Tame

    I've been considering just how domesticated these domesticated animals are. Judging by the ferocious beast I live with, it might be simpler just to consider them tame, rather than domesticated. (OT, but I made a great typo, and Ferocious Beats might be the best band (or hip-hop collective) name ever!) She's sweet and everything and in most instances would probably be too timid to survive in the world outside, but on another level, the wildcat is still there and not far below the surface. There is no question that if I let her out, there would be fewer birds and squirrels outside. I kid about her ferocity, but it's really there.
    The same is true of dogs. They're friendly and nice and loyal to a fault, but that may be the fault. The wolf is never far away, and the tendency to want to defend the pack can lead to very unfortunate consequences. Granted if the wolf in question is a toy poodle, the consequences are not likely to be very bad, but a bigger dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to other dogs. Much as the cliche is about cats and dogs fighting, it seems like cats mainly fight other cats and dogs other dogs.
    I suppose we truly domesticate the animals that we want to eat. If we want to use the animal to protect us, either from criminals or from rodents, it behooves us to tame them rather than truly domesticate them. The Monkey would agree with me, but she is ferociously napping.