Life without animals, either in the wild or as pets, is nearly impossible to imagine.
It’d be like thinking of the sky without birds, a forest without bears and deer, a sea without fish, or for many of us, a home without a dog or cat.
Some of us build our lives around animals.
These critters can capture the interest of a child and make adults feel healthier and more at ease. That could be one reason why so many Americans own pets.
Recent surveys have reported that Americans care for about 77 million pet cats. In addition, there are more than 43 million dog owners—and 65 million dogs—in the United States.
Birds, fish, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and reptiles of various sorts also are popular.
Some studies have indicated what all those pet owners already know intuitively—that people enjoy health benefits from the human-animal bond. It seems that pets can help people lower their blood pressure or cope with disabilities.
Senior citizens and children receive enormous comfort from the companionship of pets.
Living with animals has many benefits, but to enjoy those benefits we also must accept the responsibility for keeping the animals healthy.
Local veterinarians make sure that animals get the care they need, whether it’s repairing broken bones or prescribing medication.
They get the job done when it counts, making our lives with animals that much more enjoyable.
This year, for instance, North Americans will spend close to $50 billion on their pets. That’s approximately double the combined foreign aid budgets of Canada and the United States. There has never been a society that devoted more time and money to keeping, pampering, and generally indulging its animals.
Why do pet owners act this way?
Their behavior is typical of a growing trend: extreme humanization of pet animals. Theories abound to explain this: alienation from technological societies, loneliness, excess disposable income, confusion about what it means to be human, you name it.
The bottom line is that pets, in particular cats and dogs, are increasingly on the receiving end of the full range of human emotions. Like it or loathe it, they are substitutes for children, husbands, wives, and work.
From the beginning of settled communities, our dealings with animals have included a “pet-type” relationship.
But it’s running wild today. The US, for example, has its largest ever number of pets — 378 million. That is nearly 100 million more pets than people.
And the value of the US pet industry has been increasing for the past decade. It is expected to reach a staggering $35.9 billion this year — around the annual budget of the state of Massachusetts.
It’s big business in the UK too: the industry was valued at $6.8 billion during the past decade — more than the government’s science spending.
In addition the nature of our expenditure is extraordinary. In the US, kidney transplants are available for cats and dogs, at $10,000 a go.
Your pet can have cosmetic surgery, including breast and wrinkle reduction, have its claws painted and encrusted with jewels, and snuggle up with a ferret sleeping bag or maybe a self-warming pet mat.
While we’ve been tinkering with the genetic make-up of pets for centuries through selective breeding, advanced genetic techniques are something else. Now there are plans to produce hypo-allergenic “sneeze-free” cats.
These animals will be some of the first “lifestyle” pets, whose genes have been tweaked to “improve the ownership experience.” They are available at a cost of around $3,500 each.
Still, pets are a bargain for what pets bring to human lives. How they can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, raise the chance of survival after a heart attack and spread cheer. Studies show that there is value in companionship.
Nearly any pet owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, a pet provides more comfort than a spouse.
It seems people feel less nervous around pets, because pets don’t judge.
While no scientific study has deconstructed exactly why pets boost our well-being, most pet owners would probably say it doesn’t matter. It’s enough to know that like many of the other basic joys in life, a pet’s affection is simple, easy, and mercifully unconditional.
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Top o’ the morning!