Taylor Swift's Cats & The Corruption of Celebrity Pets
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- Опубліковано 12 тра 2024
- In this video we're exploring the corrupt world of the designer pet breeding industry, and the ways celebrities play into and promote it in irresponsible ways.
Links referenced (in order of video):
Every Wild Fact About Taylor Swift’s Cats: Olivia Benson, Meredith Grey, and Benjamin Button:
www.cosmopolitan.com/entertai...
Taylor Swift's cat dominated Instagram's Top 10:
www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/art...
What are the animal welfare problems associated with Scottish Fold cats?
kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-bas...
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran face backlash from cat welfare charity:
iradio.ie/taylor-swift-and-ed...
You Need To Stop Liking These Cats On Instagram - Here's Why:
www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017...
Animal charity calls for a ban on Taylor Swift’s favourite cats over concerns about their health:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...
The SSPCA is not happy with Taylor Swift’s purebred cats, and here’s why:
hellogiggles.com/taylor-swift...
Taylor Swift Adopted Her New Cat - Named Benjamin Button - Right Off the Set of Her 'ME!' Video:
people.com/pets/taylor-swift-...
Taylor Swift is now a billionaire, Bloomberg says:
www.cnn.com/taylor-swift-bill...
Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker Shot, Two of Her French Bulldogs Stolen:
www.rollingstone.com/music/mu...
Prize-Winning Pooch Murdered at Crufts Dog Show:
www.petcarerx.com/article/pri...
Intro 00:00
Pet perception in breeding vs adopting 04:49
Disclaimer for Taylor Swift fans 00:43
Taylor Swift’s cats 01:10
Breeding vs adopting, pets vs companion animals 02:33
The ethics of breeding 03:09
Pet perception in breeding vs. adopting 04:50
Breed-specific rescues 05:57
Scottish Fold cats 06:34
Celebrities as thought/morality leaders 09:46
If you know better, do better 10:36
Expecting perfection from celebrities 12:17
Placing monetary value on animals leads to exploitation 13:05
Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs 13:34
Celebrities’ complicity in the breeding industry 15:12
Final thoughts 15:53
Thanks for watching! 16:30
*I do not own some of the video clips used in this video. They are being used to illustrate a point and fall under the category of fair use. - Розваги
This is a great analysis - I'd also add that the breeding industry is unethical independent of the whole shelter issue since it inherently violates the animals' consent.
Thank you-excellent point. It’s really icky on all fronts 😕
How? If we're talking about dogs, most dog pairings take place naturally, not artificially. Female animals won't accept a mate if they don't want it or aren't ready.
*I wanted to make a correction as pointed out to me by @GrandisSilva. The term "Designer Dog" specifically refers to the practice of mixing two pedigree breeds to create a "new" breed, such as Goldendoodles, Puggles, Cavapoos, etc. It is not interchangeable with "pedigree" or "breeder" dogs the way I stated in the video. While I used the term incorrectly a couple of times, my opinion on the designer dog industry does not differ much from my opinion on the pedigree breeding industry. I believe they both contribute to many of the same problems, although I recognize they are technically two different practices.
A part of me feels like I shouldn't be surprised when people who aren't vegan/don't claim to be animal rights activists behave like this. But it does perplex me when it comes to ethics involving companion animals, as this is one category of animal welfare that most of the population universally claim to care about 🤔
So many non-vegans get behind being anti-fur, anti foie-gras, anti-SeaWorld, anti-breeder etc. so I find it hard to believe that she would pay for this (even at a much younger age) without the implications being pointed out. Not saying people can't make errors in judgment. However, as you pointed out, she should be actively speaking out against designer CA's. To not do so, given how much she would've bolstered the breeding industry, means each shown photo is a tacit recommendation for people to buy this specific breed from breeders.
Exactly!! Most meat eaters in my life even understand the importance of adopting. Researching this video, I was actually shocked being reminded just how much Taylor promoted her cats. She was asked about them in almost every interview, they were in commercials with her, constantly posted on socials, etc. She was basically advertising for the Scottish Fold breeding industry.
