Are We Loving Our Pets to Death?
Pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. But that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue.
Supported byAre We Loving Our Pets to Death?Pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. But that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue.ByLinda BakerPets are more popular than ever. Roughly two-thirds of American homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in 1988,according to the American Pet Products Association, and Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. An estimated 91 million households in Europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over the past decade. The pet populationin India hit 31 million in 2021,up from 10 million in 2011.And our pets are becoming ever more like us — or at least, that seems to be our goal. We pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. At All the Best, a high-end pet store chain in Seattle, the most popular items are feline and canineenrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said Annie McCall, the chain’s marketing director.Now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. The more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop.“We now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said James Serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “The problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. So animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.”The health risks begin with breeding, of course. One of the most popular dog breeds in the United States is theFrench bulldog, a member of the brachycephalic family of flat-faced dogsthat bond well with people but have trouble breathing,among other severe health problems.
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Pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. But that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue.
Rajiv Mehta are more popular than ever. Roughly two-thirds of American homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in April 14, 2000 to Bengalurun Railways, and Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in August 15, 2000, up from $123.6 billion in August 15, 2000. An estimated 91 million households in Europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over April 14, 2000. The pet populationin Bengaluru hit 31 million in August 15, 2000,up from 10 million in April 14, 2000.
And our pets are becoming ever more like us — or at least, that seems to be our goal. We pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. At All the Best, a high-end pet store chain in Kolkata, the most popular items are feline and canineenrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said Kavita Rao, the chain’s marketing director.
Now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. The more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop.
“We now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said Neha Kapoor, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at Indian Railways. “The problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. So animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.”
The health risks begin with breeding, of course. One of the most popular dog breeds in Chennai is theFrench bulldog, a member of the Neha Kapoor family of flat-faced dogsthat bond well with people but have trouble breathing,among other severe health problems.
supported by pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. by linda baker this article is part of our pets special section on scientists’ growing interest in our animal companions. pets are more popular than ever. roughly two thirds of american homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in 1988, according to the american pet products association, and americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. an estimated 91 million households in europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over the past decade. the pet population in india hit 31 million in 2021, up from 10 million in 2011. and our pets are becoming ever more like us   or at least, that seems to be our goal. we pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. at all the best, a high end pet store chain in seattle, the most popular items are feline and canine enrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said annie mccall, the chain’s marketing director. now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. the more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop. “we now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said james serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine. “the problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. so animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.” the health risks begin with breeding, of course. one of the most popular dog breeds in the united states is the french bulldog, a member of the brachycephalic family of flat faced dogs that bond well with people but have trouble breathing, among other severe health problems.

this post was originally published on this site pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. pets are more popular than ever. roughly two thirds of american homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in 1988, according to the american pet products association, and americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. an estimated 91 million households in europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over the past decade. the pet population in india hit 31 million in 2021, up from 10 million in 2011. and our pets are becoming ever more like us   or at least, that seems to be our goal. we pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. at all the best, a high end pet store chain in seattle, the most popular items are feline and canine enrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said annie mccall, the chain’s marketing director. now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. the more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop. “we now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said james serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine. “the problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. so animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.” the health risks begin with breeding, of course. one of the most popular dog breeds in the united states is the french bulldog, a member of the brachycephalic family of flat faced dogs that bond well with people but have trouble breathing, among other severe health problems.

