Pet

his article is about animals kept for companionship. For "PET" used as an acronym, see PET. For "PETS" used as an acronym, see PETS. For Medical PET Scans, see PET Scans.
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 The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with USA and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (February 2010)
A cat and dog, the two most popular pets
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals and sport animals which are kept for economic reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their attractive appearances and their loyal or playful personalities. Their pedigree may also be a factor.
In some cases pets may also provide their owners with benefits, such as providing companionship to elderly adults who do not have adequate social interaction with other people.[1] [2] While some people believe in the physical and emotional benefits of owning a pet, scientists are currently working to verify these ideas with medical studies.[3] There is now a medically-approved class of "therapy animals," mostly dogs, that are brought to visit confined humans. Pet therapy utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, and emotional goals with patients.[4] Walking a dog can provide both the owner and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and social interaction. Pet keeping is consider by some as animal slavery. It raises concerns for animals rights[5][6]
The most popular pets are dogs and cats, but there are also rodent pets, such as gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas, fancy rats, and guinea pigs; avian pets, such as canaries, parakeets, and parrots; reptile pets, such as turtles, lizards and snakes; and aquatic pets, such as tropical fish and frogs.


Local restrictions

Many cities and towns have local ordinances limiting the number of pets a person may have, although a certain number of animals may be kept for business purposes. They may also restrict or forbid certain pets, such as exotics. Certain breeds of dog, such as the pit bull and the Rottweiler, are banned in some places. Canid hybrids, created by breeding dogs with other members of the canine family, may be banned in some places. Semi-exotic cats, such as the Savannah, are also banned in some locations.
In many locations, animals that are considered pets by their owners but are legally classified as livestock, including horses, pigs, camelids, and fowl may be banned from being kept within the city limits or restricted to property of a certain larger size.
The cities of Berkeley, California, and Boulder, Colorado, have passed laws stating that people who have pets do not "own" them; rather, they are the pet's "guardian."[citation needed]
Condominium associations and rental properties often limit or forbid pets ownership by their tenants.

Pet popularity

There are approximately 78.2 million pet dogs in the United States, and approximately 86.4 million pet cats in the United States. [7] 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. The same was true for 2009-2010.[8]
Most Popular Pets in the U.S (millions)[9][10]
Pet Global population U.S. population U.S. inhabited households U.S. average per inhabited household
Cat 202 93.6 38.2 2.45
Dog 171 77.5 45.6 1.70
Fish N/A 171.7 13.3 12.86
Small mammals N/A 15.9 5.3 3.00
Birds N/A 15.0 6.0 2.50
Reptiles & Amphibians N/A 13.6 4.7 2.89
Equine N/A 13.3 3.9 3.41
A Maltese puppy

Choice of a pet

For a small to medium-size dog, the total cost over a dog's lifetime is about $7,240 to $12,700.[11] For an indoor cat, the total cost over a cat's lifetime is about $8,620 to $11,275.[12] People most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property, or because of the beauty or attractiveness of the animals.[13] 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.[13]

United States

Margaret Gorman with her pet Greyhound in April 1925
According to the 2007-2008 Pet Owners survey:[14]
Animal Number of U.S. households
that own a pet (millions)		 Total number of pets owned
in the U.S. (millions)
Bird 6.0 15.0
Cat 38.2 93.6
Dog 45.6 77.5
Equine 3.9 13.3
Freshwater fish 13.3 171.7
Saltwater fish 0.7 11.2
Reptile 4.7 13.6
Small pets 5.3 15.9

Canada

The latest survey done by Colin Siren of Ipsos Reid estimates that there are 7.9 million cats and 5.9 million dogs in Canada. The survey also shows that 35% of Canadian households have a dog, while 38% have a cat, which is consistent with other surveys conducted around the world.[15]

United Kingdom

A 2007 survey by the University of Bristol found that 26% of UK households owned cats and 31% owned dogs, estimating total domestic populations of approximately 10.3 million cats and 10.5 million dogs in 2006.[16] 47.2% of households with a cat had at least one person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homes with dogs.[17]

Overpopulation

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Main article: Overpopulation in companion animals
Animal protection advocates call attention to pet overpopulation in the United States. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized.[18] This situation is created by nonneutered (non-spayed/castrated) animals reproducing and people intentionally breeding animals. A particularly problematic combination of economic hardship combined with a love of animals contributes to this problem in parts of the rural United States.[19] There are also major overpopulation problems with other pet species, such as birds and rabbits. Local humane societies, Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCAs), and other animal protection organizations urge people to neuter their pets and to adopt animals from animal shelters instead of purchasing them from breeders or pet stores.

