We love to live in blissful ignorance and I have to remind myself that for some, this is the preferred modus operandi.

Truth, in general, can be so overwhelming and difficult to digest, that calculated detachment is necessary in order to be functional. But this detachment can turn into denial and has the ability to cheat us from following and sticking to our values, principles and beliefs.

Nowhere is this more evident than in choosing what we consider food and what we shame others for eating.

For example, while most of western society is accustomed to thinking about pigs, cows and chickens as sustenance, common pets transition into our homes, get taught human-like behaviors and in many instances, are regarded in higher esteem than some house guests.

In my household, that is the case.

So, who decides what animals are worthy of our love and attention while others are mostly relegated to second-class citizen status strictly for our use? While some species enjoy lavish luxuries, some only worthy of the rich and famous, others' short lives are tragic and dreadful.

What we do for our pets

The market for pet products and services has increased from $3.2 billion in 2008 to $3.4 billion in 2009 with a growing interest in health care. Amidst the most hilarious and somewhat ridiculous are pet wigs, jewelry, custom clothing, pet yoga, gourmet meal delivery, pet therapy, psychics and pet perfume.

I prefer to use the term friends in lieu of pets. Isn’t that what they are after all?

Spike is a rambunctious little six-pound maltese with a Napoleon syndrome and anger issues. His walks are seldom without amusing altercations as he protects me against possible dangers. Large dogs must impose a rather menacing threat as his size does not prevent him from attempting to charge, growl and show teeth in a viral attempt for territorial dominance.

He is quite fond of humping the cats when animated, sneezing repeatedly when his excitement cannot be contained, and religiously believes that there is an “X” at the bottom of the garbage can, which desperately needs to be explored whenever I am not looking.

My love-hate Spike habit? Shrieking at his reflection on the glass shower door and oven.

Meridian, on the other hand, is cool and collected unless his food bowl is empty. He is a large 18-pound robust black cat with major attachment issues. He has calmed down significantly from his destructive days of breaking blenders and knocking down any food or drink on stainable floors, surfaces and clothing.

He will follow you everywhere, unless he is upside down in the middle of the rug, or joyfully chewing on shoelaces, which he later vomits.

Naima — we refer to her endearingly as kitty-girl — is a gorgeous Persian with all the annoying chatty traits. She is quite regal in appearance and worthy of her own Friskies commercial.

She always wants to talk circa the crack of dawn and enjoys getting groomed by her fatter counterpart.

I am quite aware that I speak of Spike, Meridian and Naima with the same zest and pride of a father carrying around a myriad of pictures of what most would consider ugly children. I don’t care, they are perfect.

Our pets in other countries

Would you be complacent if Spike, Meridian and Naima were raised for food?

In some countries, eating dog is a common practice including China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and Korea. Cat is somewhat more common worldwide including southern China, Korea, certain parts of Peru, rural areas of Switzerland and Spain. In Cameroon, eating cat is embraced as an activity that brings good luck.

If you are having trouble reading this, I understand. For a vegan, writing this is very painful.

But I have to wonder: Survival aside, if more of us had grown up with personal relationships to animals considered acceptable for human consumption, would the vegetarian/vegan population be larger than 3.4 percent in the United States?

Some use the logic that smaller brains equates to a lesser awareness of their environment and suffering. Knowing them means understanding just how smart and sophisticated these animals are, without our help, without yoga, and without the latest Louis Vuitton accessory.

What are they like?

Pigs are adorable animals, considered to be smarter than their canine counterparts with intellect comparable to a 3-year old. They are über hilarious, can be taught to follow instructions, recognize their names and do tricks. With about two billion types, there are more species of domestic pigs than their wild counterparts.

Cows are intelligent and inquisitive. Researches have identified many human-like behaviors like having best friends, cliques and social circles. Some have even gone as far as documenting cow’s sexual preferences and classified them as gay nymphomaniacs. They look calm, but underneath it all, they are huffing and puffing like horny rabbits.

Chickens are perhaps the most abused and over consumed animal. Red meat is abandoned readily by those with health concerns, while chicken consumption reached 9,069,382,000 in the U.S. in 2008.

Studies have shown that chickens have self-control and can predict the future. A study published in Animal Behavior showed that “unlike humans, the chicken brain has a remarkable capacity to repair itself fully after trauma, which has puzzled neuroscientists for years.”

In the U.S., 10 billion animals are consumed yearly. At those numbers, it is nearly impossible to ensure they are treated better. To expect a society to turn animal-free is utopian and nonsensical, but to lessen our dependence on them is possible.