Editing Pet

{{Short description|Animal kept for companionship rather than utility}}
{{About|animals kept for companionship|the use of "pet" as a verb, "petting"|Social grooming|other uses|Pet (disambiguation)|and|PETS (disambiguation){{!}}PETS}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

[[File:Trillium Poncho cat dog.jpg|thumb|A [[piebald]] [[tabby]] [[Moggy|shorthair]] cat with a [[Mixed breed|mixed]] [[mastiff]] dog]]
[[File:Pet-rebbit-on-Swing (seat)-in-beijing.jpg|thumb|A [[Netherland Dwarf rabbit]]]]

A '''pet''', or '''companion animal''', is an [[animal]] kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a [[working animal]], [[livestock]], or a [[laboratory animal]]. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/[[Cuteness|cute]] appearances, [[Animal cognition|intelligence]], and relatable personalities, but some pets may be taken in on an [[altruistic]] basis (such as a stray animal) and accepted by the owner regardless of these characteristics.

Two of the most popular pets are [[dog]]s and [[cat]]s. Other animals commonly kept include [[House rabbit|rabbits]]; [[ferret]]s; [[domestic pig|pig]]s; [[rodent]]s such as [[gerbil]]s, [[hamster]]s, [[chinchilla]]s, [[rats]], [[mice]], and [[guinea pig]]s; [[bird]]s such as [[parrot]]s, [[passerine]]s, and [[fowl]]s; [[reptiles]] such as [[turtle]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[snake]]s, and [[iguana]]s; [[aquarium|aquatic pets]] such as [[fish]], [[freshwater snail]]s, and [[sea snail|saltwater]] snails; [[amphibians]] such as [[frog]]s and [[salamanders]]; and [[arthropod]] pets such as [[tarantula]]s and [[hermit crab]]s. Smaller pets include [[Rodents as pets|rodents]], while the [[equine]] and [[bovine]] group include the largest companion animals.

Pets provide their owners, or guardians,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015|title=Position Statement on Ownership/Guardianship|url=https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-ownershipguardianship|url-status=live|access-date=7 November 2021|website=ASPCA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110075259/https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-ownershipguardianship|archive-date=10 November 2015}}</ref> both physical and emotional benefits. Walking a dog can provide both the human and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and [[social interaction]]. Pets can give companionship to people who are living alone or elderly adults who do not have adequate social interaction with other people. There is a medically approved class of [[therapy animals]] that are brought to visit confined humans, such as [[Children's hospital|children in hospitals]] or elders in [[nursing homes]]. Pet therapy utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, or emotional goals with patients.

People most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property, or because of the perceived beauty or attractiveness of the animals.<ref name="leslie" /> A 1994 Canadian study found that the most common reasons for not owning a pet were lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling (34.6%), lack of time (28.6%), and lack of suitable housing (28.3%), with dislike of pets being less common (19.6%).<ref name="leslie">{{Cite journal | pmc = 1686751 | pmid = 8076276 |date=April 1994|author1=Leslie, Be |author2=Meek, Ah |author3=Kawash, Gf |author4=Mckeown, Db | title = An epidemiological investigation of pet ownership in Ontario | volume = 35 | issue = 4 | pages = 218–22 | issn = 0008-5286 | journal = The Canadian Veterinary Journal | format = Free full text }}</ref> Some [[scholars]], [[ethicist]]s, and [[animal rights organizations]] have raised concerns over keeping pets because of the lack of autonomy and the objectification of [[non-human]] animals.<ref>{{cite news |last= McRobbie|first=Linda Rodriguez|date=1 August 2017|title=Should we stop keeping pets? Why more and more ethicists say yes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/01/should-we-stop-keeping-pets-why-more-and-more-ethicists-say-yes|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=3 August 2017}}</ref>

==Pet popularity==

In China, spending on domestic animals has grown from an estimated $3.12 billion in 2010 to $25 billion in 2018. The Chinese people own 51 million dogs and 41 million cats, with pet owners often preferring to source pet food internationally.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tang |first1=Ailin |last2=Bradsher |first2=Keith |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/business/china-pet-food-trade-war.html |title=The Trade War's Latest Casualties: China's Coddled Cats and Dogs |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 October 2018 |access-date=23 October 2018 }}</ref> There are a total of 755 million pets, increased from 389 million in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chinapetmarket.com/china-pet-population-and-ownership-2019/|title=China Pet population and ownership 2019 update|date=25 December 2018|website=China Pet Market|language=en-US|access-date=25 August 2019|archive-date=25 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825215834/https://www.chinapetmarket.com/china-pet-population-and-ownership-2019/}}</ref>

A survey in 2002 found approximately 45 million pets in Italy, including 7 million dogs, 7.5 million cats, 16 million fish, 12 million birds and 10 thousand snakes.<ref>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711060520/http://www.ilmessaggero.it/home_piaceri/animaliepiante/45_milioni_gli_animali_domestici_in_italia_150000_ogni_anno_vengono_abbandonati/notizie/74252.shtml|archive-date=11 July 2013|url=http://www.ilmessaggero.it/home_piaceri/animaliepiante/45_milioni_gli_animali_domestici_in_italia_150000_ogni_anno_vengono_abbandonati/notizie/74252.shtml |title=Main_Page45 milioni gli animali domestici in Italia: 150.000 ogni anno vengono abbandonati |date=22 September 2009 |publisher=[[Il Messaggero]]}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2010/6826.html |title=UK domestic cat and dog population larger than thought |date=6 February 2010 |publisher=[[University of Bristol]]}}</ref> The survey also found that 47.2% of households with a cat had at least one person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homes with dogs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8501042.stm |title=More cat owners 'have degrees' than dog-lovers |date=6 February 2010 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

