Americans and their pets

The pet's role in the American household is difficult to explain as an outside observer. I'll allow my boyfriend, Doctor Misiorowski to use his experience as an insider to explain how modern Americans view their furry friends.

Doctor Misiorowski:

         " Pets play a quite a large role in the lives of Americans. Since the publication of numerous studies outlining the health benefits of owning pets, Americans have adopted the idea of “man’s best friend” fitting right into the hierarchy of the standard nuclear family. Since the late fifties, the prospect of a perfect family unit included not only a white picket-fence, but the usual husband and wife, two children, and a dog (or a cat if the head of the household was devout of a soul). The family pet assimilated right into the character of a family member rather than a useful tool that belonged in the garage or tool shed.

        

           Much like Brian from "Family Guy" or Klaus from "American Dad", the family pet is often thought to be a vivid and lively family member; much more so than the creepy uncle that doesn’t speak much. The family often allows their pets to sleep in their beds rather than enforcing that they stay outside like our aforementioned creepy uncle. Pet stores run rampant through American streets as the pet industry ensures that there is always a pet store in closer reach than a hospital or a fire station.

Having worked at a pet store for several months, I have had the privilege of meeting a wide array of pet owners. One thing that I have noticed time and time again is the relationship between the age of the pet owner and the amount of care that is placed upon their pet(s). Age a person ages, the importance of their pet rises exponentially. It is fairly common practice for elderly pet owners to cling on to their pets and spend a fortune on their health as it continues to decline. Pet health services include kidney dialysis, blood transfusions, organ transplants, and stress-reducing medications such as Valium. For certain pet owners, the idea of putting their pet(s) to eternal rest is complete taboo, as in the pet owner’s mind, a pet should be treated just like a human. This of course does not apply to everyone.

    My conclusion is that pets are treated much differently in the United States as opposed to here in Poland. A pet may be considered a family friend in both countries; however a pet is considered a family member (which deserves to be on the family photo) only in the United States."

 Some facts about Americans and their pets

1.    Six in 10 Americans own some type of pet. Forty-four percent of Americans own a dog and 29% own a cat. Among pet owners, 73% own a dog and 49% own a cat.

Pet ownership among the American public breaks down this way: 27% own a dog but not a cat, 12% own a cat but not a dog, 17% own both, 3% own pets other than cats or dogs, and 40% do not own any pets.

2.    Aside from dogs and cats, 10% of Americans own a fish and much smaller percentages own birds (5%), reptiles, snakes, or lizards (2%), hamsters and guinea pigs (2%), horses (2%), and rabbits (1%).

3. By a 70% to 20% margin, Americans describe themselves as "dog persons" rather than "cat persons." This includes a 68% to 19% margin among people who own both a cat and dog, and a 68% to 18% preference among those who own neither. Only pet owners with a cat and no dogs routinely call themselves "cat people" (69% to 26%).  

Why so many Americans are into dogs?

 Maybe because they are very loyal...

That is why they deserve a Birthday Party:)

                                                                             Martyna