Q:Can you cuddle squids? Like, would they like that? Is that an ok thing to do? B/c I really love them and they look so soft and I really want to hug them.

Anonymous

squidscientistas:

I am 100% with you on wanting to hug squid and cuttlefish like my cats but we can’t because they have squishy bodies and very delicate skin which is easy to damage, leaving them vulnerable to infection. So sadly, it’s pretty unethical to hug them. Cuttlefish also have delicate cuttlebones which if you hug hard enough, can break. This is a struggle cephalopod biologists face every day, but we can not waver. Just talk to them and look at them then go home and hug a cat or dog. Octopuses are more touchable, but it’s best to let them touch you, not you touch them. Their suckers aren’t as delicate as their skin so if they hug you that’s somewhat kosher (but be careful sometimes they get curious and explore by biting with their extremely sharp beaks so that’s a risk you need to be willing to take if you accept an octopus hug).

Tl;dr don’t touch cephalopods, it’s bad practice.

brynrose:

People are always so surprised by my relationship to animals, they think I should “love” them a whole lot more than I do. But in 24 years I think the most important thing I’ve learned about caring for animals is that love is not actually a huge part of it. I mean it is, obviously. But it’s so damaging too, it’s like the antithesis to balance. Unchecked it results in dogmatic, self-serving fervor. More important than love to your relationship with animals: respect, understanding, critical thinking, thoughtfulness, kindness, gentleness. Empathy. Perspective. Distance and space when necessary. The ability to let go.

(via moreanimalia)

Source: brynrose