Why do we love pets?

Our culture is a highly pet-loving one. I’ve been researching and have found many people exploring what has become “human-animal interactions”. Animal industries are even promoting the different goods a pet can provide to us. Pets and animals give us non-complex, true, and simple love. They grant us with their availability and their presence. Pets aren’t cognitively complex; as they do have minds of their own just like any other living beings, but mainly live to connect and form relationships with us. 

    We have an innate interest in other species, but we love having pets for a variety of social reasons. On my 9th birthday, I got a pony. I was so shocked, I had wanted my very own pony just like all the other girls at the barn for as long as I could remember, so overwhelmed I burst into tears. Over the next several years, overjoyed, a short, clumsy, pigeon-toed, dopey, and ratty-looking quarter pony, charmed everyone he met. He loved his daily donuts and coffee, snowy days, and afternoon naps under the warm sun under the apple tree out front. Recently I had to say goodbye to that pony and granted him the pleasure of crossing over the rainbow bridge. Mourning day in and day out the loss of such a special boy, I truly couldn’t imagine not once having that bond and relationship with such a creature.

This is why we love pets.