Do You Consider Your Pet Part of the Family?
I recently read some very interesting statistics regarding how we view our pets. A study was conducted in 1957 by the American Veterinary Association and 43% of the people surveyed viewed their pets as part of the family. When that study was repeated in 2004 the figure had jumped to 94%! Can you even imagine what it is now……97%, or maybe even 100%! As the years have gone by our pets have become more than just pets to us and in many ways they have become true members of our families. This post today will share with you my opinions as to why that is and I will also be telling real-life stories directly related to the issue. I hope you enjoy!
Let me start off by talking about why I think we see our pets as members of our families. I think first and foremost there are millions of pets around the world and the number of household pets has been rising. I think more people are being exposed to pets and the wonderful happiness and comfort they can bring to us. As human beings, we tend to spoil people and animals alike. Just think about when you were a kid, I bet you had plenty of experience with spoiling. There is a saying I have seen on infant’s outfits that reads “If Mom says no, ask Grandma!”…..so we are taught at an early age spoiling = love.
Pets cannot speak to us, yet we speak to them all the time. We tell them they are good, tell them we love them, and some of us even have personal conversations with them. The reason for this is simple: since pets cannot speak to us, we have no fear of being judged or ridiculed. We have a way to get out our anger, our frustration, our sadness without being rejected. It’s like having your own personal therapist - pets are open-minded, and I don’t know how they do it, but they always know when you are sad.
Let me pause here for a little while and just tell you a few real-life stories about my past pets. I can remember having conversations with my last dog and if for any reason I had a rough day, she was always there to cheer me up - she always listened. She was a great dog, and when she had to be put to sleep, it was a really big deal in my family. It was a hard decision, but we didn’t want her to suffer. When an animal has been a part of your life for over 15 years, it is incredibly hard to say goodbye.
Some people may wonder “How can you feel that way? It’s just a dog (or cat)!”, but those people have no true understanding of your relationship with your pet. It is incredibly hard to describe (I know I am having trouble putting it into words right now), but every person who has had a pet knows what I am talking about. Your cat will never yell at you, they will always agree with what you are saying, and listen to your side of the story.
I know my opinion is a popular one among pet owners, but I am really wondering how all of you feel about it. Do you consider your pet part of your family? What are some things you do for (or with) your pet to make them a part of the family?
Again, let me stop here and talk about my last dog for a second. She was a member of our family 100%, she had her own chair in our living room. We had an old recliner she loved to lay around in and no one ever sat in it, it was “her chair”. When she got older, she had problems with her joints but we picked her up so she could enjoy being in her chair.
I am very interested to hear what you have to say about this subject, I think most of you do consider your pet a part of the family, and if you have a reason, I would love to hear it. Please leave me a comment whether you agree with my post or not. If you don’t agree, I would like to know why. All comments will be posted as soon as they are approved!
Thanks for reading! As always your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!
Posted in PetStrong
January 18th, 2008 at 03:02 pm
My family consists of myself, my wife, my son, and our two dogs. Our dogs are as much a part of our lives as any human. They walk with us, sit with us, keep us warm, sleep with us, and go many places we go. I have friends who insists on keeping their pets outside and I just don’t get it. Why have a pet just to keep it outside and out of your life. It seems silly.
So the answer is a BIG yes. Our pets are a significant part of our family and they are given the same courtesy, respect, and love as any other member of our family.
January 19th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I totally agree! I have two cats, and they are my babies. My fiancee and I have no intention of having children, but rather adopting shelter pets, like the two cats we already have.
January 20th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Keeping a dog outside and alone is not just silly it’s inhumane and those people should be shot. My daughter and husband have a 5 year old Golden whom they both consider their first-born son. They also have a human daughter who just turned 4. She knows Cody is her older brother. They have friends who bought a yellow lab puppy and are keeping it outside in the garage and yard! I would like to turn them in for animal abuse but unfortunately, this behavior is not against the law as long as they give the dog food, water and shelter. The only attention the poor thing gets is when he barks too much and the owner yells at him through the door to shut up. Perhaps the cruelty laws need to be tightened to include emotional and psychological cruelty. I would vote for that!
January 20th, 2008 at 12:55 am
And to the problem with dogs left in cars because they are not allowed in most stores, the answer is: our nation needs to get more pet friendly. In Vienna Austria where I grew up, there is no law against having a pet in an apartment anywhere. There is no store or restaurant which will not allow a well-behaved dog on a leash accompanying their guardian. All dogs are required to wear a woven leather muzzle which is like a basket around the dog’s snout only and does not bother them at all. Dogs are also allowed on buses, street cars or subways and in any park, on a leash. That’s what we need in this country: a much more pet friendly attitude.