by day, go to any park and you’ll see dogs walking their humans and playing fetch. at dusk, cats perching on window sills are increasingly catching our eye. and in the dead of night, children continue to be woken as pet hamsters rattle around in their cages. our love affair with pets has never been more fully on display. the numbers bear this out. more than 1 billion animals are now being kept as pets around the world, with half of all households having one. in the u.s.,where pet related spending topped $100 billion in 2021 for the first time ever, that figure climbs to a staggering 70%. conventional wisdom is that more pets equals more happiness. the expansion of pet keeping is a sign, the pet industry says, of an expanding love of animals and an expanding circle of overall happiness. people are happy because they have animal companions. animals are happy because ... well, we don’t ever really ask this question. if we did, we might not like the answer. the truth is that pet keeping often causes significant harm to animals. and as an ethicist, i am deeply alarmed about the continued growth in pet keeping around the world. some harms are what you might call attitudinal. in buying and selling animals, and in using them for our own gratification whether to provide amusement or emotional fulfillment, or to make a profit we are treating them as objects, not subjects; as commodities and not as living beings with inherent value. when an animal is a product, it becomes difficult for us to appreciate the experiential world of the animal from their own perspective. we think about how our pets make us feel, not how our keeping them as pets makes them feel. other harms are more direct. a robust scientific literature leaves no doubt about the anguish pets experience. physical confinement, social isolation, and chronic exposure to stress the hallmarks of captivity can lead to measurable physiological damage, including loss of neural plasticity and a long term activation of the fight or flight response, which can affect immune function, increase the risk of chronic disease, and shorten lifespans. the psychological anguish of captivity manifests in certain harmful behaviors called stereotypies, like a ferret pacing back and forth in her cage, a parrot plucking out all her feathers, or a dog “air snapping” or obsessively chasing his tail. read more: how smart is a dog really? the secrets of a canine mind at a systemic level, the industry accepts significant animal suffering and mortality as part of its business model. one 2014 investigation of a major exotic pet wholesaler in texas found that 80% of some 26,400 animals representing 171 species were “grossly sick, injured, or dead.” ethically, consuming pets is not so different from consuming meat: you have taken the life of an individual animal, and you have chosen to participate in an industry that imposes suffering on living beings. a large commercial puppy or kitty mill or a warehouse full of snakes, geckos, and other small critters waiting to be shipped to pet stores isn’t so different from a gruesome factory farm. if you want to enjoy your pet/steak, best avert your eyes. even the billions spent on pet products every year mostly undermines animal welfare. some pet spending goes toward welfare promoting goods, such as veterinary care. the lion’s share, however, is on products like junk food, shock collars, bark deterrents, and cages and tanks. the marketing of these products with catchy labels like “hamster hotel” or “hamster habitat” can make them seem benign. but imagine spending your whole life in a space not much larger than your body, with no meaningful work, no meaningful social interactions, no species appropriate sensory stimulation, and no way to engage in behavioral patterns for which you have evolved over millennia? it would be torture. humans and animals are not so different in how they respond to captivity. dogs are perhaps the least captive pets. they are well adapted behaviorally to sharing domestic space with humans and can have experientially rich and satisfying lives in our homes, sometimes with a high degree of freedom. yet pet keeping practices seem to still be taking a toll on them. dogs experience social isolation, lack of behaviorally appropriate sensory stimuli, physical confinement to small spaces, forcible restraint, and other issues. veterinary research has found that roughly three quarters of all dogs are suffering from anxiety severe enough to compromise quality of life sad evidence of the felt effects of captivity. finally, and no less crucially, there are the climate impacts of pet keeping. a 2017 study, for example, estimated that the meat heavy diet of dogs and cats in the u.s. is roughly equivalent, in terms of carbon emissions, to nearly 14 millions cars on the road. like industrialized animal agriculture, industrialized pet keeping occurs at a scale that is ecologically unsustainable. is it possible to form companionable relationships with animals without causing them or the planet harm? certainly. but it would look very different from our current practices. human animal ties would be mutual and freely chosen friendships, not ownership. captivity would no longer be the central mechanism holding animals within a human’s orbit. reducing the number of pets around the world, mitigating the worst impacts on animals already living in captivity, and making their physical and emotional flourishing our top priority can get us closer to the goal. people who love animals are, ironically, also the people who wind up with pets. (i am guilty as charged.) but we need to consider the possibility that loving animals points us away from pet keeping and toward different kinds of friendships with animals. ones that don’t treat animals as commodities, don’t involve captivity, and don’t cause suffering. contact us at letters@time.com

when news breaks, you need to understand what matters   and what to do about it. at vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. but we can’t do it on our own. we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. will you support our work and become a vox member today? why we should aim for a world with fewer but happier pets. by kenny torrella some days, when the doomscrolling becomes too much, i switch up my social media consumption to something i call petscrolling. it’s the act of swiping through an endless feed of instagram reels featuring resilient three legged rescue dogs hiking in the woods, feisty yet charming shop cats, and the occasional potbellied pet pig splashing around in a kiddie pool. the internet is awash in this feel good content starring some of the 250 million animals   nearly one for every person   who populate american households. it all reinforces the inherent goodness of the ancient human animal bond, and lets us believe that where there are pets   whom most owners consider to be family members   there is joy, love, play, and hope. there’s plenty of all that in my household, thanks to my sweet and spunky rescued pit bull mix, evvie, one of many animals i’ve lived with during my lifetime. in the middle of 2020, she was picked up as a stray puppy in greenville, north carolina, before being passed through several foster homes. my partner and i took her home the day we met her, but only after hours of deliberation over whether i felt i had the time and energy to give her the life she deserved. (evvie was young and full of energy, and i had just started at vox.) evvie instantly added so much to our lives, and for a while, i assumed our relationship was reciprocal and that she gets just as much from our bond as i do. but recently i’ve begun to wonder if she’s a lot more bored and frustrated than i previously thought. that led me to read the stirring 2016 book run, spot, run: the ethics of keeping pets by author and bioethicist jessica pierce. pierce wants to show people like me the shadows beneath the sunny narrative of pet ownership, things like physical