Where I used to live, there was an island with wild horses that would swim to the mainland occasionally (there was an actual event for this, but I'm not talking about that). You'd just be chilling on the beach, having a good day, when suddenly, a horse appears. It uses confusion. It is super effective. Everyone stares at it as it walks out of the waves, shakes like a dog, and then trots off. Very nearby was a pretty rural area, and anyone with horses in that area would tell stories about the island horses straight up stealing their horses, and them having to talk to state wild life department about it and get their horses back from the new wild horse's roving harem nearby in one of the swamps.
Honestly can you imagine how weird domestication must be to wild animals... Like just imagine driving down into a back roads area... noting some large ugly creature there... then seeing a small luxury area but still completely foreign to you, and inside it are people. You approach and be "Hey who are you? want to come to society", and they are like "nah long as we do these weird tasks we don't understand for these random other creatures, they feed us and let us sleep on these comfy beds... were cool man".
I know a lot of people that would be very happy with the last part
I always wonder, if I lead a good and virtuous life, if I could get reincarnated as a resort dog. Just a chill lab that wanders from cabin to cabin, receiving love and snacks, all before taking a nice nap. Then maybe a nice swim.
All basic needs met just for existing!, Being a domesticated animal actually does seem like it beats the hell out of wild life...
Course I suppose it depends on what animal what context. Obviously a workhorse, or any food animals would be pretty horrific. I'd imagine though zoo animals, pets, etc... would be pretty superior lifes than even humans carve out for themselves.
While yeah also an insane horror movie plot if "when they turn 40, they walk into that barn and never come out".
Must be why cats bring their catches to their humans, to them we're just giant kitties in their colony who suck at hunting.
I read an interesting article on that a while ago, unfortunately I can’t to find it anymore rn. If I remember correctly, it stated cats don’t think of humans as kittens (or generally as cats) but are able to recognize us as a different species. At the same time, they apparently still consider us part of their colony and in the wild cats care for their offspring together, so one part goes hunting while the others look after the kittens. Same happens when cats bring us „gifts“. (Might be misremembering stuff and can’t check how trustworthy the article was, so take it with a big grain of salt, I’d be happy to get educated by someone more knowledgeable)