Effects on pets' health

Keeping animals as pets may become detrimental to their health if certain requirements are not kept. An important issue is inappropriate feeding, which may produce clinical effects (like the consumption of chocolate [20] by dogs). Among the foods that can be toxic to pets, are: avocados, alcohol, candy, caffeine, grapes and raisins, nuts, and onions.[21] Passive smoking is dangerous for pets. Researchers have found that exposure to tobacco smoke has been associated with certain cancers in dogs and cats and allergies in dogs.[22]

Effects of pets on their caregiver's health

Health benefits

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.[23] Having a pet may help people achieve health goals, such as lowered blood pressure, or mental goals, such as decreased stress.[24][25][26][27][28][29] There is 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 patients without pets had died, compared to only 3 of the 52 patients who had pets.[23] Pet ownership was shown to significantly reduce triglycerides, and thus heart disease risk, in the elderly.[30] A study by the National Institute of Health found that people who owned dogs were less likely to die as a result of a heart attack than those who didn’t own one.[31] While other studies have shown that for the elderly, good health may be a requirement of pet ownership, and not a result of pet ownership.[32] Dogs which are trained to be guide dogs can help people with disabilities. Dogs that are trained in the field of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) can also benefit people with disabilities.

Pets in long-term care institutions

Even pet owners residing in a long-term care facility, such as a hospice or nursing home, experience health benefits from pets. Pets help people cope with the emotional issues related to their illness. They also offer physical contact with another living creature, something that is often missing in an elder's life.[33] Pets for nursing homes are chosen based on the size of the pet, the amount of care that the breed needs, and the population and size of the care institution.[23] Appropriate pets go through a screening process and, if it is a dog, additional training programs to become a therapy dog.[34] There are three types of Therapy Dogs: "Facility Therapy Dogs", "Animal Assisted Therapy Dogs" and "Therapeutic Visitation Dogs". The most common Therapy Dogs are "Therapeutic Visitation Dogs". These dogs are household pets whose owners take time to visit hospitals, nursing homes, detention facilities, and rehabilitation facilities.[35] Different pets require varying amounts of attention and care; for example, cats have lower maintenance requirements than dogs.[36]

Health risks

Health risks that are associated with pets include:
  • Aggravation of allergies and asthma caused by dander and fur or feathers
  • Falling injuries. Tripping over pets, especially dogs, causes more than 86,000 falls serious enough to prompt a trip to the emergency room each year in the United States.[37] Among elderly and disabled people, these falls have resulted in life-threatening injuries and broken bones.
  • Injuries, maulings and sometimes deaths caused by pet bites and attacks
  • Disease and/or parasites due to animal hygiene problems or lack of appropriate treatment (faeces and urine)
  • Stress caused by behaviour of animals
  • Fear or distress from animal presence or behaviour
  • Spread of diseases like the fatal rabies when not properly taken care of.

Common types

While many people have kept many different species of animals in captivity over the course of human history, only a relative few have been kept long enough to be considered domesticated. Other types of animals, notably monkeys, have never been domesticated but are still commonly sold and kept as pets. There are also inanimate objects that have been kept as "pets", either as a form of game, or humorously (e.g. the pet rock).

Domesticated

Domesticated pets are the most common types of pet. A domesticated animal is any animal that has been tamed and made fit for a human environment.[38] They have consistently been kept in captivity over a long enough period of time that they exhibit marked differences in behavior and appearance from their wild relatives.

Mammals

A pet rabbit

Birds

Fish

Wild

Wild animals are often kept as pets. The term wild in this context specifically applies to any species of animal which has not undergone a fundamental change in behavior to facilitate a close co-existence with humans. Some species listed here may have been bred in captivity for a considerable length of time, but are still not recognized as domesticated. Many of these pets, like insects and fish, are kept as a hobby, rather than for companionship.

Exotic mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Fish

Some of the common freshwater aquarium fishes. For more species of freshwater fishes, please see the list of freshwater aquarium fish species.
Some of the common marine aquarium fishes. For more species of saltwater fishes, please see the list of marine aquarium fish species.

Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita (moon jellyfish) are becoming popular pets.

Arthropods

The Caribbean hermit crab is one example of a pet arthropod.

Molluscs

See also: Aquarium and Mollusc

Non-living

See also

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