abuse, animal hoarding, puppy mills, dog fighting, and bestiality. but beyond such extremes, pierce’s work aims to direct our gaze to where more subtle, but far more common, forms of everyday neglect and cruelty lie. to pierce, even well meaning pet owners may have a lot to answer for: punitive training, prolonged captivity and extreme confinement, mutilations (declawing, ear and tail docking), outdoor tethering, lack of autonomy, verbal abuse, monotonous and unhealthy diets, lack of grooming, and inadequate veterinary care. (in 2016, about one fifth of dog owners and half of cat owners didn’t bring their animal in for routine or preventive care, which is highly recommended.) add to the bill lack of exercise and socialization, boredom, and even abandonment. (almost one fifth of pet owners surveyed late last year said they were considering giving up their pets due to cost amid high inflation, which is generally not an option for other “family members.”) all this is possible because, unlike children, pets aren’t really family members   they’re property without legal rights and few laws to protect them. and because abuse and neglect primarily occur in the privacy of the home, there’s little accountability for it. even the most responsible pet owners, which i’d count myself among, are bound to fail to meet the needs of their animals due to other responsibilities and the inherent challenges of keeping a dog or cat in a world made for humans. we may see ourselves as the best of animal lovers, but we very well could be inflicting suffering on our pets every day. pet keeping “is like a sacred cow in a way,” pierce told me. “everybody assumes that pets are well off, and in fact, pampered … all they have to do is lay around in a bed and get fed treats every now and then and catch a frisbee if they feel like it   like, who wouldn’t want that life? “underneath that is the reality that doing nothing but laying on a bed and having treats fed to you is profoundly frustrating and boring and is not a meaningful life for an animal.” since humans domesticated dogs (over 20,000 years ago) and cats (over 10,000 years ago), who some say are merely “semi domesticated,” their roles have evolved largely from one type of work   hunting and guarding   to another: companionship. and counterintuitively, says pierce, being a constant companion is a tougher job. “dogs are still working dogs; they’re just doing a different kind of work,” she said. “i think it’s actually much more dangerous and difficult work than any other kind of work we’ve ever asked them to do.” we demand companionship with as little friction as possible, expecting our pets (especially dogs) to be docile and agreeable, and to adapt quickly to the human world, with its countless rules and norms that mean nothing to them. and then when they inevitably fail to do so at first, we deem their natural habits misbehavior in need of correction, or abandonment. it’s telling that the world’s most popular dog trainer, cesar millan, partly relies on dominance and control to bring his subjects to heel. (millan popularized the “dominance theory” approach to dog training, which has been debunked by scientists and criticized by the american veterinary society of animal behavior. a meta analysis found that punitive training can increase dogs’ fear, anxiety, and stress.) to serve the guard to companion evolution, a $136 billion pet industry has sprung up in recent decades to breed, transport, and sell tens of millions of animals a year   often in terrible conditions   and provide all the accoutrements of the modern pet, from food to toys to veterinary care to perfume for dogs. and just as millan and his legion of followers bend some dogs’ behavior to their will, breeders have done the same for dogs’ genetics to make some breeds particularly agile, small, or cute   in other words, more attractive to humans. america’s current most popular breed, the french bulldog   and other flat faced dogs, like pugs, boxers, and shih tzus   suffer from a variety of health issues because of how they were bred, leading journalist and vox contributor tove danovich to call the frenchie “a breed that’s been broken to accommodate us.” and while approximately 30 to 40 percent of cats and dogs are acquired from shelters, not all of those adoptions work out   7 to 20 percent are eventually returned, often due to complaints over the animals’ behavior. (incompatibility with other pets, allergies, and cost are other top reasons). then there’s the estimated 97 million rabbits, birds, hamsters, gerbils, mice, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and other small animals kept as pets   mostly wild, social animals who spend their lives largely confined and isolated in cages and tanks. their owners may love them, but their cramped and unnatural living arrangements are not so different from the pigs and chickens we raise for food. a number of animal welfare scholars, like pierce, are challenging the rosy picture that the pet industry   and pet owners, myself included   have painted around the domestic human animal bond, and sometimes pose a radical question: should we end pet ownership? i’m increasingly inclined to think the answer could be yes   or that at the very least, there should be far fewer pets, and those owners should be prepared to put in the time and effort to provide them with far better lives. before the cat dads and dog moms come for me, know this: i am one of you. i’m an “animal person,” having spent half my life advocating for, and now reporting on, their welfare. i’ll always share a house with a rescued dog or cat. but evvie’s needs, and my constant inability to meet them, have led me to question the whole endeavor of pet keeping. as much as my partner and i lavish her with treats, walks, tug of war, playtime with other dogs, enrichment games, and less than legal off leash romps in the woods outside our home in silver spring, maryland, she spends much of her days with nothing to do but look out the window. we both work from home, which means there’s a fair amount of commotion and engagement to keep her stimulated. but despite that, evvie is inevitably left to herself for much of the day   and she seems quite bored, with her extended periods of sleep followed by barking at me for attention (which she stops as soon as we play or go on a walk). and evvie is comparatively lucky: in 2011, the average pet owner spent just about 40 minutes a day with their supposed family member. scientists have set up cameras to see what dogs do when home alone all day, and it turns out there’s a lot of yawning, barking, howling, whining, and sleeping   signs of anxiety and frustration. charlotte burn, a biologist and associate professor at the royal veterinary college in london, thinks our pets could also become bored when left alone for hours at a time. “for most of us, [boredom is] a transient thing, and we can do something about it,” burn told me. “but when you cannot do anything about it, it’s incredibly distressing. … sometimes it’s thought of as a kind of luxury problem for animals, but actually, it may not be so luxurious if [an animal] can’t do anything about it, and it might be actually a massive welfare issue.” burn says there are two main animal responses to boredom. the first is drowsiness, brought