Very bizarre hypothetical question- sorry if offends

So we were in Tahoe recently with friends and were talking about the Donner party. For those who don't know, they were a big group of people who were lost in a blizzard in Tahoe a long time ago and ended up having to eat not only all their animals, but eventually each other.

My friends, who know how much we adore Zoe and think of her as part of our family asked if we could ever eat Zoe if it were a similar life and death situation. I absolutely would not. I would die of starvation first. My friend contended that hunger would take over and we would probably end up doing it. I realize this is a macabre question- but do you think you could? I still say I'd die first!

No way in hell. I don't think I could. I'd be inclined to eat my own arm before I could kill my best friend.

I'd probably die off before the dogs so I'm not worried about that!

Yup, I'd die first.

No way. I'd probably die first anyways.

I couldn't ever eat my own dogs.

~Tucker

That's what I insisted but my friend thinks the hunger and will to live would just be too powerful, like it was for the Donners. They ate their own relatives!

No, god no.

However, if he did die first, i might. i'd probably kill myself before that happened, though.

First of all this was a REALLY GOOD documentary on the Donners and it gave me the feeling that these people were not right in the head to begin with.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/index.html

I would NEVER EVER eat my dogs NEVER! I would just have to starve to death and any food I had would go to my family then my dog first before I get any! I would not let my family or even my young nephew eat the dogs either. (you know the more I type this the more I realize what a strange conversation this is.:lol-sign I trust in GOD and I would put my faith in him. If it's my time to go then it's my time to go.

Honestly- there are a couple people in my husband's side of the family I'd probably gnaw on! just kiddin'

only on Chaz.

yeah, i'd probably feed Milo before i fed myself. Where were this people? I'd eat tree bark or something before i ate my family.

I know that on the discovery channel they did a documentary about how your mind set changes once fighting for survival (Like if a vegetarian was lost in the forest for a week, of course he/she would kill a bird and eat it.) What would keep you from eating your HUMAN loved one if you had to?? as much as I love Lily, I do not think I would KILL her for food. If she died first, of course I would eat her. Seriously people if your dog died, and you were starving you would not, eat your dog? I find that hard to believe. Also, if you love your family so much that you would eat tree bark before you ate your family (Husband kids, brother sister mom dad etc.) dont you find that REALLY selfish that you do not allow your own FAMILY your HUMAN family, the ones that are flesh of your flesh, blodd of your blood, to eat the dog? seriously whats more important? If my family and I were stranded somewhere and they were starving, if Lily died or was alive I would NOT let my family die of starvation, I would allow them to eat my dog.
Also, Lily is a trained hunter so if we were stranded, we would use her to hunt, but still. Also if you would kill yourself before you ate your dog, what would happen to the dog after you die? oh yeah, he would probally eat YOU. Because their animals. Do you think that if you died your dog would say "Oh man I cant eat my family, this is the man/woman who provided for me since I was a puppy!" No they wouldnt, as much as we would like to think so, dogs dont think like that. They would eat you. Freshly killed flesh... why not?their animals. Dogs are animals so they think like animals.

This is actually a tough question. Of course now, being warm and securely fed, I say a resounding NO. But if I were literally starving to death, then who knows? Your body chemistry and mental stablility does change when you get that hungry. Of course, if it were the middle of winter, I'd probably end up freezing to death first because I get cold easily anyway and don't have too many stores to rely on to keep me going.

Not even a chance. Despite the fact that I find eating cats and dogs repulsive beyond belief (I might eat horse and certainly would eat a cow, pig, chickens, ducks, etc) I view them as pets, as members of the family. CharliesMommy gave a pretty gruesome visual about Charlie and a cat that didn't get out of her yard fast enough, I can't even begin to tell you how it sickened me and made me wish I had skipped her post--to me, cats are not food, period, and neither are dogs. (NOT that I am blaming her or Charlie.. he's a dog and doesn't know better, and she was just making a post. It just planted a nasty visual in my head. I am sure it was much worse for her, though.)

Eating my family? ****ing hell no. I don't care HOW hungry I am, I'll eat my shoes, dirt, ANYTHING first. You know the saying "You are what you eat?" Well, I know what they eat. And I'm not putting THAT into my body. (Not to mention the same thing goes for humans with me.. humans are NOT food.. can't even begin to visualize them as food.)

Keep in mind that the Donner family didn't kill anyone- they just ate those who died before them. And they were pretty much frozen solid. This is so gross, never mind!

I am in agreement with "you don't know until you are in that situation".... but I would literally do anything I had to do to keep my children alive.
Things look alot different when you are frozen, starving, and close to death....than sitting in a warm room with a refrigerator full of food (and just talking about it)

I couldn't say it any better

Anyone read Miracle in the Andes? It's the autobiography of one of the survivors of the flight that crashed on a glacier high in the Andes. The survivors lasted over 70 days on a completely barren, frozen mountain by eating the bodies of those who died. Most of the people on the plane were young, strongly Christian men. The book and movie Alive are about the event, but the newer book is a much better read, and really goes into the mental state of the victims and how they were able to come to terms with the situation and what they needed to do to survive.

I don't think I could ever kill Meg to feed myself, and I like to think that I would share whatever meager food I had with her. But if she was already dead, and I was starving? Who knows? Granted, she's so lean, there'd hardly be anything there to eat anyway.

Absolutely agreed.

No chance! I love him way too much! Of course the whole mental situation changes but I couldn't and wouldn't! I would eat my body parts if I had too and even if he died before me (not likely) I couldn't eat his remains! He's my best friend and I wouldn't abuse that even if he did die. And I couldn't eat him anyway, there's no meat on him!