Thank you again Eva for the recommendation!
Thank you for making this video Marielle. I appreciate how thoroughly you cover topics, and how fair you are in giving grace while raising awareness on how to do better. I hope a lot of people will see this video!
I do too! The number of people I see online promoting designer pets (not just celebs but influencers) is shocking 🫠 @@evashea3842
Another excellent video. Me thinks some people use the word “love” when they mean “covet”.
Absolutely 💯 Just like so many people say "I love animals" but eat meat. It raises the question of what it truly means to "love" an animal.
I’m ill and have to consume animal products, but I absolutely still adore all animals, for dozens of reasons. (One of which being that they keep me ALIVE.) Your blinders are on a little tight
@@bunnyfrosting1744 again, what you mean by “adore” is “covet”. Prove to me you’re not a paid animal-ag propagandist and enlighten me as to this illness for which you have to medicate yourself with products of violence-known poisons-to treat your symptoms. I say treat because I doubt highly they would ever cure it and would also suggest they may very well be the cause.
@@bunnyfrosting1744nasty
I will shame anyone who buys an animal over adopting one from a shelter ESPECIALLY cats. My area is overrun with feral cats, and even a few who are pets of morons who think their cats NEED to be outside 🙄
Buying a cat or dog from a breeder when shelters are overrun is insane. It’s not hard to use google.. find a rescue if she wanted a specific breed there’s 3 different breed specific rescues in my area.
My family has never bought an animal always rescues. ALWAYS!
Good for you and your family! I agree there is no excuse not to adopt especially given the numbers I mentioned in the video. And yes, we have many "outdoor cats" in my neighborhood; it is very frustrating that people don't understand how dangerous and problematic it is.
Talk about "I'm the problem, it's me." I'm not a cat person, but think they're cute, and as a vegan do not want any animal bred into existence for human wants. The We Cook Vegan channel here on YT has one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen, but every time I see her I wonder how she was created and came into that family. I hope for the the rosiest explanation, but given that my Twitter feed is now about half dog and cat rescue stuff, I'm not dumb. Humans have been breeding companion animals for physical traits that require damaging their physiology and genetic health in ways that would not occur in nature/feral colonies forever. It's just another perversion of human behavior. Sweet Asteroid of Death, where are you? I appreciate your deep dive into the social ramifications of this. Thanks for posting!
"Sweet Asteroid of Death, where are you?" had me absolutely cackling, Tamara 😂🤣 I'm not familiar with the UA-cam channel you mentioned but yes, when anyone (especially vegan influencers!) have a beautiful companion animal, I think it's important to have a disclaimer whenever they're shown on camera--even if it's "we didn't know better at the time; we love our cat but in the future we'll adopt." Evanna Lynch, vegan activist and Harry Potter actress, has talked about this with her cat Puff that she bought from a breeder when she didn't know any better (I do wish she would add a disclaimer every time she posts her, though).
I have to watch this twice. Once for the serious discussion, and again for all the cute kitties.
😹I was hoping one of mine would make an appearance but...no such luck 🥲
Thank you for this video Marielle
Thank you for watching; hope it will do some good!
How sad (although not surprising) that breeding animals with recessive traits has become profitable. Thank you for recognizing it and reporting.
Exactly 💔
Thank you I am vegan but I dont know much about breeding and was always curious. I never knew that about the scottish fold. Thank you for some education! I wouldnt mind another video all about breeding.
I'm happy that you found this video enlightening! I, too, learned a lot more about it than I had before (aside from the broad strokes of "breeding is bad," "adopt don't shop" etc). Thanks for watching 😊
Obviously, the default _should_ be to adopt, however I can't pry into the lives of every single family who chooses to buy instead.
I'm more lenient towards breeders who _preserve_ naturally-occurring cat breeds (Egyptian/Arabian Maus, Maine Coons, Russian Blues, Norwegian Forest Cats, etc). But when they try to breed in a trait that is detrimental to the cat for the sake of aesthetics, that's when it becomes a huge problem for me.