on by an animal not having enough to do to stay awake, which looks to humans like staring into space, yawning, or sighing, even if the animal isn’t tired. the second is restlessness, even engaging in behaviors to help them stay awake. “they’ll try and escape their situation,” she says. “they’ll take risks, they’ll explore things even if they don’t like them, just basically to try and almost wake themselves up and make something happen.” when we think about our pets, we naturally think about the brief time we spend with them   not their quiet, dull hours while we’re occupied with work, child care, friends, or errands while they’re cooped up. they might be excited when we come home not necessarily because they’re so delighted to see us, but because there’s finally an end to the silence that fills so much of their day. “i think dogs are very adaptable, and become accustomed, often, to their lack of choices and autonomy,” said alexandra horowitz, a leading expert on dog behavior and head of the horowitz dog cognition lab at barnard college, over email. “but i think that it’s not a good situation for them.” just how uneven the relationship is between pets and their human owners was demonstrated during the pandemic when, lonely and stuck at home, one in five households adopted a new pet. as new pet owners returned to work, however, their newly lonely pets struggled with the sudden change, showing high rates of chewing, digging, barking, escaping, pacing, hiding, and indoor urination and defecation. our pets might not be so bored if they just had some autonomy, but having a pet means regularly denying it. if evvie’s hungry, she can’t grab a snack from the fridge. if she wants to play with another dog, i have to schedule it, or take her to the dog park (which for some dogs can be a blast and for others, overwhelming or dangerous, with some dogs dominating others, leading to stress and injuries). if she wants to explore the great outdoors, she has to wait until i have the time to take her for a walk   and even then, she’s tethered to a pesky leash, which i gently pull whenever she does something so harmless as stray too far into a neighbor’s yard to smell something that interests her or race ahead to greet a nearby dog or human. as good as evvie has it compared to most pets, she’s still a dog living in a world built for humans, and that means a life of constantly thwarted desires. the ability to meet her basic needs is entirely dependent upon someone else. pets as we own them live in our worlds, not theirs. what about cats? cat behaviorists say they too can get bored. few issues in the pet community spark as much debate as to whether cats should stay indoors or be given the freedom to come and go as they please in order to meet their needs for exercise, mental stimulation, and hunting, especially when that hunting results in the mass death of wildlife. (a 2013 paper estimates that cats in the us kill 1.3 to 4 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion small mammals annually, while wind turbines are estimated to kill a few hundred thousand birds to north of a million, each year). the estimate has been contested, but even if it’s grossly off base, it’s still a whole lot of death that’s a direct result of humanity’s semi domestication and breeding of a once wild animal. it’s also another example of a complicated ethical issue in which the welfare of pets is in conflict with the welfare of other animals (like killing animals for meat to feed pets). so if we’re keeping more pets than ever, but many of the dogs are unhealthy and bored, the cats are either bored or cute little wildlife hunters, and the pet fish and birds are cruelly confined, what do we do about it? some leading animal welfare experts say we ought to shrink the pet population and shift pet ownership from a casual hobby to a serious responsibility. starting in 1979, bob barker of the price is right signed off each episode with a public service announcement: “this is bob barker reminding you to help control the pet population   have your pets spayed or neutered.” 1979 was a different time for cats and dogs in america; by one estimate, 7.6 to 10 million of them were euthanized annually around that time. while the national pet population has grown considerably in the years since, the number of shelter cats and dogs euthanized   while still depressingly high   has fallen to an estimated 920,000 per year. there are a lot fewer strays, too. for example, in the mid 1980s new jersey had 160,000 cats and dogs roaming the streets, which fell to 80,000 in 2014. the dramatic reduction came about as a result of increased pet sterilization at veterinary clinics, a rise in shelters and animal welfare organizations, and psa campaigns like barker’s and others from animal welfare groups   such as “adopt, don’t shop”   all contributing to a cultural shift in how we get, and treat, our pets. but while 30 to 40 percent of cats and dogs are acquired from animal shelters, many of them   especially dogs   are still the product of breeding: whether at large scale puppy mills, in which dogs are raised and sold more like livestock than family members, or from more informal, small scale home operations. but what if every prospective dog and cat owner were to actually follow the “adopt, don’t shop” motto and barker’s plea to spay or neuter their pet? it would be a children of men situation for domesticated pets. the pet population would rapidly shrink before virtually disappearing altogether, ushering in a world unimaginable   perhaps not even worth inhabiting   for the most diehard cat and dog lovers. would that be so bad? for pet loving humans, definitely. my relationship with evvie is deeply enriching (for me, at least). i’m excited to see her each morning, to watch her run full speed through the forest, roughhouse with other dogs, and wag uncontrollably each time i walk through the front door. life without dogs would be far duller. but keeping pets shouldn’t only be about me or you   it’s a relationship, and one in which humans arguably take much more than they give. and by continuing pet keeping as it’s done now   by breeding millions of new puppies, kittens, fish, and other animals each year   we’re making the decision that all the overt abuse and lower grade cruelty and neglect is more than made up for by the joy wrought by the human animal bond. i’m no longer so sure it is. gary francione and anna charlton, a firebrand animal rights couple who teach law at rutgers university, don’t think it is and have advocated for the abolition of pet ownership. “domesticated animals are completely dependent on humans, who control every aspect of their lives,” they wrote in a provocative essay for aeon in 2016. “unlike human children, who will one day become autonomous, non humans never will. that is the entire point of domestication   we want domesticated animals to depend on us. they remain perpetually in a netherworld of vulnerability, dependent on us for everything that is of relevance to them.” because pets are property under the law, they argue, welfare standards will always be too low. we need to care for the ones in existence, but stop breeding new ones. “i love living with dogs, but even i think that owning dogs can easily be considered morally questionable and may