Am I out of place here too?

[Darkmoor]

What if the zoo component of one's life isn't held in exclusivity?
Does it elevate or diminish some sort of standing on some zoo scale of "zooier than thou" comparison?
Is there a middle ground?

 

[egoldstein]

What if the zoo component of one's life isn't held in exclusivity?
Does it elevate or diminish some sort of standing on some zoo scale of "zooier than thou" comparison?
Is there a middle ground?

We've talked about this many times in the past, but it's something to talk about (again), so here goes my opinion.
So long as we're providing the care and attention needed for our companions, it doesn't matter to me what other partners a person may or may not have. I'm interested in the well being and happiness of the companion mostly, so if they're OK with a person having other partners who am I to butt in?
I'm largely zoo exclusive and have been for a long time now, I say largely because I don't rule out the possibility of a human partner, I just don't see it as very likely given my interest.

We've seen no shortage of people who claim to love their companions, but through apathy, ignorance, mental illness, or whatever have fallen well short of even the basic standards of care provided by non-zoos. We've also known people who didn't claim to be in love with and were not exclusive to their non-human companions who've provided care that was exemplary. I don't think the feelings or exclusivity matter so much as the care and treatment, that at least I can see and evaluate.

 

[Kazegami]

Being exclusive could imply a stronger and more respectful relationship, the likelyhood of long-term support and dedication, but it could also reveal limited understanding, isolation, coping, coercion etc.

Like most things, real actions and behavior speak volumes... The rest are just blanket categories for simplicity and judgement. The 'middle ground' should not care about exclusive or not, but about the animal's welfare.

 

[stinkyskunk]

I don't believe in any form of monogamy.

 

[Twelvepaws]

Exclusivity is just a label for people to recognize each other based on common points of interest. People like to talk to people who are similar to them. That's why we like to categorize everyone. There's nothing wrong with that if it's used well.

It is likely that exclusive zoo people care more about their animals than traditional zoo people, but there are certainly many exceptions or the opposite. It's just a rule of thumb.