There are approximately 86.4 million pet cats and approximately 78.2 million pet dogs in the United States,<ref name="shea-online.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.shea-online.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Animals%20in%20Healthcare%20Facilities.pdf |title=Animals in Healthcare Facilities: Recommendations to Minimize Potential Risks |website=shea-online.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102728/http://www.shea-online.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Animals%20in%20Healthcare%20Facilities.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="Humane Society">{{cite web|last=The Humane Society of the United States|title=U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics|url=http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html|access-date=27 April 2012}}</ref> and a United States 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 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research-statistics-US-Pet-Ownership-Demographics-Sourcebook.aspx|title=U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook (2012)|access-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217030940/https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research-statistics-US-Pet-Ownership-Demographics-Sourcebook.aspx|archive-date=17 February 2017}}</ref> In 2013, pets outnumbered [[children]] four to one in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Animal Planet: Pets Outnumber Children 4 to 1 in America |author=Daniel Halper |url=http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/animal-planet-pets-outnumber-children-4-1-america_699157.html |newspaper=The Weekly Standard |date=1 February 2013 |access-date=9 February 2013 |author-link=Daniel Halper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904013035/http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/animal-planet-pets-outnumber-children-4-1-america_699157.html |archive-date=4 September 2015}}</ref>

:{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:right;"
|+Most popular pets in the U.S. (millions)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.petquestions.com/12502/what-are-the-most-popular-pets-around-the-world/|title=What are the most popular pets around the world?|author=Susan Hayes|publisher=PetQuestions.com|access-date=4 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022142459/http://www.petquestions.com/12502/what-are-the-most-popular-pets-around-the-world|archive-date=22 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp|title=Industry Statistics & Trends|publisher=American Pet Product Association|access-date=4 March 2011|archive-date=9 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309131043/https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp}}</ref>
!Pet
!Global population
!U.S. population
!U.S. inhabited households
!U.S. average per inhabited household
|-
| align=center | Cat
| 202
| 93.6
| 38.2
| 2.45
|-
| align=center | Dog
| 171
| 77.5
| 45.6
| 1.70
|-
| align=center | Fish
| N/A
| 171.7
| 13.3
| 12.86
|-
| align=center | Small mammals
| N/A
| 15.9
| 5.3
| 3.00
|-
| align=center | Birds
| N/A
| 15.0
| 6.0
| 2.50
|-
| align=center | Reptiles & amphibians
| N/A
| 13.6
| 4.7
| 2.89
|-
| align=center | Equine
| N/A
| 13.3
| 3.9
| 3.41
|}

==Effects on pets' health==
Keeping animals as pets may be detrimental to their health if certain requirements are not met. An important issue is inappropriate feeding, which may produce clinical effects. The consumption of [[chocolate]] or grapes by dogs, for example, may prove fatal. Certain species of [[houseplant]]s can also prove toxic if consumed by pets. Examples include [[philodendron]]s and [[Lilium longiflorum|Easter lilies]], which can cause severe kidney damage to cats,<ref name="CFA plants">{{cite web|title=Plants and Your Cat|url=http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227184215/http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html|archive-date=27 December 2009|publisher=Cat Fanciers' Association|access-date=15 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="Langston 2002">{{Cite journal|title=Acute Renal Failure Caused by Lily Ingestion in Six Cats|last=Langston|first=Cathy E.|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1 January 2002|volume=220|issue=1|pages=49–52, 36|pmid=12680447|doi=10.2460/javma.2002.220.49}}</ref> and [[poinsettias]], [[begonia]], and [[aloe vera]], which are mildly toxic to dogs.<ref name="Sunset Plants Poisonous to Dogs">{{cite web|title=These plants can be poisonous to dogs|date=12 July 2010|url=http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/plants-poisonous-to-dogs-00418000068562/|publisher=Sunset Magazine|access-date=17 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/vets-corner/poinsettias-poisonous-dogs/|title=Are Poinsettias Poisonous to Dogs?|last1=Klein|first1=Jerry|website=American Kennel Club|language=en|access-date=26 August 2019|date=10 December 2018}}</ref> For birds, chocolate can be deadly, and foods intended for human consumption, such as bread, crackers, and dairy items, can potentially cause health problems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://birdbonica.com/can-birds-eat/ |title=What Human Foods Can Birds Eat? |last=Neff |first=David |date=19 June 2023 |publisher=BirdBonica |access-date=30 June 2023}}</ref>

House pets, particularly dogs and cats in [[Industrialisation|industrialized]] societies, are highly susceptible to [[obesity]]. Overweight pets have been shown to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes, liver problems, joint pain, kidney failure, and cancer. Lack of exercise and high-caloric diets are considered to be the primary contributors to pet obesity.<ref name="ASPCA Overweight Dogs">{{cite web|title=Overweight Dogs|url=http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/overweight-dogs|work=Pet Care|publisher=The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)|access-date=17 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="ASPCA Overweight Cats">{{cite web|title=Overweight Cats|url=http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/overweight-cats|work=Pet Care|publisher=The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)|access-date=17 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="HuffPost Obesity">{{cite web|last=Zelman|first=Joanna|title=Pet Obesity: Over Half of U.S. Dogs And Cats Are Overweight, Study Says|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/pet-obesity-overweight-dogs-cats_n_827017.html|work =[[Huffington Post]]|access-date=17 October 2013|date=23 February 2011}}</ref>

==Effects of pets on their caregivers' health==
[[File:Petite Panoply- Riker jumping up (20722525760).jpg|thumb|A couple with their pet dog]]
[[File:Jogging with dog at Carcavelos Beach.jpg|thumb|Woman jogging with a dog at [[Carcavelos]] beach, Portugal]]

=== Health benefits ===
It is widely believed among the public, and among many scientists, that pets probably bring mental and physical health benefits to their owners;<ref name=philly>{{cite news|title=Pets are a kid's best friend, right? Maybe not, study says|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/health/kids-families/pets-kids-best-friend-maybe-not-rand-corporation-20170811.html|access-date=27 December 2017|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref> a 1987 NIH statement cautiously argued that existing data was "suggestive" of a significant benefit.<ref name="The Health Benefits of Pets"/> A recent dissent comes from a 2017 [[RAND]] study, which found that at least in the case of children, having a pet ''per se'' failed to improve physical or mental health by a statistically significant amount; instead, the study found children who were already prone to being healthy were more likely to get pets in the first place.<ref name=philly/><ref>{{cite news|title=Pets Are Good For Us—But Not in the Ways We Think They Are|url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/pets-animals-john-bradshaw/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125090655/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/pets-animals-john-bradshaw/|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 November 2017|access-date=27 December 2017|work=[[National Geographic]]|date=25 November 2017}}</ref><ref name=rand>{{cite web|title=Largest-Ever Study of Pets and Kids' Health Finds No Link; Findings Dispute Widely Held Beliefs About Positive Effects of Pet Ownership|url=https://www.rand.org/news/press/2017/08/07.html|publisher=[[RAND]]|access-date=27 December 2017|language=en}}</ref> Conducting long-term randomized trials to settle the issue would be costly or infeasible.<ref name="The Health Benefits of Pets"/><ref name=rand/>

