tamascotchi:

cowboys are hardly comparable because theyre such a unique and different pet altogether. with clowns its a lot of fun and ruckus and though the space requirements aren’t much more than a large circus tent, they do tend to make a lot of noise and mess, whereas cowboys need acres upon acres of open land that doesnt need much upkeep (you can mow it every now and then, but if you let the grass just keep growing eventually you can train them to cut it themselves- it’s a territorial/grooming instinct that they might be happier if they can express. personal choice though)

not to mention clowns may require a ton of fun props and gags that are relatively cheap individually but add up rather quickly, but cowboys NEED ranch animals to thrive. you know i walked into a petstore once and saw a cowboy setup with a fucking plastic horse? like, the machine ones. THAT was being sold as this “deluxe play equipment” as an “upgrade” from rocking horses. it pissed me off. if you can’t own a horse, don’t get a fucking cowboy. and yeah sometimes that can be enough to satisfy their rancher needs, but if you can sustain a small herd of cattle, that’d definitely be the optimal setup.

“oh theyre cute i like the spurs on their boots, but i dont give my cowboys real ranches because i dont like hearing their little calls” that call is of a satisfied vaquero who is confident in his territory and welcoming challengers (its in their nature.) if you are repressing that need & that call, youre literally repressing their happiness and youre a gunsel who shouldnt be handling ANY pets.