Do you remember your first dog or cat? Perhaps even your first boa constrictor? Whatever your preference, pets can play a huge role in our lives, even becoming full-fledged family members. But is domestication really in an animal’s best interest? Does pet ownership create a loving bond between human and animal, or does it only serve our own interests?
When you inquire into the history of our relationships with dogs and cats, you come across the word “mutualism.” It’s a wonderful and concise explanation of why, all those thousands years ago, pets came into our lives. It turned out to be a matter of mutual benefit.
Archeologists theorize that many millennia ago, wolves happened upon the easy pickings of scraps at human encampments. Some of these animals liked the easy living and began to stay close full time. Our human progenitors recognized that wolves were wonderful early-warning systems – the original watchdogs. Partnerships were born. A few thousand years later, we are told, cats moved in to feast on pests, and no wonder they became glorified in early history.
This kind of mutualism has proved a durable foundation on which to build a relationship between humans and dogs and cats. Today, nearly two-thirds of American households include pets – 88 million cats and 75 million dogs. Just recently, The Humane Society of the United States acknowledged “Dogs of Valor” – those pets who took extraordinary actions on behalf of their human companions. In this real-life context, the question “should we have pets?” is as dry and barren as the Sahara.
Not to say there aren’t many important questions. After we dispense with the “should we” inquiry, we must still face a string of “how can we” challenges: How can we find loving homes for all the dogs and cats who need one? How can we gain more ground against indiscriminate breeding that leads to so much homelessness and suffering? How can we instill – and impose, when necessary -- a sense of responsibility in people who have pets and do not treat them right? How can we soften up our society so that we can enjoy more time with our pets in more places?
Dogs and cats wandered into our lives long ago. Their presence in our daily experience lowers our blood pressure, raises our spirits, soothes our souls and palliates those lonely doubts. We owe them still, and we owe them plenty.
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