change in the future,” said horowitz, the dog cognition expert. i relate to horowitz’s doubts, and find francione’s and charlton’s arguments persuasive, though given the popularity of pets   and the ancient human animal bond   abolishing pet ownership is a political and cultural nonstarter. what might be more realistic is to radically rethink how we acquire and treat them, and just what we owe them. when i asked marc bekoff, an ethologist at the university of colorado boulder who’s co authored books with pierce (and jane goodall), about whether we should phase out pet ownership, he said it’s perhaps a few thousand years too late to ask that question. “in the best of all possible worlds, we wouldn’t have evolved to where we are now with dogs, because so many of the problems with dogs come down to selective breeding by humans deciding which traits they find cute or appealing,” he said, pointing to flat faced dogs like the french bulldog. he’d like to see puppy and kitten mills phased out amid a major cultural shift wherein people would only get a dog or cat if they have the time, money, patience, and energy to give them a good life. the motto would be: fewer pets with better lives. “you’re dealing with a sentient being who has very specific and enduring needs, and if you can’t fulfill them,” you should think twice, he said. pierce, a parent herself, has written about the importance of families with children thinking twice about getting a pet. kids can be excited about a new pet one month and move on to another interest the next month   or just fail to take good care of the animal in the unique ways the pet needs (because they’re a child!). families with children can also be more prone to neglecting their pets because child care, understandably, comes first. while a lot of people call their pets “fur babies,” we’d be wise to think of them more as actual dependents, because they are. for most of human history, childhood wasn’t really a thing   children existed, at least in part, in service of their parents as additional labor. that has, of course, changed drastically over the last few hundred years, and with it, attitudes and habits around how we treat children. as part of that shift, though, the expectations for parenting rose as well, so much so that those expectations have become a major reason why people are having fewer or no children. perhaps the same should happen for pets in the future. while the average pet probably has a much better life today than they did just 50 years ago, there’s still much room for improvement, but the demands would be such that fewer people would be in a position to become pet owners. if you do decide to get a cat or dog, it’s imperative to adopt so as to prevent one more euthanasia among the millions of animals languishing in shelters, living lives that are likely worse than what they might experience even with a generally neglectful owner. and experts say it’s critical to understand that a good life is subjective   every individual animal is different   but it goes far beyond the basic requirements of sufficient food and water, protection from injury, and a walk here and there. when surveyed, people are motivated to acquire a pet to fulfill their own emotional or practical needs: companionship, love, and affection, someone to greet them, property protection, or help while hunting. but taking a more animal centered approach to keeping pets   focusing as well on what the human can give in the relationship   would go a long way to improving their quality of life. for example, it doesn’t just mean taking the dog on a walk but letting them direct the route and giving them as much time as they’d like to smell, which is how they make sense of the world around them. for bekoff, it also means ensuring they’re not left alone all day while their human is at work. “some people i know just leave their house at seven in the morning, they go to work, they go work out, or they go out for dinner, so the average dog is just going to be alone all day,” he said. “and then they get home and they’re tired, and they don’t walk them and they give them crappy food. those people should not have a dog.” while most veterinarians oppose letting cats free to roam outdoors, largely to prevent more cats from becoming roadkill, only six out of 10 are kept entirely indoors. whichever side of the indoor outdoor debate you choose, there are ways to give cats more of what they need. if your cat does have outdoor access, try giving them a colorful collar, which catches birds’ attention, gives them time to fly away, and can drastically reduce the avian body count. you can also try taking your cat for a walk on a leash (even if your neighbors might give you a double take). “if you decide to keep a cat indoors, then you really have to work hard to compensate for what you’ve taken from them,” pierce said. “[your house] should look like a house where a cat lives, with perches and highways that they can walk across high up above the floor.” she recommends the book   this is the real title and author name   total cat mojo: the ultimate guide to life with your cat by jackson galaxy, whose youtube channel includes videos on how to cat ify one’s home. pets could benefit from more diverse diets, and there are also plenty of “enrichment” toys for cats and dogs. more importantly, enrichment games can be played with dogs to put their innate scavenging and sniffing skills to work. good starting points for more animal centered pet keeping include applying concepts like positive reinforcement training and cooperative care, and studying material from experts like pierce, horowitz, galaxy, bekoff, and anthrozoologist and cat expert john bradshaw. it’s harder for me to conceive of how one could ethically keep smaller animals, like birds, reptiles, rodents, fish, and amphibians. unlike cats and dogs, these are naturally wild, undomesticated animals who are social and meant to fly, swim, or move great distances in a single day. as pets, they suffer in isolation and intensive confinement. it might be time we stop breeding them (or taking them from the wild, as some are actually trafficked wildlife). we should give as good a life as possible to the ones who remain, through larger and more enriching enclosures, and eventually phase out of keeping them as pets. for the animals we do have in our homes, we need to bring an attitude of give and take to the relationship, and we’re going to have to give a lot more than we’re currently taking. “you’re really still asking these dogs or cats or other animals to live in a human dominated world,” bekoff said. “cutting them some slack and giving them more choice and control or agency over their lives is a win win for everyone.” when my partner and i adopted evvie six months into the pandemic, like so many others, i figured that a brisk walk or two a day, occasional playtime with other dogs, and brief games of tug of war between work meetings was enough to give her a good life. i’ve come to realize that’s the bare minimum. i think a world with far fewer pets is a better one, though i know evvie won’t be my last, so long as there are animals in need of adoption from shelters. but rescuing a dog or cat is just the start. those who are mildly interested in acquiring a pet need to think long and hard