A pet is regarded as any animal kept by human beings to act as a source of pleasure and companionship. Generally, they are kept because of the pleasure they tend to give to the owners; often, especially with dogs, horses, and cats, the pleasure is mutual. Therefore, pet keeping is described as a symbiotic relationship, which typically means that both the pet and the humans possessing the animal enjoy the benefits. It has been practiced from the pre-historic era up to date that pets are always found in every culture and society as they play a vital role in satisfying human needs. In addition, the history of pets is often intertwined with the animal domestication process, and the dog was the first domesticated species hence making it the first pet. However, according to Enders-Slegers and Hediger, keeping some of these animals as pets is detrimental to human health if certain elements and qualifications are not achieved (260). Generally, domesticated animals are significant since they motivate their owners to play and exercise, which is effective in lowering the effects of depression and trauma; they also provide security and scare away rodents.
Pet keeping plays a vital role in improving human health as it carries positive things related to health. In the United States of America, dogs are the most kept and popular pets, with 78 million dogs apart from cats (While 334). In most scenarios, walking with a dog is interesting; hence, possessing it may influence an individual to have spare time to walk around, therefore, promoting physical fitness (Enders-Slegers and Hediger 260). For instance, if an individual gets 150 minutes of bodily exercise weekly, they will reduce the risks of getting diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes, colon cancer, and heart complications. Playing and running vigorously with a pet is one of the most effective ways of getting fit and healthy. Furthermore, therapy pets or animals also play a critical role in helping blind and diabetic individuals.
Pets also play a significant role in reducing disquiet and stress in children and adults as they feel good and happy around the animals. Interacting with them decreases cortisol levels, which is pressure and anxiety-related hormone that improves the overall wellbeing of human health (While 336). Cats are the most common type of creatures that have been identified as strain and worry relievers. Adopting a pussycat is similar to having a meowing, walking, sassy, and stress reliever. An illustration of this is when individuals come from work tired, they can spend time with the fuzzy feline pet, which makes their body produce stress-relieving hormones, thus facilitating good health.
The cats are also helpful in enabling their owners to keep other animals such as rodents and cockroaches away from the apartment. The security makes it easier for the families to have less worry and concern about the effects of the rats. They emit some toxic chemicals that deter mice from coming into the rooms. The substance is typically found in the cat’s saliva, and they trigger sensory organs found in a mouse hence causing terror. Even if the kitty is not active in killing them, it will passionately protect the house from the harmful intruders from destroying food and any other vital human belongings in the building (Schuurman and Dirke 11). The animals are nuisance pests to a man as they might destroy the stored grains and infrastructure.
Customarily, having rodents in the house is regarded as a definite form of a health risk as they can also spread germs and other bacteria through their contact with food materials. The microbes spread through their urine, droppings, or even their biting. In addition, their burrowing and gnawing behaviors make them destroy clothes and other structures hence making humans uncomfortable. Therefore, having a pet within the compound scares them away, thus enhancing the safety within the apartment. However, this is not an indication that the moggies chase the mice away forever, but when they realize that the cat is around, they will remain in the hidden place hence reducing the damages.
Furthermore, pets make individuals become more responsible and well organized since they require attention and care. Keeping these animals at times is associated with trouble, expenses, which make owning them inconvenient to most people as it requires them to invest time. However, according to Michie et al., this can also make them more accountable as caring for them makes children become aware and more empathetic to the needs and wants of others (25). When youngsters have pets around, they learn to take good care of them hence improving their moral development of loving animals and other creatures. Domesticated animals are regarded as a perfect technique of teaching children about their responsibilities. The daily feeding, exercising, affection, and grooming of cats and dogs helps the young ones know and understand the importance of consistency, obligation, and appreciation for the rewards emerging from owning and keeping pets. This clearly illustrates how pet keeping plays a vital role in teaching children and adults life lessons such as becoming responsible, which is an essential life skill.
In addition, the pets, at times, also act as a source of protection or security. They guard human beings together with everything that they possess. They are a variety of dogs that provide ideal protection to an individual’s home and protect their loved ones. If an individual develops a strong bond or connection with their pooch, it becomes a part of the family, and the doggy’s instinctive need to protect them is established. For example, if an intruder decides to threaten the owner, the dog will react and become more defensive (Wanser and Udell 90). For example, dogs such as German shepherd is effective in providing adequate security to families based on their skills abilities. In addition, guard, protection, and livestock guard dogs are other types of hounds trained to offer protection to the possessors.
In conclusion, it is clear that there are several benefits of pet keeping, and it is often associated with an increase in opportunities to exercise, hence improving human health. In a nutshell, having household animals plays a vital role in keeping rodents away and, most importantly, reducing anxiety and stress associated with their presence in the compound. They also decrease the lonely feeling an individual may encounter due to their interactive nature. In addition, pets also offer security and protection to human beings, especially dogs. They are generally trained to protect the owners and notify them when they see intruders. Furthermore, having these animals enables individuals to become more responsible by equipping them with the necessary leadership skills.
Works Cited
Enders-Slegers, Marie-José, and Karin Hediger. “Pet Ownership and Human–Animal Interaction in an Aging Population: Rewards and Challenges.” Anthrozoös, vol. 32, no. 2, 2019, pp. 255-265.
Michie, Craig, et al. “The Internet of Things Enhancing Animal Welfare and Farm Operational Efficiency.” Journal of Dairy Research vol. 87, no. S1, 2020, pp. 20-27.
Schuurman, Nora, and Karin Dirke. “From Pest to Pet. Liminality, Domestication and Animal Agency in the Killing of Rats and Cats.” TRACE∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, vol. 6, 2020, pp. 2-25.
Wanser, Shelby H., and Monique AR Udell. “Does Attachment Security to A Human Handler Influence the Behavior of Dogs Who Engage in Animal Assisted Activities?.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 210, 2019, pp. 88-94.
While, Alison. “Pet Dogs as Promoters of Wellbeing.” British Journal of Community Nursing, vol. 22, no. 7, 2017, pp. 332-336.