Life is no way to treat an animal.
—Kurt Vonnegut, 2005Quotes
The fox knows lots of tricks, the hedgehog only one—but it’s a winner.
—Archilochus, c. 650 BCMan, when perfected, is the best of animals, but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all.
—Aristotle, c. 350 BCAnimals, in their generation, are wiser than the sons of men, but their wisdom is confined to a few particulars, and lies in a very narrow compass.
—Joseph Addison, 1711I hate the sight of monkeys; they remind me so of poor relations.
—Henry Luttrell, 1820Alas! We are ridiculous animals.
—Horace Walpole, 1777Every ass thinks himself worthy to stand with the king’s horses.
—Gnomologia, 1732Men, my dear, are very queer animals—a mixture of horse nervousness, ass stubbornness, and camel malice.
—T. H. Huxley, 1895There are some who, if a cat accidentally comes into the room, though they neither see it nor are told of it, will presently be in a sweat and ready to die away.
—Increase Mather, 1684What delight can there be, and not rather displeasure, in hearing the barking and howling of dogs? Or what greater pleasure is there to be felt when a dog followeth a hare than when a dog followeth a dog?
—Thomas More, 1516Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals—except the weasel.
—The Simpsons, 1993When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.
—Winston Churchill, 1945Cows are among the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them—and, in short, I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures.
—Thomas De Quincey, 1821