WRITING AN OPINION MARCH 2017

Having a pet is a typical thing nowadays, so typical that even they are treated as relatives but, is that human feeling appropriate? The number of single’s homes, people who are living alone, has quickly increased during the last years. Nowadays many people have pets in their households. The company that they bring can not be denied but should they be treated as relatives?

Having a pet has almost become a need brought about by socio-economic changes in the Spanish way of life. Studies have shown that there is an increasing number of one-member households. This fact can be linked directly to the growing number of pet owners. Are domestic animals becoming substitutes for family members? Is this appropriate? Is it necessary?

Nowadays, it is more and more common living together with a pet Nowadays, it is more and more common living together with a pet. Many families have even more than one in their houses and they are treated as a member more in the family. The aim of this essay is to assess my point of view. Nowadays, pets in households are a growing reality. What is more, many families have more than one “added” member. Is this a trend or has it become an essential part of our social reality?

Pets are getting more important in our lifes Pets are getting more important in our lifes. As time flies and, as they are growing up, we do realized how important they are for us in our lifes and how they are getting into our families as one member of it. But, is it good to see our pets as our relatives? Our relatives are our main suppoters, so our pets does. Perhaps that is the main advantage. Pets are essential. In out modern society, domestic animals have become a welcomed “member” of many families. They love and they are loved but has this affection been taken too far? Should pets be as important as our relatives?

Do you have pets. How is your relationship with them Do you have pets? How is your relationship with them? Do we must consider them as relatives? Do you own a dog or a cat? Are you close to him? Is he a “member” of your family? If you have answered “yes” to these questions you are one of the many pet owners in our modern society who believes that animals are not there to simply be looked at. Pets keep us company, they help us when we are feeling down and why not, they love us unconditionally. Many owners believe that what they get from these beings may be as important as what you receive from other members of your family. Therefore, why shouldn’t a pet dog or a pet cat be treated as part of the family?

Nowadays animals are more than something helpful for our jobs as they used to be decades ago (for hunting, carrying things,…) and they have become also part of our families. Nowadays, pets no longer have the role of their predecessors. Domestic animals no longer help us to hunt or to carry heavy loads. Modern life has changed and so has their role in society. However, are we going too far when saying that a significant number of cats and dogs have acquired the status of “family member”?

On the other side, some people go farther and dress up their pets as a person, which, in my opinion could cause a detrimental effect on the animal, because it is antinatural. It is obvious that many animals are more lucky than many individuals. However, owners can go too far. Dressing pets as if they were children can be quite expensive but what is more, it can also have detrimental effects on the animal. Dogs, no matter how cute they may look, were not meant to wear coats, sweaters or even caps. These costly trends may lead to colds and other serious illnesses for the animal. At this point, we may stop and consider the fact that perhaps animals are not only treated as a family member but perhaps, in some cases, better.

Nowadays the fact of having a pet at home is very common, being difficult to know someone who has not got one. Generally speaking, most people with a pet, treat it as a relative, but this kind of relationship has some benefits and drawbacks. The number of pet owners has increased considerably in the last decades. Surveys carried out by the University of Oviedo have shown that one out of every three couples under 35 have a pet. The reasons for keeping a pet are varied but what many of these owners have in common is the way the animal has become an important member of the family. Benefits? Many. However, there are also drawbacks to be considered.

The first point to bear in mind is the amount of money you need to can afford a pet: they have to feed, sometimes they should be checked by a vet …. In addition, appart from the waste of money, pets involve a waste of time because you have to take them for a walk. One of the first points that should be taken into consideration before actually acquiring a pet is the fact that they are not cheap to keep. Pets need to be fed, they need regular check ups and they also need to be taken for walks whether it is raining or scorching hot. In other words, a pet can have a significant impact not only on your wages but also on your free time.

To my mind, the benefits of animals at home are amazing, a range of posibilities is opened. For example, in my own family, my sister, she was born disabled, her coefficient is borderliner. Since she was a little girl, she has riden horses. This work with horses has opened her mind to a state that we’ve never seen before, more talkative, more confident in herself, her social skills have increased and at this moment her progress has no limits according to the psychologists. To my mind, the benefits that pets can have on people with special needs are amazing. An example that is very close to me is that of my sister Susan. She was born with a borderline mental disability and coming in contact with horses has changed her perception of the world and of herself. She is more confident, more talkative and above all, happier. Psychologists have affirmed that her progress has no limits.

In conclusion, people is free to treat their pets as they want, as long as they treat them in a good way. They may seem a bit crazy but … who are we to criticise? In conclusion, pet owners should be allowed to consider their pets as another member of their families, why shouldn’t they? I do not think that no-pet people have a say in this matter, we just simply do not understand the bond created. The line, nonetheless, is drawn when pets become an obsession and not a companion.