==== Observed correlations ====
Pets might 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.<ref name="The Health Benefits of Pets">{{cite web | url=http://consensus.nih.gov/1987/1987HealthBenefitsPetsta003html.htm | title=The Health Benefits of Pets | publisher=US Government National Institute of Health | access-date=25 December 2006 | archive-date=5 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505222221/http://consensus.nih.gov/1987/1987HealthBenefitsPetsta003html.htm}}</ref><ref name="Reiman">{{cite web|last=Reiman|first=Steve|title=Therapy Dogs in the Long-Term Health Care Environment|url=http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/Therapy%20Dogs%20in%20the%20Long.pdf|access-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506101914/http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/Therapy%20Dogs%20in%20the%20Long.pdf|archive-date=6 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="Whiteley1986">{{cite news|last=Whiteley|first=Ellen H.|title=The Healing Power of Pets|work=The Saturday Evening Post|volume=258|issue=7|year=1986|pages=2–102|access-date=5 November 2006|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=12592944&site=ehost-live}} Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh</ref> Animal company can also help people to preserve acceptable levels of happiness despite the presence of mood symptoms like anxiety or depression.<ref name=BosPrSWB>{{cite journal |author1=Bos, E.H.|author2=Snippe, E.|author3=de Jonge, P.|author4=Jeronimus, B.F.| year = 2016 | title = Preserving Subjective Wellbeing in the Face of Psychopathology: Buffering Effects of Personal Strengths and Resources | journal = PLOS ONE| volume = 11| issue = 3| pages = e0150867| doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0150867 | pmid=26963923|pmc=4786317|bibcode=2016PLoSO..1150867B|doi-access=free}}</ref> Having a pet may also help people achieve health goals, such as lowered blood pressure, or mental goals, such as decreased stress.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Asp|first=Karen|title=Volunteer Pets|journal=Prevention|volume=57|issue=4|year=2005|pages=176–78|access-date=5 November 2006|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=16471647&site=ehost-live}} Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 11641292 | date = 1 October 2001 | last1 = Allen | first1 = Karen | last2  = Shykoff | first2 = Barbara E. | last3 = Izzo | first3 = Joseph L. Jr | title = Pet ownership, but not ace inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress | volume = 38 | issue = 4 | pages = 815–20 | issn = 0194-911X | journal = Hypertension | doi = 10.1161/hyp.38.4.815 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 11758798 |date=October 2001|author1=Kingwell, Ba |author2=Lomdahl, A |author3=Anderson, Wp | title = Presence of a pet dog and human cardiovascular responses to mild mental stress | volume = 11 | issue = 5 | pages = 313–7 | issn = 0959-9851 | journal = Clinical Autonomic Research | doi = 10.1007/BF02332977 |s2cid=40206732}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 3655768 |date=October 1987| author = Wilson, Cc | title = Physiological responses of college students to a pet | volume = 175 | issue = 10 | pages = 606–12 | issn = 0022-3018 | journal = The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease | doi = 10.1097/00005053-198710000-00005 |s2cid=2188860}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmc = 1762431 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0000109 | title = To Have or Not To Have a Pet for Better Health? | year = 2006 | author = Koivusilta, Leena K. | journal = PLOS ONE| volume = 1 | pages = e109 | pmid = 17205113 | last2 = Ojanlatva | first2 = A | last3 = Baune | first3 = Bernhard | editor1-last = Baune | editor1-first = Bernhard | issue = 1 | bibcode = 2006PLoSO...1..109K | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 3236382 |date=October 1988|author1=Vormbrock, Jk |author2=Grossberg, Jm | title = Cardiovascular effects of human–pet dog interactions | volume = 11 | issue = 5 | pages = 509–17 | issn = 0160-7715 | journal = Journal of Behavioral Medicine | doi = 10.1007/BF00844843 |s2cid=25544682}}</ref> There is evidence that having a pet can help a person lead a longer, healthier life. In a 1986 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.<ref name="Whiteley1986"/> Having pet(s) was shown to significantly reduce triglycerides, and thus heart disease risk, in the elderly.<ref>Dembicki, D and Anderson, J. 1996. Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics. Volume 15 Issue 3, pages 15–31.</ref> 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 did not own one.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jodee|title=Want to Reduce Risk of Heart Disease? Get a Pet|url=http://www.heartmart.com/blog/heart-health/1599/want-to-reduce-risk-of-heart-disease-get-a-pet|access-date=27 April 2012|date=8 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327185450/http://www.heartmart.com/blog/heart-health/1599/want-to-reduce-risk-of-heart-disease-get-a-pet|archive-date=27 March 2013}}</ref> There is some evidence that pets may have a therapeutic effect in dementia cases.<ref>Friedmann E, Galik E, Thomas SA, Hall PS, Chung SY, McCune S. Evaluation of a Pet-Assisted Living Intervention for improving functional status in assisted living residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias.2015:30(3):276-289</ref> Other studies have shown that for the elderly, good health may be a requirement for having a pet, and not a result.<ref>
{{cite journal|last1=Parslow|first1=Ruth|last2=Jorm|first2=Anthony|last3=Christensen|first3=Helen|last4=Rodgers|first4=Bryan|last5=Jacomb|first5=Patricia|date=Jan–Feb 2005|title=Pet Ownership and Health in Older Adults|url=http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowAbstract&ArtikelNr=81433&Ausgabe=230503&ProduktNr=224091|journal=Gerontology|series=40|volume=51|issue=1|pages=40–47|doi=10.1159/000081433|pmid=15591755|s2cid=21851049|url-access=subscription}}
</ref> Dogs trained to be [[guide dog]]s can help people with vision impairment. Dogs trained in the field of [[Animal-Assisted Therapy]] (AAT) can also benefit people with other disabilities.<ref name="The Health Benefits of Pets"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Farlex|title=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Pet+Therapy|access-date=27 April 2012}}</ref>

