Although we’ve all read tales of pet owners’ devotion to their creatures, you might be surprised to learn that some individuals are prepared to shell out hundreds of pounds for guinea pig and hamster veterinary treatment. Ruby, the journalist’s guinea pig, reportedly required £2,000 in veterinary care, according to the Guardian.
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If an animal satisfies a significant biological requirement, it truly doesn’t matter what species it is. We may have innate biological reasons for enjoying pet ownership. Actually, there are a number of evolutionary hypotheses explaining why people own pets.
Every pet-owner relationship is different, although they are usually intimate and emotional. Relationships including emotions cannot be evaluated based just on their monetary value. It’s possible that we should no longer see things in terms of pure logic because human compassion for other people is a strong emotion.
Various evolutionary hypotheses have been proposed to explain this link, including the biophilia theory, which suggests that people have an innate love to the natural environment, and the inherent attraction or caring reaction to childlike traits such a shorter nose, wide eyes, and high forehead.
According to evolutionary scientist Stephen Jay Gould, this pattern is perfectly followed in the evolution of Mickey Mouse’s look. In order to make him appear “cuter,” animators gave him a bigger head, a higher forehead, shorter nose, and shorter limbs as he became more expressive over time. Numerous well-known cartoon characters have these characteristics.
Care-soliciting actions might improve this emotional connection. Guinea-pigs, for instance, have been observed to “wheek” loudly when they hear a refrigerator opening.
When a species or individual pet needs intensive or specialized care and exhibits a greater degree of dependency on their human caregiver, a stronger relationship may develop between owners and that pet. However, this does not imply that an owner’s attachment with their pet would become stronger the more care it requires. Relationships can be ruined by the emotional toll that troublesome behavior takes, such as being unable to unwind because a dog can snap at strangers.
An enhancer of relationships that cuts across species
It doesn’t really matter how intelligent the species is as long as the owner can relate to the requirements of their animal companions. What matters more is how we conceptualize our relationship with a species. For instance, depending on the situation, we may treat a mouse differently if it is considered wildlife, a pet, or a nuisance.
Taking care of a pet tends to improve relationships across species. Recent research conducted by my team attempted to dissect the benefits of pet ownership on our mental health.
It’s unclear exactly how engaging in pet-related activities helps us; several processes may be at play in various individuals, and many mechanisms may be at play simultaneously, which might deepen the attachment. However, our research has shown a few recurrent trends. Many, if not all, of these may be familiar to pet owners.
9 advantages of owning a pet
Biophilia boost: Considering our evolutionary background, engaging with and spending time in nature can be inherently healthy for us.
Taking care of another species is a fulfilling experience that fosters attachment and caring. We have a better feeling of purpose and feel good about ourselves as a result.
Social support: Living close to a pet can lessen loneliness. Pet behavior is frequently interpreted in a way that gives us emotional comfort.
Pets may serve as social catalysts in a variety of settings. This might strengthen our social support systems and, inadvertently, our perception of personal networks as a whole.
Emotional contagion: A lot of our dogs have an easygoing, joyful appearance most of the time, and this can spread. We may surround ourselves with a more positive social circle when we have a pet.
Routines: Taking care of our dogs helps give our days structure, which lowers stress levels.
Exercise: Having a pet can motivate us to exercise more, which has both physical and neurophysiological advantages.
Learning: Acquiring knowledge about many subjects, such as animal behavior, may yield great satisfaction, particularly when reaching a certain level of proficiency.
Physical affection: petting may be quite beneficial for our psychological well-being because touch has such strong impacts on us.
The procedures that strengthen our bonds with our pets may also have drawbacks. For instance, if your pet exhibits behavior that deviates from social norms—such as aggression or urinating in your neighbor’s garden—you can be socially excluded.