Companion Animals ('Pets')

For many children, the closest relationship they have with animals is with their pets. Animal protection organisations such as PETA prefer the term companion animal, as it more accurately describes the ideal relationship between humans and animals. Children often have a special affinity for animals and many share their homes with them. By teaching children to love and care for animals, we can teach them empathy, kindness and respect. Caring for animals also encourages a sensitivity which can extend beyond caring for that one animal to caring for all animals, other children, family members and neighbours. For the wellbeing of animals as well as children, it is essential for children to see animals as sentient beings, not toys.

Dogs were domesticated 15,000 years ago, when humans in Asia tamed a pack of wolves. All of those years of living with humans have changed the way dogs think everyday experience shows us that even very young puppies know how to read people. Its time that people became better at reading dogs!

Cats were first domesticated 8,000 years ago by people in the Far East, who considered them to be good luck. But todays cats, which are often abandoned in the streets or left to fend for themselves outside, need all the luck they can get just to survive.

Sanctuaries or Shops
With sanctuaries and shelters overflowing with unwanted, abandoned and abused animals, animal welfare campaigners encourage people who can offer a safe and loving home to adopt a rescued animal rather than buying one from breeders or pet shops.

Spaying and Neutering
One of the main reasons that sanctuaries are filled with unwanted animals is because people dont always have their animals spayed and neutered. Even if an animal is allowed to have just one litter, that litter will displace animals who have already been born and are in desperate need of homes. If the litters offspring are not altered, they can multiply into thousands of unwanted animals in just a few years. People on low incomes can get financial help for spaying and neutering from the RSPCA, Celia Hammonds Clinic in London and many other organisations. Any vet should be able to offer advice about low-cost spaying and neutering. This one-off operation does not harm the animal, does not change his or her personality and can prevent certain cancers and other diseases in addition to preventing the births of unwanted animals.

Cross Breed or Pure Breed
Often, the mixed-breed mutt is likely to be healthier than the pure-bred dog, due to the mixed genes. In-breeding of pure-bred dogs has lead to a host of problems. For example, the incidence of hip dysplasia in Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds is now above 75 per cent, and we know that breathing difficulties are common in Pugs and Boxers. Health problems associated with genetic inbreeding are practically unheard of in mixed breed dogs, which is definitely better for the animal and better for the dogs carer, too!

The Lonely Companion

Many companion animals live a very lonely existence confined to a cage. What is best for the animal should always be taken into account. This can vary from one species to the next, and also depends on the individual animal's personality and needs. Many breeds of bird should live in a flock; rabbits need companionship; rats should live in groups (males can be neutered), as should female mice (males may live happily with brothers but often attack other males); hamsters and gerbils may prefer to be alone but some like companionship and individuals should be given the choice; female guinea pigs should live in a group but males may fight as they mature. Dogs and cats who have been socialized with other animals from an early age will usually prefer to live with a canine or feline companion.