House pet vs farm animal


A friend posted a photo with capybara.

I want to ask if this is his pet or a farm animal.

How do I say this?

Should I use these words? 家畜, ペット




Frankly, at least for me, asking if a capybara is a pet is just too outrageous
for anything to sound natural (although apparently, it is technically possible
in Japan).

* * *

I guess normally people would say 飼ってるんですか to ask if it is a pet.

家畜 refers to animals kept for some sort of utilities - meat, agriculture etc.
As far as I know, in Japan, capybaras are not used for any of these. Mostly
they are in zoos, and animals in zoos are pragmatically neither ペット nor 家畜.
They are just 動物.




Frankly, at least for me, asking if a capybara is a pet is just too outrageous
for anything to sound natural (although apparently, it is technically possible
in Japan).

* * *

I guess normally people would say 飼ってるんですか to ask if it is a pet.

家畜 refers to animals kept for some sort of utilities - meat, agriculture etc.
As far as I know, in Japan, capybaras are not used for any of these. Mostly
they are in zoos, and animals in zoos are pragmatically neither ペット nor 家畜.
They are just 動物.

