Hi all, this is long but here it is:
First of all, the act of justifying removing animals from their mothers before the mother decides to, no matter the specie, has it's own proven psychological, physical, behavioral, and even generational issues long term. I heard of people taking even rats as pets. I think rats are gross but even rats need their mothers longer than many species.
Animals being bred to be "better pets" is a manmade love so there's no such thing as "a pet's unconditional love". You forced them to love you and only love you and didn't leave a choice for them not to be anything else.
The way I see it, the way pet culture runs here feels more like a marketing or an MLM scheme. Having pets is pushed because it means having to buy insurance, pet deposit, grooming, behavioral schools, etc. That all comes across as "How can we give people more reasons to spend more money" and keep them busy figuring out all that and keep them distracted from many important things in their lives and others lives.
Pets in the US are also not always native species, meaning the animal will struggle to adapt to the habitat, and other native animals will have either a new predator or be replaced. People complain about birds being in danger from the same new breed humans themselves introduced, and then blame the animal and have to create new rules to "protect the animals". And non-native breeds will also naturally suffer to adapt to the new cold or hot and not have their natural preys, and they can't even practice their natural hunting or gathering of their own food, meaning less movement, more internal and medical issues for the pet and more doctor visits, and more "tricks" to help the animal survive, and meaning spending more money in most cases. Also putting the manufactured breed (like cats) in danger because they're not set to fight off the natural predators in this land that are not normal to them, and then having to put a bandaid over a bandaid and have to lock the cats indoors to again "protect" them. So it's like a cycle that humans and pets alike can't break from anymore.
Furthermore, people who own pets in the US come across as having a superiority complex. This animal now can't decide to have a family unless you allow it (most people don't), it won't see the sun unless you're blessed with an apartment that has a window facing the sun at some point, have enough space, and what brand of food you can afford. And they aren't even allowed to rely on their natural instinct unless humans approve of that instinct so they forget it or are bred out of it even, and animals who don't get blessed with an owner on time in most cases are euthanized.
People who use the "you should see how poppy is happy when I get home" as a proof that the animal is happy, are living in a delusion that was man-made to specially act exactly this way. Of course the animal is happy, you're his only source of food and survival. This is more heartbreaking than wholesome to me.
Now we do need to acknowledge that perhaps in the US it's basically "too late" now to undo it. Dogs already have been bred out of most of their basic instincts to survive alone without humans, and non-native cats breed and some birds even also don't know any other home anymore, but this at least needs to be acknowledged. It's not cute, not ethical, and non-native breeds and the native ones too are already here and have been altered too far and won't know how to survive without the humans anymore and most need "a home" now. A human home, not their home but YOURS.
Pet owners (not all, but most) act as if they're superior to both, the humans without pets and to the pets themselves without knowing and seem to be stuck in this savior or superiority complex. Thinking your pet loves you unconditionally but you already had to "teach" it how to behave in a way that pleases you, you basically are beating the normal survival instinct out of them most of the time. So, all they know is to "love you". This is them having no other choice basically.
It all comes across as manufactured love/relationship. You're not letting the animal choose so the survival biased will take its role and the only pets that survive are the ones ok with living with a human. Not any human, YOU specifically if they're lucky you come across them.
Animals can and have lived with humans and adapted, many do actually LOVE humans or love living amongst them, this is totally normal for many breeds or species. But it's only normal if both parties have the absolute and unconditional CHOICE and can choose to leave or choose when or how often to frequent this human habitat!
Thanks for reading.