===Pets in long-term care institutions===
People residing in a long-term care facility, such as a hospice or nursing home, may experience health benefits from pets. Pets help them to 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.<ref name="shea-online.org"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Reinman|first=Steve|title=Therapy Dogs in the Long-Term Health Care Environment|url=http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/Therapy%20Dogs%20in%20the%20Long.pdf|access-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506101914/http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/Therapy%20Dogs%20in%20the%20Long.pdf|archive-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Whiteley1986"/> Appropriate pets go through a screening process and, if it is a dog, additional training programs to become a [[therapy dog]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Huculak|first=Chad|title=Super Furry Animals|journal=Edmonton|date=4 October 2006|page=W7}}. LexisNexis. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh. 5 November 2006.</ref> 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 handlers take time to visit hospitals, nursing homes, detention facilities, and rehabilitation facilities.<ref name="Reiman"/> Different pets require varying amounts of attention and care; for example, cats may have lower maintenance requirements than dogs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bruck|first=Laura|title=Today's Ancillaries, Part 2: Art, music and pet therapy|journal=Nursing Homes: Long-Term Care Management|volume=45|issue=7|year=1996|page=36|access-date=5 November 2006|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=9608232012&site=ehost-live}} Academic Search Elite. 	EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh.</ref>

===Connection with community===
In addition to offering health benefits to their owners, pets also influence their owners' social lives and connections within their communities. Research suggests that pets may facilitate social interactions, fostering communication and engagement among individuals.<ref>Wood L, Martin K, Christian H, Nathan A, Lauritsen C, Houghton S, Kawachi I, McCune S. The pet factor – Companion animals as a conduit for getting to know people, friendship formation, and social support. PLoS One. 2015:10(4):e0122085</ref> Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leslie Irvine has focused her attention on pets of the homeless population. Her studies of [[pet ownership among the homeless]] found that many modify their life activities for fear of losing their pets. Pet ownership prompts them to act responsibly, with many making a deliberate choice not to drink or use drugs, and to avoid contact with substance abusers or those involved in any criminal activity for fear of being separated from their pet. Additionally, many refuse to house in shelters if their pet is not allowed to stay with them.<ref>{{Cite book|title = My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and Their Animals|last = Irvine|first = Leslie|publisher = Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.|year = 2013|location = Boulder, CO}}</ref>

===Health risks===
Health risks that are associated with pets include:
* Aggravation of [[allergy|allergies]] and [[asthma]] caused by [[dander]] and [[fur]] or [[feather]]s
* [[Falling (accident)|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.<ref>{{cite news
|title= In the Home, a Four-Legged Tripwire
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/health/28pets.html?ref=health
|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]
|date=27 March 2009 }}</ref> Among elderly and disabled people, these falls have resulted in life-threatening injuries and broken bones.
* Injury, mauling, and sometimes death caused by pet bites and attacks
* Disease or parasites due to animal hygiene problems, lack of appropriate treatment, and undisciplined behavior (feces and urine)
* Stress caused by the behavior of animals
* Anxiety over who will care for the animal should the owner no longer be able to do so

== Legislation ==
=== Treaties ===
{{European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals}}
The [[European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals]] is a 1987 treaty of the [[Council of Europe]] – but accession to the treaty is open to all states in the world – to promote the welfare of pet animals and ensure minimum standards for their treatment and protection. It went into effect on 1 May 1992, and as of June 2020, it has been ratified by 24 states.<ref name="ETS No.125 list">{{cite web |url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/125/signatures |title=Chart of signatures and ratifications of Treaty 125. European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=4 June 2020}}</ref>

=== National and local laws ===

==== Ownership or guardianship ====

Pets have commonly been considered [[property|private property]], [[ownership|owned]] by [[Personhood|individual persons]]. Many [[Animal protectionism|legal protections]] have existed (historically and today) with the intention of safeguarding pets' and other animals' well-being.<ref name="Garner 2010">Garner, Robert. "A Defense of a Broad Animal Protectionism," in Francione and Garner 2010, pp. 120–121.</ref><ref name="Francione 1996">{{cite book|last=Francione|first=Gary Lawrence|author-link=Gary L. Francione|year=1996|title=Rain without thunder: the ideology of the animal rights movement|publisher=Temple University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZTpej7dGGEC&q=animal+welfare+animal+rights&pg=PP13|isbn=978-1-56639-461-1}}</ref><ref name="Francione 1995">Francione, Gary. ''Animals, Property, and the Law''. Temple University Press, 1995.</ref><ref name="Garner 2005">Garner 2005, p. 15; also see [[Peter Singer|Singer, Peter]]. ''Animal Liberation'', Random House, 1975; [[Tom Regan|Regan, Tom]]. ''The Case for Animal Rights'', University of California Press, 1983; [[Gary Francione|Francione, Gary]]. ''Animals, Property, and the Law''. Temple University Press, 1995; this paperback edition 2007.</ref> Since the year 2000, a small but increasing number of jurisdictions in North America have enacted laws redefining pet's ''owners'' as ''guardians''. Intentions have been characterized as simply [[Political correctness|changing attitudes and perceptions]] but not legal consequences to working toward [[Non-human animals|legal personhood]] for pets themselves. Some [[veterinarian]]s and [[breeder]]s have opposed these moves. The question of pets' legal status can arise with concern to [[Pet adoption|purchase or adoption]], [[Legal custody|custody]], [[divorce]], [[Estate (law)|estate]] and [[inheritance]], [[personal injury|injury]], [[Property damage|damage]], and [[Veterinary physician#Veterinary malpractice|veterinary malpractice]].<ref name="Guardian Campaign Communities List">{{cite web|title=Do You Live in a Guardian Community?|url=http://www.guardiancampaign.org/guardiancity.html|work=The Guardian Campaign|access-date=1 September 2013|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220620/http://www.guardiancampaign.org/guardiancity.html}}</ref><ref name="Nolen 2005">{{cite journal|last=Nolen|first=R. Scott|title=Now, it's the lawyers' turn.|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1 March 2005|url=https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/050301d.aspx|access-date=29 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="Chapman 2005">{{cite journal|last=Chapman|first=Tamara|title=Owner or Guardian?|journal=Trends Magazine|date=March–April 2005|url=https://www.avma.org/Advocacy/StateAndLocal/Documents/owner_or_guardian.pdf|access-date=29 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="Katz 2004">{{cite web|last=Katz|first=Jon|title=Guarding the Guard Dogs?|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/heavy_petting/2004/03/guarding_the_guard_dogs.html|work=Home / Heavy Petting: Pets & People|publisher=Slate|access-date=29 August 2013|date=5 March 2004}}</ref>

