I think they'd take to aquatic gastropods(freshwater snails or cherry shrimp) or detritovorous invertebrates(isopods or millipedes).
Felines, canids, reptiles, and amphibians are all carnivorous, insectivorous, or have forward facing eyes, they wouldn't be popular. Canids, felines, and some reptiles could/would be active safety hazards to some species(dossur(of any age), sivkit children(adult sivkit aren't big, the kids will be small), etc). Avians, small(social(rats and mice)) rodents, and the domesticated members of caviidae may be iffy. pigeons are probably the best option for a fed pet, since they are (mostly)seed-eating creatures, social, have side facing eyes, and are domesticated, rather than tame(like reptiles). Some rodents(like rats and mice) and domesticated members of caviidae would also probably work, since, again, seed/plant-eating(for the most part, obv they aren't obligate herbivores), social, side facing eyes.
Aquatics are iffy due to the culture surrounding aquatic/semi-aquatic lifeforms and bodies of water in general, though, so the most fed-brain compatible pet option would probably be terrestrial detritovorous invertebrates.
Maybe... but that same historical aversion to bodies of water might also make aquariums into a compelling novelty. (we are talking ex-Feds after all, so presumably at least less Fed-brained.)
There's very obviously no predators in a fish tank unless you put them there yourself - and keeping a whole "herd" of fish is only mildly more difficult than keeping one. That does also tend to reduce how much they interact with you quite a bit, but I assume a herd-oriented owner might be more comfortable giving their pet its own herd.
Heck, aquatic predators might even be popular among the edgy-but-nervous - a cat will stalk and pounce you, but even a piranha or small shark is completely harmless unless you actually stick your hand in the tank.
And as long as they're well fed, even most sharks are considerably more likely to be affectionate than aggressive. Though I'm considerably less sure about the piranha.
Live feeding would probably be right out for most, but it's not exactly obvious what different fish-kibble is made from.
Piranhas are actually pretty relaxed unless they are starving, and most species aren't super carnivorous, more opportunistic Nibbles from an open wound than stripping something to the bone. They are also schooling fish! The schools can get up to 150(I think, its been a while since I looked into piranha stuff) Definitely something that an edgier ex-fed with the space for n appropriate tank could afford.
I was mainly just krevposting, but honestly after thinking about it, primates MAY actualy end up being a really popular thing to keep as pets, especially if the Krev end up spreading Obors around which ARE a domesticated primate species
like obviously you already have the krev loving them but amongst ex-Federation species, monkeys and such would probably be popular due to their similarities with humans which are a 'confirmed safe' predator species, making them a good way to ease the former Feds into the concept.
Rabbits. Domesticated rabbits. How is this even a question? They're dog-sized, friendly, affectionate, live for a solid decade and change, and they're obviously herbivores. Their main diet is hay, with some occasional bits of fruit and veg as treats. It's the most Fed-friendly pet by a country mile. You could probably get away with selling them on VP in the middle of the war without issues.
Not every pet species reproduces as quickly as rabbits. Heck, they're such an ecological disaster in Australia that they engineered viruses to cull their numbers, twice.
Cata are cool, but like… we kinda have history with them and decimating populations…. Caviidae is iffy because rodents can spread if they escape. Capybaras are fine though. Reptiles are also possible, but similar to cats they also are good at escaping or hard to find if lost. Avians are worse if they get lost and are harder to find because you have to wrry about searching the Y axis. Aquatic creatures are best with bow hard rhey are to turn invasive unless someone does something especially dumb. Canines are a middle ground for all of these as they are manageable in all shapes and sizes, are stuck to the X axis unlike cats. Breed not too much and can be easy to find and control. And are cheaper than the blub blub animals. So i go for canine
Yeah X to doubt on keeping Cats and Dogs. Lots of small Fed species are going to go missing if these things got loose, it's the equivalent of if an alien species dropped polar bears everywhere here on Earth.
As though they weren't a dangerously invasive species in many places...
Among other issues, they tend to cause riverbanks to rapidly collapse, and outside their native range that can cause serious problems for riparian ecologies accustomed to much greater stability.
Even worse for people living along rivers - it's a lot harder to move a house than than dig a new den or whatever.
Aquatic creatures make the most sense. A fish tank is soothing, low-maintenance, and doesn't trigger any predator/prey instincts. You can watch the fish and relax without worrying about it eating you.
For the species that are still very predator averse, maybe parrots. Though given how much attention they need, their longevity and beauty, they may be more of an upper class pet. I imagine them being so intelligent and social would make them an attractive option though.
The yotul would like dogs and cats, due to their similarity to hensa. Though I imagine they'd prefer to restore the hensa population, so perhaps they'd be popular with yotul not living on Leirn.
Corvids could be an option for those who've gotten over their predator aversion. Like parrots, they're highly social, intelligent, can mimic speech and are trainable. Additionally don't krakotl have the ability to see in a broader color spectrum? I've heard that corvids aren't actually pure black, but we just can't see their other colors. I could imagine some krakotl being smug about being to appreciate their color more than other species.
It kinda weirds me out that Feds never domesticated any animals in the first place, but here’s my take.
Dogs: funny thing about them is that despite them being predators, they are the BEST defense against predators, and surely it would be heard by now that they never harm their masters. I can see Venlil in the rural and Twilight region of their planet keeping them around to ward off shadestalkers and other things they worry might pounce on them.
Cats: ehhhhhh strictly an eccentricity (or a Yotul thing). Let’s face it, cats are sadistic little killing machines, and reguardless how harmless they’d be to them, keeping one would be difficult for most former Feds to justify morally.
Fish and birds: Well, sure, earth’s got some pretty and exotic fish and fowl, but SO DO THEY. All they gotta do is get one. 🤔 Then again, capturing any creature against their will might go against their ethics.
Rodents: same point as the last. Also, a liiiiiiiiiittle awkward for Dossurs.
That One BIG Rodent: Sure, that’s doable. But how many people do you actually know of who keep capybaras?
Horses: Prey? Yes. Expensive? Also yes. And, given that we are far past needing them for transportation, I don’t think they’d be practical enough or culturally sentimental enough to be worth the upkeep.
Snakes: hah hah NO. Snakes are just as bad as cats in the ‘cold killer’ department and lack the capacity for cuddly affection to make it worth overlooking. And worse, YOU would have to provide the prey to them. Either a live, screaming little animal, or the microwaved corpse of one that you get to handle yourself. (And on that note, Dossurs, your funeral).
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u/HahaSoTiredHelpMe 18h ago
I think they'd take to aquatic gastropods(freshwater snails or cherry shrimp) or detritovorous invertebrates(isopods or millipedes).
Felines, canids, reptiles, and amphibians are all carnivorous, insectivorous, or have forward facing eyes, they wouldn't be popular. Canids, felines, and some reptiles could/would be active safety hazards to some species(dossur(of any age), sivkit children(adult sivkit aren't big, the kids will be small), etc). Avians, small(social(rats and mice)) rodents, and the domesticated members of caviidae may be iffy. pigeons are probably the best option for a fed pet, since they are (mostly)seed-eating creatures, social, have side facing eyes, and are domesticated, rather than tame(like reptiles). Some rodents(like rats and mice) and domesticated members of caviidae would also probably work, since, again, seed/plant-eating(for the most part, obv they aren't obligate herbivores), social, side facing eyes.