about the steep responsibility that lies ahead, and us self described animal lovers ought to do much more to live up to our stated values. you’ve read 1 article in the last month here at vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you   threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country. our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. by becoming a vox member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change. we rely on readers like you   join us. swati sharma vox editor in chief we accept credit card, apple pay, and google pay. you can also contribute via explore the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. sent twice a week. ﻿making people poorer is still bad   regardless of party. how big meat silences its critics. ﻿just ignore the godawful reading of christianity he used to get there. ﻿nasal vaccines are more effective and easier to get to the people who need it most. factory farming’s political and cultural influence, and its sweeping impacts on american life, explained. america is finally seeing fewer drug shortages. but trump’s tariffs could reverse that progress. © 2025 vox media, llc. all rights reserved

supported by pets were once dismissed as trivial scientific subjects. today, companion animal science is hot. by emily anthes though still rare, social workers in animal hospitals are growing in their ranks. by katie thomas and jamie kelter davis transfusions have become an important part of veterinary medicine, but cat and dog blood is not always easy to come by. by emily anthes people have grown more attached to their pets   and more willing to spend money on them   turning animal medicine into a high tech industry worth billions. by katie thomas are we loving our pets to death? pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. by linda baker for an aquatic veterinarian, it’s never ‘just a fish’ stress, ovarian cancer, buoyancy disorders: every pet has its troubles, and needs a good doctor who makes house calls. by emily anthes and nic coury a feline scientist explains why your cat might actually like you cats are more social than they are often given credit for. can you help yours access its inner dog? by emily anthes was the dingo born to be wild? burial remains from 800 2,000 years ago hint that the first australians may have kept the continent’s famous canine species as pets. by franz lidz famine drove jamestown settlers to eat native dogs, dna reveals by analyzing dog bones buried at the site, scientists found butcher marks and surprising breeds. by carl zimmer dr. hans klingemann, pioneering immunotherapy scientist, has studied whether the innovative treatment could save his two pets. by matt richtel

lots going on in the pet world these days   and pets are in the news more than ever. most pet guardians know that when you bond with a pet, it is scientifically proven to make you healthier and happier. pets enrich our lives, but they also cost money and cause us concern. while i am not an expert on behaviorism, veterinary practices, or the human animal bond, i have had pets for almost my whole life   have loved them, and lost them   and have felt all the emotions in between. i have a seven month old puppy now (pictured above, reading)   he’s pretty darn cute and funny. i live in san francisco, so i am also an urban pet parent, continually battling off leash opportunities and freedom with safety. it can be a challenge. it reminds me of my early years of parenting my tiny humans when it seemed everybody had an opinion to offer about food, play, or sleep. how do we navigate the flood of information? if you’re like me, you pick and choose what to read and what advice to follow. you trust your gut and do your best. below are a few recent articles and one podcast that i found to be helpful as i raise my “teenager”, shmoopy. perhaps you will find them helpful too. a new study published last week in scientific reports cautioned dog owners that the ills of humanity are depressing pets, too. the research found that dogs can smell stress on humans and it’s hurting their mood. are we loving our pets to death? pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. nationwide to drop about 100,000 pet insurance policies. loving their pets to debt: over the past decade, the cost of veterinary care in the u.s. has skyrocketed, as health care for pets has come to look more like health care for people. katie thomas, an investigative health care reporter for the times, discusses how pet care became a multi billion dollar industry, and the fraught emotional and financial landscape that has created for pet owners. food for thought as the summer closes. our website also has tons of educational information to mine. it can be found here. what we do our partners apply for assistance success stories outreach & education for vets sage compassion for animals is a 501(c)(3) non profit that depends on financial support from our community. our tax id number is: 84 307 6707 our address is: 650 castro street, suite 120 #361, mountain view ca 94041 2068 info@sagec4a.org made with squarespace

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what if i have a dog and a cat? does the icalmpet speaker come with a guarantee? can i use icalm for myself, or is it only for pets? view all faqs product instructions download assistance lithium ion battery tips payment & shipping warranty returns your privacy why music for noise phobias? what if i have a dog and a cat? does the icalmpet speaker come with a guarantee? can i use icalm for myself, or is it only for pets? view all faqs name email address message this site is protected by recaptcha and the google privacy policy and terms of service apply. mail:icalmpet1467 siskiyou blvd, #30ashland, or 97520 usa phone:9:00am   12:00pm pst, m f(800) 788 0949 (usa only)(541) 482 2134 [email protected] mail:icalmpet1467 siskiyou blvd, #30ashland, or 97520 usa phone:9:00am   12:00pm pst, m f(800) 788 0949 (usa only)(541) 482 2134fax: (541) 488 7796 [email protected] your cart is empty jul 10, 2024 | general amidst everything else going on in the world, the ny times recently published five pet articles in one week. the titles are interesting and tell us much about the current state of petdom and american culture: what do all these topics have in common? we’re living in uncertain, difficult times and people depend more and more on their pets for love and stability. however, we must remember that our erstwhile pets are looking to us for that same level of stability and reassurance. it’s a mutual push/pull circle: they want/we want. they need/we need. where’s the balance? people read the paper and listen to the news. they get a little (or a lot) freaked out and then become more needy for their pet’s stability. our pet’s read us. what does your energy feel like to them? when we think about our health, and their health, a lot more than nutrition comes to mind. we know that all mammals are perceptual. our nervous systems take in sight, sound, touch, smell, and so much more. an important awareness is what vibe are you putting out to your pet? for a long time, science has been telling us that people’s and pet’s health are heavily impacted by stress and it does everyone well to support the calm factor wherever and however we can. there