==== Limitations on species ====
{{Further|Exotic pet#Legality}}
States, cities, and towns in [[Western world|Western countries]] commonly enact local ordinances to limit the number or kind of pets a person may keep personally or for business purposes. Prohibited pets may be specific to [[Breed-specific legislation|certain breeds]] such as [[pit bull]]s or [[Rottweiler]]s, they may apply to general categories of animals (such as [[livestock]], [[Exotic pet|exotic animals]], [[Wildlife|wild animals]], and [[Canid hybrid|canid]] or [[Felid hybrid|felid]] hybrids), or they may simply be based on the animal's size. Additional or different maintenance rules and regulations may also apply. [[Condominium (living space)|Condominium]] associations and owners of [[Lease|rental properties]] also commonly limit or forbid tenants' keeping of pets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=Pet-friendly rental housing comes with restrictions, hard to find {{!}} American Veterinary Medical Association |url=https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2021-10-01/pet-friendly-rental-housing-comes-restrictions-hard-find |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=www.avma.org |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]], the government publishes [[whitelisting|white lists]] and [[blacklisting|black lists]] (called 'positive' and 'negative lists') with animal species that are designated to be appropriate to be kept as pets (positive) or not (negative). The Dutch [[Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy]] originally established its first positive list (''positieflijst'') per 1 February 2015 for a set of 100 mammals (including cats, dogs and [[Animal husbandry|production animals]]) deemed appropriate as pets on the recommendations of [[Wageningen University]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2015/01/28/kamerbrief-over-invoering-huisdierenlijst-zoogdiersoorten |title=Kamerbrief invoering huisdierenlijst zoogdiersoorten |author=Sharon Dijksma |author-link=Sharon Dijksma |work=Rijksoverheid.nl |publisher=Dutch Government |date=28 January 2015 |access-date=18 May 2020 |language=nl |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806043751/https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2015/01/28/kamerbrief-over-invoering-huisdierenlijst-zoogdiersoorten}}</ref> Parliamentary debates about such a pet list date back to the 1980s, with continuous disagreements about which species should be included and how the law should be enforced.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/een-rendier-mag-dan-weer-wel~b32f520e/ |title=Een rendier mag dan weer wel |work=[[Trouw]] |date=3 December 2013 |access-date=18 May 2020 |language=nl}}</ref> In January 2017, the white list was expanded to 123 species, while the black list that had been set up was expanded (with animals like the [[brown bear]] and two great [[kangaroo]] species) to contain 153 species unfit for petting, such as the [[armadillo]], the [[sloth]], the [[European hare]], and the [[wild boar]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bnnvara.nl/kassa/artikelen/lijst-2017-bekend-welke-dieren-mag-jij-als-huisdier-houden |title=Lijst 2017 bekend: welke dieren mag jij als huisdier houden? |author=Rijksoverheid / ANP |publisher=[[BNNVARA]] |date=31 January 2017 |access-date=19 May 2020 |language=nl}}</ref>

==== Killing and eating pets ====
{{See also|Cat meat|Dog meat}}
In January 2011, the Belgian [[Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain]] stated that people are not allowed to kill miscellaneous or unknown cats walking in their garden, but "nowhere in the law does it say that you can't eat your cat, dog, rabbit, fish or whatever. You just have to kill them in an animal-friendly way."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/aid1005363 |title=Uw kat opeten is wettelijk toegestaan |author=jrosquin |work=[[Gazet van Antwerpen]] |date=5 January 2011 |access-date=4 June 2021 |language=nl}}</ref> Since 1 July 2014, it is illegal in the Netherlands for owners to kill their own cats and dogs kept as pets. Parakeets, guinea pigs, hamsters and other animals may still be killed by their owners, but nonetheless when owners mistreat their companion animals (for example, in the process of killing them), the owners can still be prosecuted under Dutch law.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/artikel/1794106/zelf-doden-huisdieren-vanaf-vandaag-verboden |title=Zelf doden huisdieren vanaf vandaag verboden |work=[[RTL Nieuws]] |date=1 July 2014 |access-date=4 June 2021 |language=nl}}</ref>

== Environmental impact ==
{{One source section|date=May 2021}}
Pets have a considerable environmental impact, especially in countries where they are common or held in high densities. For instance, the 163 million dogs and cats kept in the United States consume about 20% of the amount of dietary energy that humans do and an estimated 33% of the animal-derived energy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-03 |title=Dog, Cat Feces Linked To Climate Change: UCLA Study - CBS Los Angeles |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/dog-cat-feces-climate-change/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Okin |first=Gregory S. |date=2 August 2017 |title=Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=12 |issue=8 |pages=e0181301 |bibcode=2017PLoSO..1281301O |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0181301 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=5540283 |pmid=28767700 |doi-access=free}}</ref> They produce about 30% ± 13%, by mass, as much feces as Americans, and through their diet, constitute about 25–30% of the [[environmental impact of meat production|environmental impacts from animal production]] in terms of the use of land, water, fossil fuel, phosphate, and biocides. Dog and cat animal product consumption is responsible for the release of up to 64 ± 16 million tons CO<sub>2</sub>-equivalent methane and [[nitrous oxide]], two powerful [[greenhouse gas]]ses. Americans are the largest pet owners in the world, but pet ownership in the US has considerable environmental costs.<ref name=":0" />

==Types==
{{multiple image
 | perrow = 2|total_width=230
 | image1 = Holland lop.JPG
 | alt1 = Rabbit
 | image2 = Labradour-jaji-happydog.jpg
 | alt2 = Labrador Retriever dog
 | image3 = Dennis the pet pig sings, cropped version.jpg
 | alt3 = Mini pig
 | image4 = Cocoa the Hedgehog.jpg
 | alt4 = Hedgehog
 | footer_align = center
 | footer = [[Mammals]] as pets. Clockwise: Rabbit, dog, hedgehog, mini pig.
}}
{{multiple image
 | perrow = 2|total_width=230
 | image1 = Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Toronto, Ontario (29969189246).jpg
 | alt1 = Aquarium
 | image2 = Erythrura gouldiae -four in cage-8a.jpg
 | alt2 = Birds in cage
 | image3 = Formicarium with ytongNest.jpg
 | alt3 = Ant farm
 | image4 = Butter champagne ball python at Pinellas County Reptiles, Aug 2020.jpg
 | alt4 = Snake
 | footer_align = center
 | footer = Other species kept as pets. Clockwise: fish aquarium, [[gouldian finch]]es, [[ball python]], [[ant]]s in an [[ant farm]].
}}
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 [[domestication|domesticated]]. Other types of animal, notably [[monkey]]s, have never been domesticated but are still sold and kept as pets. Some wild animals are kept as pets, such as tigers, even though this is illegal. There is a market for illegal pets.

