So are you a vegetarian then blue, because surely keeping, breeding and feeding an animal just to then eat it is worse than keeping a Pet for personal pleasure isnt it ?
I dont think keeping pets is cruel as long as they are well looked after, kept in a proper environment etc etc.
I think though by far the worst pet trade of all is fish keeping, some species of tropical fish are injected with coloured dye to change their colour and Neo Tetra's are so in bred that their breed is full of weak genes and most die. Alot of fish stores dont know what fish go with what.. and give out rubbish advice when you go to purchase.
I've lost count of the times on the tropical fish forums I've read horrible stories, about fish dieing and diesease and species of fish being kept together in a tank where one is the others natural prey, but its OK they are only fish so it doesnt matter...