I agree; it’s a personal choice but there needs to be a lot more public education on these topics so people can make what they feel is an ethical choice.
While I do hard agree with the adopt don't shop way of thinking, it's a very easy thing to do with cats, I've done it half a dozen times in my life at this point. I've also noticed that its been a harder thing to do with dogs recently. Most of the dogs in shelters are high energy and/or high prey drive animals that people got and weren't prepared for, it's very hard to find an adoptable family dog in shelters these days.
i think the attitude should be "we are adopting a dog or we're not getting a dog" though. it is also possible to try independent organizations that rescue animals and try to foster to adopt to figure out if a dog is a good fit for the family without actually committing to it.
I agree with Anna's comment above; also I feel like a lot of time the attitude is: "I want a dog and I want one now." It can take time to find the right companion for you, but when people have the attitude that getting a pet is like buying a handbag, they want to find their "perfect" dog immediately (or, in the case of breeding, "reserve" the dog ahead of time).
In terms of people being prepared, it seems most shelters and rescue groups go to great lengths to make sure the dog is a good match (i.e. wouldn't place a high-energy dog in the wrong situation). I agree that there tend to be more of certain breeds (i.e. pit bulls) in shelters which comes back to my point of the importance of education on spay/neuter. I have never personally looked into adopting a dog but from many people in my life who have, there is a huge variety in the breeds/types of dogs they have adopted.
I'm frustrated by the use of the term 'designer dogs'. Maybe it's different in the US, but in the UK, the term refers to the trendy mixed-breeds, the doodles etc. Even sometimes for the bully-type mixes. It's not used to refer to long-established breeds. There are a great many well-established breeders who have worked with only one breed, maybe two, for many years, carefully selecting mates to enhance the health and character of a breed. Brachycephalic dogs to me are a different matter and should be drastically altered. Talking about the numbers of shelter dogs killed each year - it's really not a useful statistic unless you have a breakdown of what dogs they are. How many are purebreeds that came from established breeders? Good breeders will always take back any of their dogs in need. Many breeds have specific rescue groups. A lot of people wait many months, or years, for a purebred dog from a good breeder. Those dogs very rarely end up in shelters.
Even in the US, designer dogs have the same definition. They are mixed-breeds, like labradoodles and cavapoos, whose breeding efforts are extremely unethical. One quick google search would lead you to that conclusion. The term was used incorrectly, and kinda undermines the efforts of ethical breeders that uplift breed health, and provide our working, protection, and service dogs.
Thank you for pointing out that I used the term incorrectly. I have made a correction in my pinned comment. While I recognize there is a spectrum of ethics within the companion animal breeding industry, I do still believe it all leads to the same problems I outlined in the video--dogs being in danger because of their breeds, it creating demand for the breed and then inevitably a secondary industry of backyard breeding for people who want to pay the higher prices, etc. It's not a black and white issue for sure, but for me adopting is clearly the more ethical option.
I made a correction--see pinned comment as well as my reply above.
A hypothetical: if all dog breeding ceased, and 10, 12, 15 years later there are far fewer dogs around as they die off, what then? Where do people get puppies from? What about working breeds - is their breeding stopped too? No more border collies, kelpies etc for farms, gundogs, labradors as guide dogs... do we just have the odd accidental breeding, or is the aim for domestic dogs to all die out eventually?
This is what I don't understand. The dogs people "buy" instead of adopt will also be discarded and homeless. And over time, if nobody is breeding, there will be none left to adopt. We always talk about how sad it is that certain animals are going extinct, but promoting a practice in which every beautiful breed of dog we know and love today would cease to exist...? Seems like an idea that hasn't been thought through.
obviously its not about dogs/cats going extinct. at the moment there is a massive abundance of both though, meaning it is necessary to stop the overpopulation. cats are INCREDIBLY fertile. now, i would not argue that it is necessary for labradors to exist, but of course i want dogs in general in the world. but there is no need to worry about bringing dogs and cats to extinction because there are just so many of them that ever if we truly tried it would be near impossible. but it would be nicer if those numbers were lessened enough that there wouldn't be millions of them dying in shelters/on the streets, js.