===Domesticated===
[[Domesticated]] pets are the most common. A ''domesticated animal'' is a species that has been made fit for a human environment,<ref>{{cite web|last=Farlex|title=The Free Dictionary by Farlex|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/domestic+animal|access-date=27 April 2012}}</ref> by being consistently kept in captivity and [[selective breeding|selectively bred]] over a long enough period of time that it exhibits marked differences in behavior and appearance from its wild relatives. Domestication contrasts with [[tame animal|taming]], which is simply when an un-domesticated, wild animal has become tolerant of human presence, and perhaps even enjoys it.

Large [[mammals]] that might be kept as pets include [[alpaca]], [[camel]], [[cattle]], [[donkey]], [[goat]], [[horse]], [[llama]], [[Domestic pig|pig]], [[reindeer]], [[sheep]] and [[yak]]. Small mammals that might be kept as pets include: [[ferret]], [[Domesticated hedgehog|hedgehog]], [[Domestic rabbit|rabbit]], [[sugar glider]], and [[Rodents as pets|rodents]], including [[fancy rat|rat]], [[fancy mouse|mouse]], [[hamster]], [[guinea pig]], [[gerbil]], and [[chinchilla]]. Other mammals include [[Domestic cat|cat]], [[dog]], [[Pet monkey|monkey]], and [[domesticated silver fox]].

[[Birds]] kept as pets include [[companion parrots]] like the [[budgerigar|budgie]] ([[parakeet]]) and [[cockatiel]], [[fowl]] such as [[chickens]], [[domestic turkey|turkeys]], [[domestic duck|ducks]], [[goose|geese]], and [[quail]], [[Columbidae|columbines]], and [[passerine]]s, namely [[finches]] and [[domestic canary|canaries]].

[[Fish]] kept as pets include: [[goldfish]], [[koi]], [[Siamese fighting fish]] ([[Betta]]), [[Barb (fish)|barb]], [[guppy]], [[Poecilia sphenops|molly]], [[Japanese rice fish]] (Medaka), and [[Oscar (fish)|oscar]].

[[Arthropods]] kept as pets include [[bees]], such as [[honey bees]] and [[Stingless bees#Bees as pets|stingless bees]], [[Bombyx mori|Silk moth]], and [[Ant-keeping|ant farms]].

[[Reptiles]] and [[amphibians]] kept as pets include [[snake]]s, [[turtle]]s, [[axolotl]], [[frog]]s and [[salamander]]s.

===Wild animals===
[[File:Male Tiger, Tiger Temple, Thailand.jpg|thumb|Male Tiger, Thailand]]
{{main|Exotic pet}}
Wild animals are 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 may have been bred in captivity for a considerable length of time, but are still not recognized as [[domesticated]].

Generally, wild animals are recognized as not suitable to keep as pets, and this practice is completely banned in many places. In other areas, certain species are allowed to be kept, and it is usually required for the owner to obtain a permit. It is considered [[animal cruelty]] by some, as most often, wild animals require precise and constant care that is very difficult to meet in captive conditions. Many large and instinctively aggressive animals are extremely dangerous, and numerous times have they killed their handlers.

== History ==
=== Prehistory ===
Archaeology suggests that human ownership of dogs as pets may date back to at least 12,000 years ago.<ref>
{{Cite book|title=The domestic dog: its evolution, behaviour and interactions with people|last1=Clutton-Brock|first1=Juliet|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1995|isbn=978-0-521-42537-7|editor1-last=Serpell|editor1-first=James|location=Cambridge|pages=[https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/10 10–11]|chapter=Origins of the dog: domestication and early history|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I8HU_3ycrrEC|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/10}}
</ref>

=== Ancient history ===
[[Ancient Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] would openly grieve for the loss of a dog, evidenced by inscriptions left on tombstones commemorating their loss.<ref name="thed_9Tou">{{Cite web |title=9 Touching Epitaphs Ancient Greeks And Romans Wrote For Their Deceased Dogs |last=Messenger |first=Stephen |work=The Dodo |date=13 June 2014 |access-date=18 January 2019 |url= https://www.thedodo.com/9-touching-epitaphs-ancient-gr-589550486.html}}</ref> The surviving epitaphs dedicated to horses are more likely to reference a gratitude for the companionship that had come from war horses rather than race horses. The latter may have chiefly been commemorated as a way to further the owner's fame and glory.<ref name="PodberscekPaul2005">{{cite book|author1=Anthony L. Podberscek|author2=Elizabeth S. Paul|author3=James A. Serpell|title=Companion Animals and Us: Exploring the Relationships Between People and Pets|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSs2yV_F4n0C|date=21 July 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-01771-8|page=31}}</ref> In [[Ancient Egypt]], dogs and baboons were kept as pets and buried with their owners. Dogs were given names, which is significant as Egyptians considered names to have magical properties.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt|last=Mertz|first=Barbara|publisher=Dodd Mead|year=1978}}</ref>

In the [[Old Testament]] passage in [[2 Samuel 12]], the prophet [[Nathan (prophet)|Nathan]], in order to indicate to [[King David]] the seriousness of his adulterous and murderous affair with [[Bathsheba]], uses the [[parable]] of a poor man's pet lamb being slaughtered by a rich neighbor who uses it to feed a guest. David, who had spent his youth as a shepherd and had compassion and affection for such a creature, becomes enraged at the rich man in the parable, only to be told by Nathan, “You are the man!” David, having been thus exposed as a hypocrite, confesses, “I have sinned.” This is one of the only instances in [[Scripture]] of an animal being kept for companionship rather than for utilitarian purposes, apart from the acquisition of exotic animals by David's son [[King Solomon]] for a menagerie ([[2 Chronicles 9]])

