.

We didn't even consider sinking our fangs into their neck....

no wonder it didn't work....


MZr7

[AlienGirl]

15. It's what those fangs are for! Use them, dude!

[Minnesota_Lib]

13. I usually stick to roadkill I find. Kind of like jerky if you're lucky.

J/K of course. :)

[kiahzero]

12. If they knew how tasty it was, they might well go for eating it.

Mmm... rabbit.

[REP]

16. Rural Children or City Children?

I think there are assumptions being made about the sweetness-and-light nature of children (that only exists in storybooks and the imaginations of parents) and the reaction to the presence of an animal that in some settings is a charming companion; in others a pest and yet others a source of food. To a rural child, the sight of a wild rabbit might get the child off and running for a .22 while the sight of a Belgian might elicit coos of delight. An urban child may squeal in horror, thinking the rabbit merely to be an overgrown rat.

[jgraz]

19. Exactly -- most of my neighbors would have reached for their 12-gauge

Of course, that kinda messes up the fur, but the bunny does fly a fair bit.

[AlienGirl]

21. Perhaps I am the exception that proves the rule; I was a rural child

I grew up in a farming/hunting/fishing culture, and I'm a squishy-hearted vegetarian now, despite never having had the illusions about 'Bambi.'

Tucker

[uppityperson]

48. depends on whether or not the rabbit has clothes on also.

carrying a pipe, reading a book, that sort of Mr.Bunhead thing.

[Blue-Jay]

20. Hug it and kiss it and call it "George".

[lumberjack_jeff]

62. But not before rubbing it's fur the wrong way. n/t

[aquart]

22. What a night for flamebait questions.

Why don't you conduct an experiment with a hungry child, Artiechoke, and see for sure? Won't that be fun?

[Igel]

25. If my toddler got his hands on a rabbit,

his response would be one of delight as he killed the thing. He'd probably not kill it on purpose, but by accident. Although there's no way to be sure it wasn't on purpose. I suppose we'll find out when he's a few years older. :scared:

He hasn't been taught, however, that a rabbit is food. (And he's not going to be taught that a rabbit is food.) He has been taught that cows, chickens, and turkeys are food. The point is that human children are born stupid and need to learn just about everything.

We went berry picking last June and made a wrong turn; the toddler saw a cow a few feet away from the car window and he didn't say 'moo!' or 'cow!', he said 'yummy!' Now, he's not big enough to take on a cow, but he'd certainly order one of his slaves (his mother or me) to kill and cook the critter. Perhaps later he'd do the killing and cooking himself.

He's also been taught that duck is food, although we've never had duck on our table. So I'm never quite sure what he has in mind when he chases the ducks by the pond in a nearby park. Does he want to see them fly? Does he want to catch and pet one? Or does he want to kill the thing and chew its head off? Dunno. (But, again, he'll be faster and probably catch one in a few years .... :scared: )

[The Straight Story]

26. Back in t6em pioneer days it would be grab pa's gun and shoot-er-dead for dinner (nt)

[RedRocco]

28. rabbits are why

little boys like to throw rocks

[zbdent]

29. Wabbit season!

[Deep13]

32. duck season

[zbdent]

46. Elmer season!

Be vewy, vewy qwiet ... we'we hunting Elmews ... heh heh heh heh heh

[WinkyDink]

30. Um, eat fur? I doubt that one.

[Deep13]

31. "Bunny!" while pointing in amazement.

At least that's what I do.

[BoneDaddy]

33. What kind of questions

are coming out of some of the ridiculous posts here. I find that many of the well meaning vegetarians out there come up with these cutsey lil questions that are quite honestly, meaningless.

If you have ever been hungry enough, you would know you would EAT ANYTHING to stay alive.

If you are content, have your basic needs met then the rabbit will be cute and cuddly, but if your basic needs are not fufilled than that rabbit is lunch.

[Cetacea]

53. that's your opinion

I would eat grass, veggies, and fruit and would never kill an animal, especially for food.

[BoneDaddy]

70. Okay

I am sure you believe that, just as sure as the rugby team that crashed in the mountains of Argentina thought they would never eat human flesh in order to survive.

I wouldn't judge you if you ate an animal to survive, I just get tired of the "holier than thou" attitude and moral superiority I see by some vegetarians.

When you are in a survival situation, and I doubt you ever have been, you would suck the marrow from the bones of cats if it meant your survival. I don't mean to be so graphic, but I think you are being a wee bit naive about this issue.

