Have you ever thought about owning a pet? If not, then consider my five reasons for getting a pet.
1) Companionship.
Modern life seems to becoming more and more lonely. People live by themselves and gone are the days of big families (well in Western Europe anyway). With a pet you not only get companionship but you get unconditional love. Your pet is always pleased to see you and they never complain. If I am on my own - its amazing how you I don't feel alone when our cat is around. She is part of our family and pets do indeed become part of the family.
Not only that but if you are a pet owner there are usually pet clubs in your area. Even if there are none - take your dog for a walk and see how many people stop to say hello. You never know you may even meet your future partner this way.
2) Stress Reduction.
Playing, walking, petting and laughing will all reduce stress and these things will happen if you have a pet. (Note: I am referring to cats, dogs and small mammals here I dont think you can pet a goldfish).
3) Learn to care about something other than yourself.
Owning a pet teaches you how to care for something. If you don't have children owning a pet could even be a good test run for you. Caring for pet could give you the confidence you need to care and raise a child! I realise there is a huge difference but it can be a step in the right direction to learn how to care for others.
4) Teaches you responsibility.
If you don't care for your pet your pet will die. Owning a pet is a great way to teach responsibility. Again you learn that life is not just about YOU - there are other beings depending on you too!
5) Perspective.
After a stressful day at the office I come home to find my cat rolling around the floor having fun. She loves playing with her toy mouse and seeing her play gives me a reminder that life is more than work. Life is fun. Animals know how to have fun!
Those are my top 5 reasons to own a pet.. Can you think of any more?
Allen
17 comments:
One more reason - they give you a LAUGH with the incredibly stupid things they do! (Usually, but not exclusively, if they are a dog).
I have struggled with the idea of having a pet, because I would love to have one. However, I predict there are people out there that would read this article and buy one when they really don't have the time to take for it. Also you point about caring about something other than themselves was good, but getting a pet could make neglect caring for the people that they should really be caring for. Just a thought.
My main reason is just pure JOY, which you pretty well covered in your first point. Another that's important to me is getting exercise walking or playing with my dogs.
BTW, came across you on Twitter.
Nice post - only thing I'd offer is that you really don't "own" a pet. You have a friend.
Or like our cats that behave like dogs ... :)
Great list, I must say you covered the top five very well. There are thousands of personal reasons to have a pet, but I agree stress reduction and companionship should be the top two.
They also provide entertainment, something that they do will usually make you smile or laugh at least once a day.
For instance, I have a small black cat that goes NUTS when I tease him with the laser pointer.
all are very well said and I agree.
sea monkeys are definately great pets too...for small kids too even.
And they tend to last longer than Goldfish because they like making babies :)
Well, I'm not sure how I came across this post, but I feel a burning desire to post a comment. My wife and & I just endured the trauma of putting our cat to sleep, our beloved Emma (the Cat), who was our companion and troublemaker for the last sixteen years.
Emma was our child. She has supplied us with so many memories of a full life and we miss her severely. Brenda got her as a kitten, and I took care of Emma when Brenda went away for the summer(s) for work. She ended up being both of ours, and spent 16 years filling our lives with all of what you could expect of a pet: companionship, comradery, hilarity, pride, amazement, and ultimately, sadness.
I encourage you to look at my photo album, just posted last night, of our life with Emma, here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rumblestrip-look/sets/72157594445507433/
I usually get a laugh when my dog does something that I find incredibly smart. He's learned to play soccer with himself (usually because he wants to play with his ball, but already has a bone in his mouth). Additionally, playing keep-away/fetch, he surprises me with how he adapts to my strategies. It's getting harder and harder to beat him.
I don't think I could work from home if I didn't have my dog come in and put his head on my lap every few hours, wanting to get a few minutes of play time.
I'm not sure this applies to cats (though I love them), there is simply NO ONE (including spouses, partners, and/or children) who is happier to see you when you come home than your dog.
An addendum to the companionship point: They provide additional reasons and opportunities for socialization in new circles. Even if you're just buying cat toys at your local pet store you'll likely meet people you wouldn't have otherwise talked to. Dogs are even better at this, taking them for a walk or out to play will always get someone else talking to you.
nice list...
i can spend the whole day watching cats do nothing...feeling happy and serene and not feeling like i've wasted the day :)
They're good to play with. That's why I love dogs the most.
Hi there,
Thanks for all the comments.
I had a technical error this morning with the blog that caused 8 new comments to be removed by accident. So if your comment has not appeared here you know why.. Apologies...
Allen
Hey, some really good info here. I've learned a lot.
Author of Everything About Small Dog Breeds
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