=== Victorian era: the rise of modern pet keeping ===

Throughout the 17th and 18th-century pet keeping in the modern sense gradually became accepted throughout [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]]. Initially, aristocrats kept dogs for both companionship and hunting. Thus, pet keeping was a sign of elitism within society. By the 19th century, the rise of the middle class stimulated the development of pet keeping and it became inscribed within the [[bourgeois]] culture.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beastly Possession: Animals in the Victorian Consumer Culture|last=Amato|first=Sarah|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2015|location=Toronto|page=25}}</ref>

==== Economy ====
As the popularity of pet-keeping in the modern sense rose during the [[Victorian era]], animals became a fixture within urban culture as commodities and decorative objects.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beastly Possessions: Animals in Victorian Consumer Culture|last=Amato|first=Sarah|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2015|page=6}}</ref> Pet keeping generated a commercial opportunity for entrepreneurs. By the mid-19th century, nearly twenty thousand street vendors in London dealt with live animals.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|page=86}}</ref> The popularity of animals also developed a demand for animal goods such as accessories and guides for pet keeping. Pet care developed into a big business by the end of the nineteenth century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beastly Possession: Animals in Victorian Consumer Culture|last=Amato|first=Sarah|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2015|location=Toronto|page=48}}</ref>

Profiteers also sought out pet stealing as a means for economic gain. Utilizing the affection that owners had for their pets, professional dog stealers would capture animals and hold them for ransom.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Animal Space, Beastly Places: New Geographies of Human-Animal Relations|last=Philo|first=Chris|publisher=Routledge|year=1989|pages=38–389}}</ref> The development of dog stealing reflects the increased value of pets. Pets gradually became defined as the property of their owners. Laws were created that punished offenders for their burglary.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Animal Space, Beastly Places: New Geographies of Human-Animal Relations|last=Philo|first=Chris|publisher=Routledge|year=1989|page=41}}</ref>

==== Social ====
Pets and animals also had social and cultural implications throughout the nineteenth century. The categorization of dogs by their breeds reflected the hierarchical, social order of the Victorian era. The [[pedigree (dog)|pedigree]] of a dog represented the high status and lineage of their owners and reinforced social stratification.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beastly Possession: Animals in Victorian Consumer Culture|last=Amato|first=Sarah|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2015|location=Toronto|page=55}}</ref> Middle-class owners valued the ability to associate with the upper-class through ownership of their pets. The ability to care for a pet signified respectability and the capability to be self-sufficient.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Beastly Possession: Animals in Victorian Consumer Culture|last=Amato|first=Sarah|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2015|location=Toronto|page=10}}</ref> According to Harriet Ritvo, the identification of "elite animal and elite owner was not a confirmation of the owner's status but a way of redefining it."<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Era|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|page=104}}</ref>

==== Entertainment ====
The popularity of dog and pet keeping generated [[animal fancy]]. Dog fanciers showed enthusiasm for owning pets, breeding dogs, and showing dogs in various shows. The first [[Conformation show|dog show]] took place on 28 June 1859 in Newcastle and focused mostly on sporting and hunting dogs.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in Victorian Age|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|pages=7–8}}</ref> However, pet owners produced an eagerness to demonstrate their pets as well as have an outlet to compete.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|page=98}}</ref> Thus, pet animals gradually were included within dog shows. The first large show, which would host one thousand entries, took place in Chelsea in 1863.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|page=66}}</ref> The [[Kennel club|Kennel Club]] was created in 1873 to ensure fairness and organization within dog shows. The development of the ''[[Stud book|Stud Book]]'' by the Kennel Club defined policies, presented a national registry system of purebred dogs, and essentially institutionalized dog shows.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age|last=Ritvo|first=Harriet|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1987|location=Cambridge|page=104}}</ref>

== Pet ownership by non-humans ==
Pet ownership by animals in the wild, as an analogue to the human phenomenon, has not been observed and is likely non-existent in nature.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Bradshaw|first1=J. W. S.|last2=Paul|first2=E. S.|date=2010|title=Could empathy for animals have been an adaptation in the evolution of Homo sapiens?|url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a832/f3be4a565534808568a4bc808d618600c4e0.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303051800/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a832/f3be4a565534808568a4bc808d618600c4e0.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2019|journal=Animal Welfare|language=en|volume=19|issue=S|pages=107–112|doi=10.1017/s096272860000230x |s2cid=55412536|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref> One group of [[capuchin monkeys]] was observed appearing to care for a [[marmoset]], a fellow [[New World monkey]] species; however, observations of [[chimpanzees]] apparently playing with small animals like [[hyraxes]] have ended with the chimpanzees killing the animals and tossing the corpses around.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/201006/are-humans-the-only-animals-keep-pets|title=Are Humans the Only Animals That Keep Pets?|work=Psychology Today|first=Hal|last=Herzog|date=18 June 2010|access-date=4 February 2023}}</ref>

A 2010 study states that human relationships with animals have an exclusive human cognitive component and that pet-keeping is a fundamental and ancient attribute of the human species. [[Anthropomorphism]], or the projection of human feelings, thoughts and attributes on to animals, is a defining feature of human pet-keeping. The study identifies it as the same trait in evolution responsible for [[domestication]] and concern for [[animal welfare]]. It is estimated to have arisen at least 100,000 [[years before present]] (ybp) in ''[[Human|Homo sapiens]]''.<ref name=":2" />

