Pet

Lore & Background

Pets provide their owners both physical and emotional benefits. Walking a dog can provide exercise, fresh air, and social interaction.

Pets can give companionship to people living alone or elderly adults with limited social interaction. There is a medically approved class of therapy animals brought to visit confined humans, such as children in hospitals or elders in nursing homes. Pet therapy utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, or emotional goals with patients.

People most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property, or because of the perceived beauty of the animals. A 1994 Canadian study found the most common reasons for not owning a pet were lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling (34.6%), lack of time (28.6%), and lack of suitable housing (28.3%). Some scholars, ethicists, and animal rights organizations have raised concerns about the perceived lack of autonomy and objectification of animals kept as pets.

Keeping animals as pets may be detrimental to their health if certain requirements are not met. Inappropriate feeding can produce clinical effects; for example, chocolate or grapes can be fatal to dogs, and onions and garlic can lead to hemolytic anemia in dogs. Certain houseplants can prove toxic if consumed by pets. House pets, particularly dogs and cats in industrialized societies, are highly susceptible to obesity, which increases risk of diabetes, liver problems, joint pain, kidney failure, and cancer.

Reader's Guide

Pets hold significant cultural and economic importance worldwide. In China, spending on domestic animals grew from an estimated $3.12 billion in 2010 to $25 billion in 2018, with 755 million pets total. In the United States, there are approximately 86.4 million pet cats and 78.2 million pet dogs. Pets outnumbered children four to one in the United States in 2013.

The presence of pets in households correlates with various health outcomes, though causality remains debated. A 2017 RAND study found that in children, having a pet did not improve physical or mental health by a statistically significant amount; instead, healthier children were more likely to get pets. However, other studies have observed correlations between pet ownership and reduced heart disease risk, lower triglycerides in the elderly, and therapeutic effects in dementia cases. Pets also influence social lives and community connections.

Research suggests pets may facilitate social interactions. Among homeless populations, pet ownership prompts responsible behavior, with many choosing not to drink or use drugs for fear of losing their pet. Health risks include aggravation of allergies and asthma, and falls—tripping over pets causes more than 86,000 emergency room visits annually in the United States. The legacy of pets is complex, encompassing companionship, health benefits, social bonding, and ethical debates about animal autonomy.