"All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it." Samuel Butler

            The relationship between pets and humans is an enigma for me.  We’re the only species that have pets.  A lion doesn’t keep an antelope for a pet – he eats it.  Virtually any animal - armadillos, tarantulas - it seems is a candidate to be a pet. Why do we do have pets?  They’re a financial burden.  They consume time.

            I suspect that we have pets to satisfy a psychological need to have something dependent on us.  In a pet’s eyes we’re god.  We give comfort and food.  It’s a need we all have – to be god.

            I’ve heard it said that a dog is a good pet because it gives you an excuse to walk.  Of course, you have to carry a poop bag, but they’re generally pretty light - at least when they’re empty.

                But walking is a form of exercise and – as I’ve already explained exercise makes you feel old.  Maybe that’s the appeal of cats – you don’t have to walk them thus they don’t make you feel old.  But they also have the attribute that they will never consider you a god.  Cats are just made that way.

©2014 Lester C. Welch