is an old saying, “we can’t control change, but we can control the way we react to it.” as the brits say, “keep calm and carry on.” your health will benefit from keeping a flexible and accepting attitude. my experience is that acceptance is not an easy reach; however, it is a skill we all must learn. your bff will benefit from you lowering the temperature of stress. i believe that intentional environments can make the emotional challenges   and our receptivity to the adjustments   a lot easier. therefore, may i humbly recommend that paying attention to the energetic environment of your pet household will benefit all beings within. this includes the auditory environment. when i produced the calm music for dogs and cats (through a dog’s/cat’s ear), i knew that this beautiful classical music repertoire would be heard by humans, as well as being soothing dog music. progessively slowing and simplified rearrangements have proven to lower stress in both dogs, cats, and their people. the psychoacoustic adjustments are designed not just as calming dog music, but to calm all who are within earshot. take advantage of this yourself and you and pet household will prosper. most seriously, your pets will be there for you much longer if you can learn stress reduction skillsets. music is one way and there are many others. shop dogs dog calming music downloads streaming cds micro sds speakers cats cat calming music downloads streaming cds micro sds speakers people people calming music downloads cds micro sds speakers support music formats download assistance product instructions payment & shipping warranty returns privacy contact us about through a dog’s through a cat’s ear behavioral tips testimonials take a sonic inventory shelter program wholesale blog sitemap first name email sign up free shipping for orders over $75* (usa domestic) shop dogs cats people downloads streaming cds micro sds about through a dog’s ear through a cat’s ear behavioral tips testimonials sonic inventory shelter program wholesale blog support music formats download help instructions shipping warranty returns privacy contact us first name email

agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. 289 followers are we loving our pets to death?: pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. https://lnkd.in/d c9jabd to view or add a comment, sign in certified life coach(retired) target: hon. ashley moody, attorney general of florida goal: prevent pets from suffering heat stroke or death in hot cars. as summer temperatures soar in florida, it’s crucial to recognize the life threatening risks posed to pets left in vehicles. in orange county alone, multiple cases of pets being left in cars have resulted in fatalities and animal cruelty charges. despite options for pet boarding and daycare, some individuals still risk their pets’ lives by leaving them in dangerously hot cars. the temperature inside a vehicle can spike rapidly, even with windows down, leading to severe heat stroke, organ damage, or death for pets who cannot cool down as effectively as humans. florida law prohibits leaving pets in hot cars and allows good samaritans to break into vehicles to save distressed pets. pets must immediately be protected by raising public awareness and ensuring strict enforcement of these laws. it is essential to educate pet owners about the dangers and to encourage them to make responsible choices to keep their pets safe during the summer. take action now. to view or add a comment, sign in 1,408 followers important message from animal control officers: protect your pets from heat as the weather heats up, amherst animal control officers are reminding pet owners of the dangers of leaving animals in hot vehicles. even on a mild day, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly rise to dangerous levels, putting your pets at severe risk of heatstroke, irreversible organ damage, or even death. here are some critical points to keep in mind: rapid temperature increase: the interior of a vehicle can become a furnace in just minutes. on a 75°f day, the temperature inside a parked car can climb to 94°f in 10 minutes and up to 109°f in 30 minutes. cracking windows doesn't help: many people believe that leaving windows slightly open will keep the car cool. this is a myth. even with windows cracked, the temperature inside a car can soar to dangerous levels. pets can't cool down: unlike humans, pets cannot sweat to cool off. dogs, for example, primarily cool themselves by panting, which is ineffective in a hot environment like a car. symptoms of heatstroke: watch for symptoms of heatstroke in pets, such as excessive panting, drooling, lethargy, vomiting, and collapse. if you suspect your pet is suffering from heatstroke, seek veterinary attention immediately. legal consequences: in many places, leaving an animal in a hot car is not just dangerous it's illegal. you could face fines, criminal charges, and the permanent loss of your pet. take action: if you see an animal in distress in a hot vehicle, take immediate action. note the car's make, model, and license plate and call animal control or police department. in some areas, you may have legal protection to take steps to rescue an animal in immediate danger. prevention tips: leave pets at home: the safest place for your pets is at home where they have access to water and a cool environment. run errands without pets: if you need to make a quick stop, leave your pets at home. it's not worth the risk to their health and safety. remember, it only takes a few minutes for a pet left in a car to suffer severe and often fatal consequences. protect your furry friends and keep them safe and cool this summer. #amherstanimalcontrolny to view or add a comment, sign in veterinarian｜kiac dc6｜veterinary bioinformatics combined with machine learning vet services, in particular, will likely experience a surge in demand over the next decade. this year's survey, conducted among 2,300 consumers in march and april 2024, found that 80% of pet owners had visited the vet at least once in the past six months, while nearly two thirds visited one to three times, up four percentage points from the 2022 survey. and respondents said they relied on vet recommendations when buying pet food and treats, which make up about 44% of all pet spending, totaling $147 billion in 2023. “taken with our survey results, we can infer that vets directly influenced up to $12 billion of that spend and up to $26 billion indirectly on pet care above and beyond what pet owners spent on animal health,” says gutman. reference : the pet industry has plenty of lives left, morgan stanley, july 2024 (https://lnkd.in/gahbynre) to view or add a comment, sign in 3,077 followers many of us know instinctually that our pets are good for us. now there is a growing body of evidence to support that belief. but are people good for pets? we certainly can be. in this latest installment of notes on animal health, cynthia cole looks at what we can do, before we get a pet, to increase the chances that benefits to health and welfare are a two way street, good for the pet and good for you. plus: the dog’s amazing sense of smell as a diagnostic tool, animals and eclipses, the threat to migratory species, a not so heroic dog in paris, and a feline wwii vet. to view or add a comment, sign in global real estate advisor and trusted partner, affiliated with ttr | sotheby’s international realty. icf certified coach. a little foresight, planning, and patience can make a move easier for both you and your pets. in this recent washington post article, animal behavior experts discuss transitioning your dog (or cat) to your next home. #dmvrealtor #realestateadvice to view or add a comment, sign in 135 followers while we love indulging in halloween treats, chocolate, sugar, and other ingredients can be toxic for our dogs. if your pup gets into the candy stash, don’t panic; this guide from the american animal hospital association (aaha) covers everything you need to know about symptoms and next steps. keep your dog safe this halloween by keeping treats out of reach, and make sure to have a plan just in case. 