Millions of people throughout the world now own a pet, whether it’s a fish, hamster or even a cat or a dog, and for most of us, our pets may as well be our family. Most of the pets we keep are domesticated, but throughout the world, often more exotic animals are kept, such as snakes, monkeys or even lizards. Pets are different from animals such as livestock, working or sports animals, or lab animals, these animals are often kept for economic reasons, whereas pets are kept for a variety of personal, non-financial reasons. Owning a pet is often a big responsibility, as you will have to pay to take care of it, whether that is vets bills, insurance or just money for it to live.

What is a Pet?

A pet is an animal kept for companionship and enjoyment or a household animal. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful characteristics, for their attractive appearance, or for their song. Pets also generally seem to provide their owners with non-trivial health benefits;  keeping pets has been shown to help relieve stress to those who like having animals around. There is now a medically-approved class of ‘therapy animals’, mostly dogs, which are brought to visit confined humans. Walking a dog can provide both the owner and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and social interaction.

Animal Restrictions

Many cities and towns have local ordinances limiting the number of pets a person may have, and may also restrict or forbid certain pets, such as exotic varieties. Certain breeds of dog, such as pit bulls and rottweilers, are banned in some places. Dogs/other canid/wolf mixes are also banned in some places. In many locations, animals that are considered pets by their owners but are legally classified as livestock, including horses, pigs, camels and fowl may be banned from being kept within the city limits or restricted to property of a certain larger size.

Condominium associations and rental properties often ban all animals or animals that cannot be confined to a cage or aquarium because of the smells and noise associated with them.

Popular Pets

Around 63 percent of all U.S. households (71.1 million) are pet owners, and more than half of these households have more than one animal. The two most popular pets in most Western countries have been cats and dogs. In the United States, a 2007-2008 survey showed that dog-owning households outnumbered those owning cats, but that the total number of pet cats was higher than that of dogs. Combined reptiles are the next popular followed by birds then horses.

The average cost of a dog over its lifetime is estimated at about $33,152 (£20,000). People most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property, or because of the beauty of the animals. The most common reasons for not owning a pet are lack of time, lack of suitable housing, and lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling.

According to the 2007-2008 Pet Owners survey, the most owned pet in the U.S were freshwater fish, hitting a staggering 171.7 million owned. Second were Cats (at 93.6 million), followed by dogs (77.5 million), followed by ‘small animals’ such as hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, rats etc (15.9 million), birds (15 million), reptiles (13.6 million), horses (13.3 million) and finally, salt water fish (11.2 million).

Health Benefits and Risks of owning Pets

Pets have the ability to stimulate their caregivers, in particular the elderly, giving people someone to take care of, someone to exercise with, and someone to help them heal from a physically or psychologically troubled past. Having a pet may help people achieve health goals, such as lowered blood pressure, or mental goals, such as decreased stress. There appears to be evidence that having a pet can help a person lead a longer, healthier life. In a study of 92 people hospitalized for coronary ailments, within a year 11 of the 29 without pets had died, compared to only 3 of the 52 who had pets. A recent study concluded that owning a pet can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 2% and that pets are better than medication in reducing blood pressure. Owning a pet can also prolong survival of a heart attack. Dogs which are trained to be guide dogs can help people with disabilities.

Some of the unfortunate risks of owning domesticated animals includes a possible aggravation of allergies or asthma, caused by fur or feathers, however, most of the time, these allergies are mild. There is also a risk of falling injuries with pets, especially dogs, as tripping over pets caused more than 86,000 falls serious enough to need hospital treatment each year in the United States. Pets may also pose risks if they are not taken care of properly, spreading diseases and/or parasites such as rabies.