Dumb fish?

[Gayle]

So the class I am in now is exotics, we learn all about the "other" pets. Now we have not studied fish at all, and I do not think we will, as fish dont really go to the vet. LOL
Anyhow we have to do these threaded discussions each week on whatever topic the teacher gives us, blah blah blah.
This week it was how do you help a client decide on an exotic pet. Well, the convo was going great, but then this "PERSON" (that I already dislike) posted about her Koi that she had to take back to the store after it dirtied up the tank too much, that she had to clean the tank too often, and how she was glad it was just a "dumb fish"......... she went on to say that fish have no bonds with people, and that it does not matter if you move them from home to home, that it has no effect on them. Blah blah blah.........
Yeah so I had to set her straight. LOL
I posted about how some fish do seem to form bonds with their owners, and to get a fish to eat out of your hand does require trust from the fish. That fish are not dumb! That moving a fish from place to place does cause stress on them! Some to the degree that it makes them ill, or they stop eating. I also told her that unlike what she said fish are not a pet that that you put in the tank and spend no time taking care of, that they do require a lot of time, and work esp in the begining. I also told her that RESEARCH should always be done before getting any pet including fish!
Okay I am done ranting. (sorry) LOL

[Glub]

IMO I think if someone is asking what type of exotic pet they should get and doesn't already know what they want, they probably shouldn't buy an exotic pet because the novelty will quickly wear off.

[Z Fish Man]

haha I'm glad you set her straight, I can't stand ignorant people who then complain about something because of their ignorance.

[Northernguy]

Obviously the she has never had a pet before!
I hope she never does with that attitude!

[kaybee]

The fish in Glub's avatar (porcupine puffer) is a prime example of a fish which has personality, bonds and even interacts with its owner (to the extent of nearly demanding attention).

There are countless other prime examples.

[Kaz]

Oscars also have fairly strong personality if I can remember.

I'm going to bet that her koi was in a tank that was way too small. I hope she at least knew about cycling and all the other things about fish but the sad thing is that there's a good chance she didn't.

[Gayle]

No I dont think she knew anything other than the fish was pretty! And she is gonna be a vet tech, peachy eigh.

[Northernguy]

No I dont think she knew anything other than the fish was pretty! And she is gonna be a vet tech, peachy eigh.

Let me know if she moves to Ontario!!!!!!:hmm3grin2orange:

[smaug]

I'm not of the mind set that fish are very intelligent,not on a human level or even a dogs or cats.The funny thing is the woman just happened to call one of the smarter fish dumb.Koi are exceptionally intelligent for a fish,most creatures with extended life spans are found to be a bit brighter then there short lived kin.Koi have life spans in the 30-50 years with anecdotal reports of Koi living to 200 years old.I'm glad she returned it,the fish deserved far better then her.

[Little Embers]

Dumb fish PHEWY! sounds like the fish is a lot smarter than she is!!!

She doesn't deserve to have pets with that attitude and the KOI is much better off without her. WELL DONE Gayle for setting her straight, hopefully she will take what you said on board and really think about it. Maybe she will fail Veterinary School....here's hoping :hmm3grin2orange:

I like to think all animals have intelligence to different degrees (depending on brain size etc.) maybe not a thought process as we know it, and they all have feelings.

[Kaz]

I like to think all animals have intelligence to different degrees.

Right on! That's exactly how I feel, That each animal may not possess high cognitive abilities but they all have thoughts.

Not going all PETA here, I'm just saying that because they're stupid compared to most mammals doesn't mean they lack intelligence.

[Gayle]

Well the way I look at it is this...........In this line of work you have to give a fish/mouse w/e the same level of care/attention as you would a cute lil puppy.They are all living creatures that deserve respect! An animals intellect should not be a factor. And we should keep our opinions to ourselves! Imagine if you took your pet to the vet and she said that its just a stupid ___________. I think I would punch them, but. LOL
As far as any animal goes for a pet.......they all need to have their needs met whatever those needs may be, and when you buy a pet you are making yourself responsible for meeting those needs, so cowboy up, if you cant then dont have any pets. It is unfair to make any creatures suffer due to your lack of knowledge! Even worse to your lack of compassion!

[wolf_eyes]

I work at a vet's office and I can tell you quite honestly that a lot of techs don't know the first thing about fish. Fish usually aren't treated for illnesses at a vet's office (as I'm sure most of you know). So it's just easier for them to focus on what does come in rather than what doesn't. Sadly most people believe fish are just like a moving picture and nothing else. You can't cuddle with them like a dog or a cat, so people believe that you can't have a bond with them. This is the general mindset of people. A lot of people feel that if you can't touch an animal it can't have loyalty or feelings towards you.

This of course is untrue. My female betta absolutely loves people and will actually come up to the front of the tank when she notices you. I will have her follow my finger or do other sorts of "games" with her and she seems to be very happy. She even got angry with me last night. I had to move her to a new tank and for a good hour or so she would not even look at me if I came near the tank. She would simply turn around and face the other direction, not dart away, just not look at me. This morning though she was back to her bright and perky self though.

I think animals are a lot more intelligent that we give them credit for. Sure they may not be smart in our sense of the word. They may not be able to speak or build cities, but you can't look at a pack of orcas hunting or a crow snatching some food from a person's backpack and not say that they have ingenuity and memory.