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Why do we own pets ? - Ethan Langley, Wilson's School

Why do we keep pets as our some of our closest friends? <i>(Image: Pixabay)</i>
Why do we keep pets as our some of our closest friends? (Image: Pixabay)

Within the modern day, it is not a rarity to common across a pet owner, who in most circumstances will make themselves known without any prior inquiry. But, with how common it is you would think there is some untold reason or perhaps a great truth behind keeping pets. That’s what I hope to explore today.

 

I asked around my local neighbourhood, especially the avid dog walkers who seem to almost leap at the opportunity for small talk, and they all had very similar answers. One sweet older lady, age 86, said that her pets “never seem to get bored, and at [her] age that sort of liveliness seems to almost brighten up [her] own life.” Another couple of slightly younger countenances, sadly I never did quite catch their age, said “[their] dog is basically the only baby [they] plan to have at the moment”. I think this encapsulates one of the main attractants for pets, their company. This manifests in different ways for different people, but at its heart, the idea of the company of a loving creature, in lieu of humans, is what really sells it for some as shown by these two examples.

 

This attractant seemed more prevalent in dog owners than cat owners. Cat owners, are more reclusive and therefore hard to draw an answer out of, but one mother and daughter agreed to talk with me and I quote “[the cats] are really cute to look at until they leave a trail of vomit under your seat”. It is obvious, no one adopts a pet for all the upkeep they require, but quite elegantly said how “really cute” they are.  This is what draws people in, nearly all pets, especially the most common ones; cats and dogs are adorable. Merely looking at them it is hard not to have a smile brim at your lips.

This Is Local London:
This Is Local London:

 

 

This isn’t just hearsay there is research to back this up,many studies suggest:

 

  • Spending with a dog, cat, or any other pet can raise levels of dormant serotonin and dopamine over time, which are both hormones associated with happiness, relaxation, and calmness.

 

  • Pet owners have significantly decreased cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than the average non-pet owner.

 

Pets. Over hundreds of years, we domesticated more than it’s possible to number, but they are man’s company through life, through thick and thin, and always a slobbering smile or curled-up ball to return home to every night. We own pets because they quite simply "brighten up" our lives.