The Quiet Revenge of Animals

For most of history humans have dominated animals. New research even confirms humans drove many predators to extinction.

Humans didn’t stop there, they domesticated animals, they forced animals to work for us while we eat them. It’s a complete history of domination.

But a funny thing is happening. We’re allowing animals to reshape our world so they can be accommodated.

I call this the Quiet Revenge of Animals. 

Animals are influencing our society, our behavior, our architecture, our land use and our city designs in a purposeful way.

Rural areas are changing too. Humans are reintroducing extinct species, and as populations decline or move, animals are reclaiming these lands. Take a look at this TikTok about rewilding.

America As Pet Nation

Pets have always been a part of American life. That’s nothing new. They’ve hovered around 50 percent for decades. However, in the last few years, pet ownership has accelerated to over 70 percent. Covid pushed this trend upward, but it looks like it is remaining stable and is going to keep growing.

70 percent of the population is a lot. This is enough for huge changes in behavior and society has to adapt.

It perfectly aligns with other trends happening. We now have people calling themselves Dog Moms, or Cat dads

With more people owning pets, our behavior shifted. Twenty-five years ago, actions that would get you mocked are now entirely normal. Mention "dog stroller" to someone in 2005, and people would think you're telling a joke. But now, dog strollers are everywhere, available in most stores.

Take for example dogs on airplanes. They used to be a topic for stand-up comedians. Now airports come with pet bathrooms

@lorafied

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Pets Are Fun

It’s no surprise. Pets are a lot of fun. Interacting with animals not only decreases stress levels and blood pressure, increase feelings of social support, and generally improve mood. Pets are Lindy. We have memorials to pets from Roman times.

But what is not Lindy is that they are shaping our world in ways they never did before.

In This Newsletter

1) Pets Are Changing Our Architecture and How We Design Cities: Pets are driving innovations in architecture and city planning to accommodate their needs and presence.

2) Pets Are Becoming Substitutes For Friends and Children: The lines blur as people increasingly rely on their animals for companionship. Instead of meeting up for drinks or dinner, they’re spending evenings walking their dogs or cuddling with their cats. Correlation isn’t causation, but pet ownership rates go up and the amount of children people have goes down.

3) The Future of Reintroducing Wild Animals in Empty Land: For the first time humans are bringing back the old animals they killed off. Bison, deer, wolves, bears, wild horses. Future generations may drive across America and Europe and it will resemble a pre-historic environment of few humans but lots of animals.

4) The Istanbul Model: The Istanbul model offers a compelling vision for urban living, where cities embrace the concept of community animals. In Istanbul, stray dogs and cats roam freely, yet they aren't considered nuisances. Instead, they are integral members of the urban ecosystem, cared for by the community. Residents feed them, businesses provide shelter, and local governments ensure they receive medical care.

Pets Are Changing Our Architecture and Cities

Remember when apartments used to ban pets? That era is going away. Now Apartments want you to come with your pet. It’s a complete reversal. Pets make them money. Now all new apartment buildings are designed for people with pets. Going forward, almost all buildings will be pet friendly.

The more luxury the apartment building the more dog friendly. Now they’re offering private dog parks as an amenity.

 From 2009 to 2020, the development of public dog parks surged by 40 percent.

Modern cities cater to people with pets. That’s what it means to be modern. Just like adding bicycle lanes or pickle ball courts. This is what we’re all converging toward. The pet and the city are now linked for the foreseeable future.

Babies, Friendships and Pets

There’s a provocative theory put out by Derek Thompson at the Atlantic about why Americans are hanging out less with each other. His conclusion? Pets.

People are blaming phones and social media for the crisis of loneliness. That’s one part of the story. The other part of the story is pets. There’s a large percentage of people now who just prefer animals to other people.

We've taken our peculiar concept of personhood and imposed it on our pets. It's an incredibly bizarre and fascinating transformation. Yet, when we treat them as persons, we're performing an astonishing act of metamorphosis. But implausibility doesn't faze us. We're a nation of individuals, and we've decided our pets will be individuals too.

This theory of animal personhood may explain why pets are not preparation for having kids. But act as substitutes today.

The Great Era of Rewilding

Everywhere you look animals are being reintroduced to ecosystems they were absent from for centuries.

Horses in Kazakhstan

Wolves in Colorado

The beaver in England

There’s even migration happening of large mammals like bears.

This trend will only continue as population of areas begins to dwindle. As birth rates plummet entire regions will be free for animals to run. You may not notice anything different if you live in the cities or suburbs. But if you venture out, animals may become a real force.

Imagine the surreal vision of bison roaming the plains, their massive forms a stark contrast to the sleek, metallic skeletons of abandoned factories and dilapidated shopping malls. Wolves, once hunted to near extinction, now loping through the forests, reclaiming territories lost to progress and the relentless march of civilization. The resurgence of these ancient creatures transforms the environment into a living museum, a haunting reminder of what once was and what could be again. It’s as if nature itself is attempting to rewrite history, erasing the footprints of humanity and filling the void with the primal rhythms of an untamed world.

Picture driving through America or Europe and encountering herds of wild horses galloping across the horizon, their manes flowing like streams of unchained spirit.

The Istanbul Model

Are there alternatives to Pet Nation? I think animals are amazing and should be part of our societal fabric. But I think we should look at the The Istanbul model as alternative paths cities can go down.

In Istanbul, stray dogs and cats roam freely. They're not nuisances. They're part of the urban ecosystem. The community cares for them. Residents feed them. Businesses provide shelter. Local governments ensure they get medical care. In Istanbul, you see stray cats lounging on café chairs and dogs napping in shop doorways. These animals aren't pests. They're neighbors.

Local governments back this model. They provide essential services like medical care and sterilization programs. Veterinary clinics collaborate with authorities to offer free or low-cost services. This keeps the animal population in check and ensures they don't pose a public health risk. The Istanbul model challenges conventional urban wildlife management. It presents a humane, sustainable alternative.

In the West, pet ownership dominates urban living. People pour money into their pets, reshaping homes and cities to cater to animals. Pet-friendly parks, businesses, specialized services like grooming and daycare. It shows affection but shifts the focus away from human needs.

Maybe there is a way to have pets and animals but not remake our society around them.