It is debated whether this redirection of human nurturing behaviour towards non-human animals, in the form of pet-keeping, was [[maladaptive]], due to being biologically costly, or whether it was [[Directional selection|positively selected]] for.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HRohBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA19|title=The Walking Larder: Patterns of Domestication, Pastoralism, and Predation|last=Clutton-Brock|first=Juliet|date=30 October 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-59838-1|pages=16, 19|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sj2Tk2k49ZcC&pg=PA299|title=The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Family Psychology|last1=Salmon|first1=Catherine|last2=Shackelford|first2=Todd K.|date=27 May 2011|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-539669-0|page=299|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Two studies suggest that the human ability to domesticate and keep pets came from the same fundamental evolutionary trait and that this trait provided a material benefit in the form of domestication that was sufficiently [[Adaptation|adaptive]] to be positively selected for.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />{{Rp|300}} A 2011 study suggests that the practical functions that some pets provide, such as [[Working animal#Hunting|assisting hunting]] or [[Biological pest control|removing pests]], could have resulted in enough evolutionary advantage to allow for the persistence of this behaviour in humans and outweigh the economic burden held by pets kept as playthings for immediate emotional rewards.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gray|first1=Peter B.|last2=Young|first2=Sharon M.|date=1 March 2011|title=Human–Pet Dynamics in Cross-Cultural Perspective|journal=Anthrozoös|volume=24|issue=1|pages=18, 27|doi=10.2752/175303711X12923300467285|s2cid=144313567|issn=0892-7936}}</ref> Two other studies suggest that the behaviour constitutes an error, side effect or misapplication of the evolved mechanisms responsible for human empathy and [[theory of mind]] to cover non-human animals which has not sufficiently impacted its evolutionary advantage in the long run.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|300}}

Animals in [[Captivity (animal)|captivity]], with the help of caretakers, have been considered to have owned pets. Examples of this include [[Koko the gorilla]] who had several pet cats, [[Tonda (orangutan)|Tonda the orangutan]] and a pet cat and Tarra the elephant and a dog named Bella.<ref name=":1" />

==Ethics==
Some scholars, [[ethicists]], and [[animal rights organizations]] have raised concerns over keeping pets because of the lack of autonomy and the objectification of non-human animals.<ref>{{cite news |last= McRobbie|first=Linda Rodriguez|date=1 August 2017|title=Should we stop keeping pets? Why more and more ethicists say yes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/01/should-we-stop-keeping-pets-why-more-and-more-ethicists-say-yes|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=3 August 2017}}</ref> By contrast, Ikechukwu Monday Osebor writing in the Aquino Journal from the [[University of Nigeria]] argues from a [[consequentialist]] perspective that pet ownership can be ethical.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Osebor |first1=Ikechukwu Monday |title=IS PET-KEEPING A VIOLATION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS? A CONSEQUENTIALIST STANDPOINT |journal=Aquino |date=2023 |volume=3 |issue=2 |url=https://acjol.org/index.php/aquino/article/view/4243 |access-date=2025-01-17}}</ref> Gary Francione and Anna Charlton argue that pet breeding and ownership are unethical because they view it as treating animals as property and commodifying them.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Francionce |first1=Gary |title=The case against pets |url=https://aeon.co/essays/why-keeping-a-pet-is-fundamentally-unethical |website=Aeon}}</ref> Further concerns arise from [[vegan]] and [[vegetarian]] perspectives with the fact that some pets require the consumption of meat and thus keeping pets may be unethical.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}



==Pets in art==
<gallery heights="130px" mode="packed-hover">
File: Katharine of Aragon with a monkey.jpg|Katharine of Aragon with a monkey
File: Jean-Honoré Fragonard - The Girl with the Marmot - Google Art Project.jpg| The Girl with the Marmot by [[Jean-Honoré Fragonard]]
File: Dubufe Un regal pour son animal de compagnie.jpg
File: Édouard Manet - Young Lady in 1866 - Google Art Project.jpg| - Young Lady with parrot by [[Édouard Manet]] 1866
File: Antoinette Metayer (1732-88). Oudste zuster van Louis Metayer Rijksmuseum SK-A-2140.jpeg|Antoinette Metayer (1732–88) and her pet dog
File:Lady with an Ermine - Leonardo da Vinci (adjusted levels).jpg|The Lady with an Ermine
File: Sir Henry Raeburn - Boy and Rabbit.jpg|[[Sir Henry Raeburn]] - Boy and Rabbit
File: Eos, A Favorite Greyhound of Prince Albert.jpg| Eos, A Favorite Greyhound of Prince Albert
File:Massimo Stanzione - Woman in Neapolitan Costume.jpg|A Neapolitan Woman
File: David Dalby of York - Signal, a Grey Arab, with a Groom in the Desert - Google Art Project.jpg|Signal, a Grey Arab, with a Groom in the Desert
File: Eduardo Leon Garrido. An Elegant Lady with her Dog.jpg|[[Eduardo Leon Garrido]]. An Elegant Lady with her Dog
File: Tissot James Jacques The Fireplace.jpg|''The Fireplace'' depicting a [[Pug]], [[James Tissot]] 
File: The nubian giraffe.jpg
File: Rosa Bonheur - Portrait de Col. William F. Cody.jpg|Rosa Bonheur - Portrait of [[William F. Cody]]
File: Boerendeel Rijksmuseum SK-C-540.jpeg
Image: Wriothesley southampton.jpg
File:MauriceDenis-LaLegendeDeStHubert-2LeLacherDesChiens.JPG|Hunt
File:The Pashas Favourite Tiger.jpg|''The Pasha's Favourite Tiger'', oil painting by Rudolph Ernst
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Animals|Cats|Dogs|Housing}}
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
* Alternative pets:
** [[Digital pet]]
**[[Robotic pet]]
* [[Captivity (animal)|Animal captivity]]
* [[Animal hoarding]]
* [[Anthrozoology]]
* [[Classroom pet]]
* [[Feline arterial thromboembolism]]
* [[List of individual cats]]
* [[List of individual dogs]]
* [[Pet adoption]]
* [[Animal loss|Pet loss]]
* [[Zoonosis]]
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=David Grimm |title=Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs |isbn=978-1-61039-550-2 |year=2015 |publisher=PublicAffairs }}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080706101658/http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/soa_ii_chap02.pdf Companion Animal Demographics in the United States: A Historical Perspective] from [https://web.archive.org/web/20101114111046/http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/humane_bookshelf/the_state_of_the_animals_ii_2003.html The State of the Animals II: 2003]
*{{wikiquote-inline}}

{{Wikibooks|How to choose your pet and take care of it}}
{{Commons category|Pets}}
{{Wiktionary}}

{{Domestic cat}}
{{Mammals in culture}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pets| ]]
[[Category:Human–animal interaction]]