Small Pets can die of starvation, but Cats and Dogs can only die of old age?

Yes, small pets are treated like second class, like objects you interact with. You can be mean to them, starve them to death, give them NUMBING pills, etc Then they die and your sims don't care anyway so...

It's not that I would like cats and dogs to be able to die of starvation (I'm glad is not the case, as with toddlers and children), but it is bizarre that they get such a completely different treatment.