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The recent popularity of "designer" dogs, cats, micro-pigs and other pets may seem to suggest that pet keeping is no more than a fad. Indeed, it is often assumed that pets are a Western affectation, a weird relic of the working animals kept by communities of the past.
About half of the households in Britain alone include some kind of pet; roughly 10m of those are dogs while cats make up another 10m. Pets cost time and money, and nowadays bring little in the way of material benefits. But during the 2008 financial crisis, spending on pets remained almost unaffected, which suggests that for most owners pets are not a luxury but an integral and deeply loved part of the family.
Some people are into pets, however, while others simply aren't interested. Why is this the case? It is highly probable that our desire for the company of animals actually goes back tens of thousands of years and has played an important part in our evolution. If so, then genetics might help explain why a love of animals is something some people just don't get.
[...] The pet-keeping habit often runs in families: this was once ascribed to children coming to imitate their parents' lifestyles when they leave home, but recent research has suggested that it also has a genetic basis. Some people, whatever their upbringing, seem predisposed to seek out the company of animals, others less so.
Is the desire to keep pets really hard-wired in our DNA?
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by crafoo on Sunday October 01 2017, @04:02PM (9 children)
Some people just aren't as interested in cleaning piss and shit after getting home from a hard day at work. Show me a pet owner, I'll show you a filthy disgusting smelly house. I dare you to take your shoes off in a dog owner's house. Enjoy your fecal diseases.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @04:16PM
i took in a stray even though i didn't want to. wasn't going to let it starve, nor put it off on the shelter to "deal with". didn't want to shoot another puppy either. (it was suffering, but it still sucks pretty bad.) my house smells like a small zoo.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Whoever on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:04PM (1 child)
Are you aware that dogs can be trained not to piss and shit inside a house? And cats can be trained to only "go" in a litterbox? Some people have even trained their pets to use a toilet.
I am a dog owner and I don't wear shoes in my house.
Please try to limit your posts to subjects where you actually have a clue.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @09:04PM
Parent said:
"Are you aware that dogs can be trained not to piss and shit inside a house?"
You're right, that's what the neighbors' yards are for. Come on Fluffy, let's go for a walk.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:36PM
You're right! If you own a pet, it must live in the house. Nobody has ever had a pet they keep outside.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:02PM (1 child)
Everything in your bathroom has fecal bacteria on it. Be afraid, be very afraid! You do realize there's tiny bugs which crap all over your stuff? There's lots of little bugs living around your eyes right now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:16PM
OMG!!! DO NOT mention eyelash mites around germophobes! Do you know what happens when they realize that they are only the pets and food source for a whole colony of insects? Remember, they think that cleanliness is next to Godliness, but in fact cleanliness is next to sterility, which is right close by death.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday October 02 2017, @12:51AM (2 children)
Cats are good that way. Give them a litter box and they take care of their own business.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday October 02 2017, @04:59AM (1 child)
If you don't clean out that litterbox everyday, there's going to be problems.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Monday October 02 2017, @10:36AM
Buy better kitty litter. Everyday for one cat is a lot.
Washington DC delenda est.