And don't get me wrong, I believe in many of the tenets of vegetarianism, I just think that in extreme situations, that "morality" would go right out the window.

I am sure you will respond in some way telling me again that it is my opinion and giving me reasons why you wouldn't, but it is a situation that we will never ever test in reality, unless you experience it fully, then come back and tell me what you did, so to continue this is like pissing in the wind.

There is an interesting book called the "life of Pi" about a vegetarian Indian whose ship went down in the ocean and he was trapped on a life boat with a Bengal Tiger. Literally within a day, his vegetarian lifestyle went entirely out the window when faced with survival. I think reality is more like that.

[Cetacea]

78. I've gone weeks without food

not always voluntarily. What I can tell you from my own experience is that the first thing to go was my desire to have a burger, or any other form of meat. The second thing that happened was after the second day, hunger basically vanished. In all cases, whether food deprivation was for a few days or weeks, the first thing I ate was either greens or an apple.
Again, this is based on my own experience and is not meant as advice.
I do believe that there is a lot of BS handed down to us via the Multi-billion dollar meat and dairy industries regarding protein requirements and such. As a matter of fact, there is considerable evidence supporting the notion that low calorie intake increases life span.
Regarding the dude who ate his tiger friend after only one day of food deprivation, I can only say that he probably panicked, and he would most certainly would never be a guest in my home.

[Jacobin]

34. If they are well nourished, they'll wanna pet it

If they are starving, they'll wanna eat it.

I suppose there are also permutations between those two extremes depending upon personality.

Why do you ask?

[Cetacea]

55. I ask because I wonder

how much our meat eating desires are programmed into us when we are young.

[laundry_queen]

35. Why do you bring up a 'cute' animal?

Why not, say, fish? Plenty of kids I know LOVE to fish. They have no qualms about killing a fish, cleaning it and eating it. Our society has made it OK for ugly animals to be killed but not 'cute' ones. The 'cute' ones get protected.
That said, we get our beef from a local farmer and his kids. They show the cow, take a cute picture, then auction it off for beef. The person who wins at auction gets to keep the picture. So I've showed our kids the cow we are eating. I don't do it in a callous way, but between my family's dislike for beans, and my metabolic problems, we need to eat meat and my children at least learn about where their dinner came from and respect it more.
You don't need to be able to kill the animal to eat meat. My grandfather raised his own beef (strictly for family, not for profit, they truly lived off the land) but couldn't bring himself to kill them. He always had too much of an attachment. So he hired out the killing. He hated it, but never seemed to have any problems eating the meat. He even made my grandmother do all the chicken killing. He never did go deer hunting with his friends. Are you saying because he never could bring himself to kill those animals, he had no business eating them?

[Cetacea]

56. they scream louder than fish

and most of the animals we eat can be considered cute.

[grizmaster]

36. depends on whether they know how tasty rabbit is

[Clark2008]

37. I don't eat rabbit but I'll eat other meats.

Shouldn't you use a cow as an example - most people don't eat rabbits (and, yes, I get your point).

[gollygee]

38. When my mom was growing up, they called it "hopping chicken"

when meat was hard to get during WWII.

[Jed Dilligan]

40. Just depends on how they were raised

If rabbit is part of their diet and they've been taught to hunt, they will probably want to hunt it. If they think meat comes from the store, they will probably want to pet it.

[Cetacea]

57. Good answer.

Thanks.

[Jed Dilligan]

64. One caveat:

The grab/rip to shreds part of your OP would only apply to very disturbed children or ones raised by wolves. This is not a known method for hunting rabbits.

[SmokingJacket]

41. But it's a different answer for very hungry children.

Try letting the rabbit out in a refugee camp somewhere.

My dad used to shoot rabbits for us when I was a kid, before my mom couldn't take it anymore and we got food stamps.

[porphyrian]

42. It depends on whether they've raised rabbits or not.

Rabbits are filthy, skittish, stupid cannibals. A thunderstorm made a mommy rabbit I was raising eat her newborn babies "to protect them." I was the one lucky enough to find the two or three baby heads left the next morning. Gave that glorified rat to a rabbit farmer the next day, and I'm sure someone enjoyed eating the nasty little bitch.

[Fierce]

43. Rabbits: Pets or meat.

nt

[bleedingheart]

44. Before and During the Depression, my father raised rabbits to eat

he and his family were dirt poor and rabbit was something easily raised and they could have enough meat to feed the 8 people in the family.