I think this is a "getting-way-ahead-of-ourselves" argument and a bit of a cop-out to solving any of the current issues. We are decades, if not centuries, from this ever happening. Public awareness and education can still be a priority without the goal being for all dog breeds to "go extinct." Also, in terms of "working" breeds, there are different perspectives on if it's ethical to have dogs work for human profit--most vegans and animal rights activists are of the opinion it's unethical. There are obviously many differing opinions on and sides to this topic.
Wild animals going extinct is an entirely different issue because they are part of a systematic biodiversity whose extinction literally affects the balance of nature. Dogs are companion animals, who have been bred and continue being bred into existence solely for the purpose of human enjoyment and, sometimes, exploitation.
Exactly; well put!
I had no idea Taylor had cats or that they are bred like that. It should be illegal. So cruel. 💖 ❤
Horrifying!!
God I love Taylor and I love cats!
lol ❤️💖
I get my cats out of dumpsters 🤣
🙌🏻🥹
After watching this video I had to figure out what all the fuss was about. It turns out I only ever heatd two songs from Taylor Swift. (Bad blood and Shake it off)
I just wanted to share that. For your amusement perhaps.
About the video: I never knew these cats had such a terrible genetic issue. Ignorance is not bliss, but I am not sure what to feel about all this. They should not breed them. That is for sure imo.
I'm not sure how you managed to avoid all but two of her songs; that's actually quite impressive! To be honest, I wasn't aware Scottish Folds had so many issues until the last few years, and didn't fully understand the specifics until making this video--which is why I think it's important to raise awareness! And yes, it's no surprise that many countries have banned their breeding. It's incredibly disappointing, though sadly not surprising, that the US has not followed suit.
Are you in rescue? Do you know a lot about the backend of animal rescue and welfare personally or are you just reading off articles? Do you know a lot about breeding? Know good and bad breeder and have seen their facility? French Bulldog is not a “designer breed” it just became more popular. The current never been seen before crisis in animal welfare is not brought on by famous people they played a small part yes. But this is the fall out of Covid.
I think multiple things can be true at once--i.e. there are many contributing factors to the current crisis, COVID being one. I don't think it can be downplayed how much Taylor Swift's promotion of her cats and Lady Gaga's of her dogs (and so on with other celebs) has played into demand for these breeds. Social media has played a huge part as well (famous pet accounts, etc). It's a complicated issue and I never claimed to be an expert, just pointing out some of the specific problems.
PS I'm aware I mis-used the term "designer breeds" in the video; I acknowledged it in a pinned comment.
I do agree that multiple things can be true. And this video essay is definitely your opinion and point of view, and while I disagree with it. It actually gave the an insight to the POV and perspective of the general public just reading through the comments. And your viewpoint
I am the rescue coordinator of dog rescue for 15 years as well as a
supporter for ethical breeding and dog sport. Ethical breeding is not corrupt, the breeders breed because they love the breed and a significant amount of money goes into breeding for health and behavior. They are not rolling in money and most ethical breeder has a full time job. Breeding is not what pays the bills.
A lot of rescue especially the popular breed rescues do a lot of shady stuff.
I personally think you are talking out of your depth in a topic that I don’t think you research a lot and understand it.
Yes multiple things can be true but that’s not what you say in your video. Your tone to me paints celebrity and breeders as the problem. I highly recommend you talk to shelters, shelter volunteers, animal controls, dog rescue to get a sense of this immensely complicated issue. Attitude towards Dog ownership has also drastically changed in the past 4 years. The state of the crisis of animal welfare is something. Never before seen. Seasoned experienced are at a loss. It’s truly dark and depressing for us on the frontline.