The Mixed Community

This section in Animals and Why They Matter is one that most of us can definitely relate too. When Midgley talks about how animals are always being integrated into our lives, I can agree. Not only are we being more cautious about the deer that are standing on the side of the road, but we are also extremely involved with animals that are living at our house -- whether our pet dog/cat, or the birds that are eating at our feeders in our backyards. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly interacting with animals because of the "mixed community," and even if some people don't like it, they will have to get used to it.

Feelings are also brought up in this chapter. Since the animals are integrated within humans, as well as other animals, we can hold a stronger bond towards them, even if they aren't our house pets. For instance, if we see a deer on the side of the road, we are going to feel sympathy for that one deer in hopes that it could find the rest of its family, or make it safely to where it needs to go. Also, in my case, the bird feeders I put up are constantly being filled because I feel a closer connection with the birds that come to them, because they are mostly the same birds every day.

Overall, this section was very interesting to me, because it finally talks about how wild animals, as well as domesticated ones, are still involved in every day lives of humans and need to be accounted for as well as respected.