[bleedingheart]

45. Also... all the male and some of my female cousins have field dressed a deer

basically that is cutting the animal from the neck down to the anus...and emptying out its insides in the field after it has been shot....

The average age for a boy to go hunting in my family 8 years..some girls go...but later around 13 or so.

[ComerPerro]

54. you're pathetic, and you are way off. answer me this

when a child sees a plate of cooked and prepared meat, is their reponse to run over to it an eat it? Probably, if they are hungry...

What the hell is your point here?

[Cetacea]

58. I am pathetic because you are a dull normal?

Why does a simple question provoke such hostility? Are you in love with a bunny rabbit? Sorry if a pressed the wrong button.

[ComerPerro]

66. no, you are pathetic because you construct arguments like a child

"see, when a child sees a bunny, it laughs and is happy, and doesn't feel an overpowering impulse to rip it apart and eat it".

well duh.

but you conclude from this that humans have no inherent impulse or need or desire to eat meat...


I'm guessing you are either too far off the vegan deep end to see reason, or you are very poor at logic and critical thinking.

[Cetacea]

68. Usage of the word Pathetic should be added to Godwins Law

Probably one of the most polarizing words to be on forums. I fail to see the logic behind personal insults as a form of intelligent debate. It's just so...cable TV.

I don't recall concluding anything in my op. Take your meds.

[flvegan]

71. "Vegan deep end"

Why don't you go ahead and kiss my vegan deep end.

Speaking of poor logic and critical thinking, humans have no NEED to eat meat. Desire? Sure. Impulse? Sure, after the tissue is stripped from the dead animal (for some) and for others, once the tissue is cooked and seasoned.

[ComerPerro]

73. then why the need to take suppliments?

[flvegan]

74. What supplements?

A well-rounded plant based diet doesn't require one to need to take supplements. To which supplements, specifically, are you speaking?

[Cetacea]

75. Then I'd have to conclude that you are abusive to children

based on your own logical conclusions, of course.

[ComerPerro]

80. and I guess I would have to conclude that you are a pedophile, right?

[lumberjack_jeff]

59. A chocolate one?

Ears first, of course.

[Cetacea]

65. Please read

I should apologize for posting in haste. The question was asked because I am interested in finding out if our desire to eat meat is truly a natural one. I should not have singled out one mammal, but instead included cows and so on. And I probably should have explained why I was asking, even though that may have tainted the responses, given the nature of such a charged topic. So, once again, my apologies. However, to the poster who charged that I am some sort of child abuser, I offer no apology.

[fujiyama]

67. A few questions

How old is the child and what was he or she taught about animals?

Was the child raised vegetarian or eating meat? Was the child taught that animals are not to be thought of as food?

Personally, I think you brought up an interesting question, dealing more with the evolutionary dietary habits of humans. It's unfortunate people took it as flamebait, though I have no idea which way you intended it.

As another poster stated, it's important to note that human babies are very stupid. They are likely one of the most helpless of all species babies. They need a parental figure for everything, at least until puberty (not in modern society, but more in a primitive sense).

So, if the parent teaches the child that a rabbit is food and the child watches a parent hunt rabbit for food, that child will be raised thinking of the rabbit is food. My guess is, that would develop around the age of 3, maybe earlier.

I'm not a pediatric psychologist and have no idea at what ages these concepts develop in children. In general, food habits are very much a matter of how one is raised. I doubt, much of it is instinctive, other than the brain alerting us when we're hungry. It's clear humans can survive and live healthily without meat, but humans have been eating meat for millennial now, and our teeth are omnivorous. It's a matter of evolution there.

[Cetacea]

69. Thank you for taking the time

to actually offer a thoughtful response. I too feel it was unfortunate that some felt that my post was flame bait, and that is why I felt the need to explain it further. I don't have any thing to add to your excellent answer as it just about sums up my own thoughts and questions on the matter.

[LWolf]

72. To catch it. To pet/play with it.

At least, according to my grandson. He was out in the back pasture with me last week, doing chores. I hear a screech behind me: "Bunny!!! Bunny!!!" and see a poor cotton tail tearing across the pasture, leaving grandboy behind. The dog got into the chase, and chased it all the way out of the pasture. Did the boy (or the dog, for that matter,) want to kill the bunny? No. He wanted to "see" it. Which for him, means touching, handling, and "petting." The dog? She doesn't kill things. She may have tried to play with it, if she were fast enough to catch it, but she generally just wants to chase things out of her territory.

[flvegan]

76. Does the child have the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and is this "rabbit" the

Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog?

We must cover all bases before answering.