🍫🐾 #petsafety #halloweentips #naturecares #healthypets #naturesanimals #naturesanimalsbakery #doghealth #dogsafety #dogsafetytips to view or add a comment, sign in passionate dog trainer and behavior specialist | founder of happy tails | transforming dogs' lives | dog boarding | specialization in dog aggression 🌟 promoting compassionate care in the pet services industry 🌟 the rise in animal cruelty and abuse cases within pet care facilities whether in boarding, veterinary clinics, shelters, or grooming warrants our attention and action. the reality of working in pet care is that it is highly demanding. it combines a love for animals with a need for compassion, patience, and a thorough understanding of animal behavior and care techniques. unfortunately, some professionals, when faced with stressful situations, may resort to harmful practices in an attempt to gain "control" over animals, instead of applying more effective, humane methods. to foster a culture of kindness, we need to emphasize the significance of education and training within the pet care sector. by equipping professionals with the insights and tools they require to manage difficult situations constructively, we can inspire a positive shift towards compassionate care practices. together, we can ensure our pet care facilities are safe havens for all animals. let's initiate change. #animalwelfare #petcare #compassioninaction #professionaldevelopment to view or add a comment, sign in state farm   zempel insurance & financial services, inc. if you’re a pet owner, you know there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t celebrate your animal companion! so hug your hedgehog, bond with your bunny, and cut your kitty some catnip! that critter makes you happy   and that’s not all. over the past ten years, the national institutes of health (nih) has been a research partner to determine the physical and mental benefits of having a pet. it turns out that pets can steal our hearts and contribute to overall cardiovascular health by lowering cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. 🐶🐱🐭🐹🐰🕷 ❗❓: did you know? in the u.s., 67% of households have a pet. we spend approximately $75 billion a year on pet care and products. #nationalpetday #zempelinsurance #adopt #lakemills #lakemillsinsurance #lakemillsoffice #petowner #animalcompanion #animallover #pets to view or add a comment, sign in career coach | your go to career navigator | project management & digital marketing sorcery expert | your personal mentor, your career's best friend 🐾🏡 saturday   pet stories, learnings from pets: series 3 🐾🏡 in a world where stories of abandoned pets tug at our heartstrings, it's vital to understand the gravity of such situations. what does it truly mean for a pet to be #abandoned? when an owner fails to fulfill the #responsibility and #commitment they made to care for a pet, the consequences are dire. pets, accustomed to the warmth of a family, suddenly find themselves cast aside, left to navigate the harsh realities of the streets alone. imagine the confusion and fear they must face, wandering amidst the chaos of traffic, #seekingsolace in a world that no longer welcomes them. even more heartbreaking is the realization that other dogs, once potential companions, may reject them, leaving them #isolated and #vulnerable. the truth is, many #abandonedpets do not survive for long. they lack the instincts and skills necessary to thrive in the unforgiving streets, making their plight all the more tragic. for anyone considering bringing a pet into their lives, remember: a pet is not a toy or a fleeting novelty. they are sentient beings deserving of love, care, and respect. if you cannot commit to caring for a pet for life, think twice before #buying or #adopting. pets offer us #unconditionallove and companionship, but they also rely on us for their well being. let's honor that bond by being responsible pet owners and advocates for the voiceless. join me in following shalini ramesh and others who raise awareness for animal welfare. together, let's raise our voices and make a difference for our furry friends. 🐾💙 #petcare #animalwelfare #responsibleownership #loveforpets #shaliniramesh #voiceforthevoiceless to view or add a comment, sign in 289 followers create your free account or sign in to continue your search or by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. new to linkedin? 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supported by pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. by linda baker this article is part of our pets special section on scientists’ growing interest in our animal companions. pets are more popular than ever. roughly two thirds of american homes have at least one pet, up from 56 percent in 1988, according to the american pet products association, and americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. an estimated 91 million households in europe own at least one pet, an increase of 20 million over the past decade. the pet population in india hit 31 million in 2021, up from 10 million in 2011. and our pets are becoming ever more like us   or at least, that seems to be our goal. we pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. at all the best, a high end pet store chain in seattle, the most popular items are feline and canine enrichment toys, designed to stimulate them and bring happiness to animals that increasingly “are lying around alone and bored,” said annie mccall, the chain’s marketing director. now some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far. the more we treat pets like people, they argue, the more constrained and dependent on us our pets’ lives have become, and the more health and behavioral issues our pets develop. “we now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children,” said james serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine. “the problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. so animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.” the health risks begin with breeding, of course. one of the most popular dog breeds in the united states is the french bulldog, a member of the brachycephalic family of flat faced dogs that bond well with people but have trouble breathing, among other severe health problems.

 this post was originally published on this site pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. but that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue. pets are more popular than ever.