Introduction: The Bond Between Humans and Pets Bragging about what a good fur baby your pet is, or calling your pet the coolest roommate you ever had: either way, one thing is for sure-pets are no longer just animals in our house; they are part of our family. And it is not just us who thinks so; science supports this growing trend. The story is one where pets have undergone a change from being mere animals living on our property to being some of the most loved members of our household-to tell the story of how our relationships with animals have changed.
Beginning of the Human-Animal Relationship
The story of the human-animal bond started thousands of years ago with the domestication of the first animals. In the beginning, animals were tools for the survival of humans. Chickens provided eggs and meat, while horses and oxen helped pull carts with goods from one side to another with people. Some useful dogs and cats helped humans hunt their food or keep predators away from their food.
The human-animal relationship took a great leap forward when ancient Egyptians started to keep cats in their homes to eat the rats and mice plaguing their granaries. Cats quickly became more than protectors: they were cherished, adorned with gold jewelry, and even invited to banquets. This burgeoning affection took root in other cultures, but it would take a long time before pets anywhere would be considered more than mere functional creatures.
The evolution of pet relationships has always been beyond ownership. Animals were in short assets to be owned for centuries and millennia, rather than members of families. Animals, especially cats and dogs, were given to households since early times, as mere servants or friends, perhaps one day even all the great hunters among mice catchers.
The full-fledged transition toward pets as family began with the Industrial Revolution, when, with the march of technology, people need not worry about just having to survive basic life but could indulge in pleasure. Hence, more personal attachments could be formed with animals because they became more intimate friends than busy working members of the family. So there was a changeover from workers to friendship and company-we are slowly approaching this modern form of relationship shared between people and animals.
How Pets Became Full Family Members
In this supposedly liberated world, people can choose their lifestyles-their own dreams of living. Of course, that includes having a children-filled house with a white picket fence for some, while for a few others, having an adventure of a lifetime with their furry companions accompanying them would suffice. With the diverse kinds of families coming out today, chances are pets will be part of most homes.
In the United States, the number of children born has been stagnant since the seventies, while pet ownership kept soaring. By 2018, over 60 percent of all households in America owned at least one pet, with dogs and cats remaining the popular choices. The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that pets are companions but are considered, by far, the majority of owners, to be full-fledged members of the family. Indeed, 85 percent of dog owners and 76 percent of cat owners claim their pets are “bonafide family members.”
This shift in perception has sparked much interesting research about the changing role of pets in our families. Sociologist Andrea Laurent-Simpson has looked at how people think of their pets and has found vast differences in the meaning these relationships hold; they are far from being one-size-fits-all. In some circumstances, for instance, families with small children seem to view their pets as extra “babies,” many of them calling their pets their “fur babies.” Kids raised with such pets, on the other hand, consider their pets as brothers or best friends.
Pets as Best Friends: Beyond the Conventional Family
While these pets-as-best-friends ideas somewhat transcend the traditional concept of family, many single adult pet owners, especially those without any children, regard their pets as their closest friends and companions. These animals walk with their owners through tides of joy and sorrow, adding emotional strength and joy-whether by support during time of separation or by celebrating a promotion. Pets, to these individuals, are not merely animals; they are trusted companions who extend their love and loyalty without conditions.
Then come those, who without giving it much thought, choose consciously not to have children and rather keep a pet that serves another purpose. Indeed, in such cases, pet-keeping assumes greater importance. Most often, such people acknowledge their pets as the ‘less labor-intensive’ babies in a households without children and form deeper emotional connections with them. In this way, pets truly fill a very special emotional role in the lives of their owners: as companions and sources of love, without the responsibilities of bringing up children.
Families, Pets, and the New Society
The trends in pet ownership have come to epitomise the new emerging order in family values and configurations within society. Today, family means a single parent with children, extended and blended ones, or that tight bonding between husband and wife with their pets, where the family includes pet animals as actual family members. Thus, under modern-day conditions, pets have definitely progressed beyond animals’ definition.
The intimate association between human beings and animals is beyond mere companionship; it is, more: love, bond, and mutual care. Watching a pet merrily decide our life is surely cherished. But as good humans, we let them live the happy lives they do. After all, that’s what we do for those we love.
The bond between man and animal has changed from being purely utilitarian-adopted or forsaken to, now, companionship considered unquestioned equal members of the family. The role of pets evolved from utility into deeper value-added companionship, love, and support in ways unimaginable to many. Pet parents or those whose pets become their closest friends will both have to agree: the valued member of the modern family, pets, are here to stay.
