Since I don’t have a pet, I began to imagine what kind of pet I would want. I quickly found my mind venturing into unconventional territory while still remaining within the bounds of animals that actually exist, and the documentary My Octopus Teacher on Netflix popped into my head. Logistically it must be near impossible to keep one in captivity, seeing as they are very intelligent and mobile creatures, but let’s say I managed to provide an appropriate environment and I had an octopus as a pet.

I’d make my pet understand that life in the wild is way less enjoyable and worthwhile than being in my home with me. It would be very sad to see the octopus miserable because he/she is hardwired to desire certain stimuli that cannot realistically be met by an isolated container or me. If my pet octopus understood this, then it would give me peace of mind that I was not depriving him/her of a better life. Of course I would love and care for my pet octopus, knowing full well that neglecting him/her would be cruel, but the radical change the octopus would have to deal with compared to pets that have been domesticated over many generations is what I would want to address above all.