Prologue:

Companionship is a fundamental tenant of human interaction.  Increasingly, friendship comes in the form of animals as opposed to people.   

How many childhood memories are based around playing with the family pet?  How often do you see an emotional support animal in the airport these days?  Whose favorite animated film incorporates a cartoon critter into the plot?  What common products use a mammal, reptile, or bird, as part of their brand logo?

Friendly, functional, and fluffy pets are now a ubiquitous part of modern society. Spanning from the most affluent, to the incredibly poor, interacting with our natural neighbors on this planet is an integral part of daily existence.  

The farmer who relies on an aged horse, which he hitches to his plow each morning, then cultivates the fields.  The police officer, who’s drug-sniffing dog partner is perpetually at her side, both while at work and at home.  The class parakeet, which provides verbal entertainment, and valuable lessons about commitment, to a group of young students. 

The definition of, and value provided by, having a pet has changed drastically over time. Let put this complex relationship between humans and animals in perspective.  

Past:

These days, most people associate the term pet with a cat napping on a sunny windowsill nook, or a dog bounding around in the fenced yard chasing a stick.

However, throughout history, various societies have experimented with all manner of crazy creatures as close companions.

Snake charmers in the street markets of yore, using asps and adders as part of their incredibly dangerous street routine.  Homing pigeons deftly flying large distances towards their target destination, with a medieval sage’s important message in tow.  Humpback camels providing a reliable means of transport in incredibly hot and arid environs, allowing Bedouins to explore their vast desert surroundings.

It’s important to make a distinction between the various types of service animals, and the role they performed for their masters at various points in time.  

It’s helpful to start with wild beasts, roaming freely in the natural world, generally oblivious to the existence of homo sapiens, aside from when we encroached upon their self-sufficient ecosystems. This classification, which applies to a vast majority of living organisms on Planet Earth, are happy to be left alone.

From this distinct separation, for reasons which are still debated by historians, prehistoric man decided to tame some of the creatures encountered during their habit investigation. That’s how you end up with a poisonous serpent which doesn’t bite its owner, a speedy bird who perpetually returns home, or a diligent mammal which willingly plods across the sand while heavily encumbered.

The real developmental leap was understanding specific traits in certain breeds of beneficial animals, then heightening these useful properties.  The term “domestication”, of Latin roots, and coined in the Middle Ages, translates literally to “dwell in the house”. That’s exactly the goal of the curated selection and mating process which occurred over many millennia.

Having creatures around camp who won’t attack you, run off, or take your resources, is an impressive feat.  Cultivating lineages who grown to actual enjoy your company, are content in enclosed pens, and actively help with daily activities, is a much more profound achievement.

The initial purpose for domestication was multifaceted, but decidedly based on core human survival tenants: food, protection, labor, and clothing.  

Sometimes a single entity could provide all of these beneficial traits at various points in their development.  Like the basic bovine.  Or simple sheep.  And humble horse.  Even the grumpy goat. All these entities have been staples of nomadic herding societies over the centuries; climate and culture dictating the 4-legged mammal preference for each unique clan.  

Completing the genetic engineering arch, albeit without any sophisticated DNA analysis tools, the final step was pets.  Creatures cultivated with the express purpose of pleasure. Such efforts yielded Chihuahuas, Persians, Geckos, Parakeets, Guinea Pigs, and all many of other small, unique, tame inventions, which offer up entertainment at many a household in modern society.  

The days of racoon skin caps, feather-fletched arrows, alligator leather boots, and rabbit stew have now transitioned to this new, more compassionate, age.

Pedigree:

Domestication of dogs from wolves theoretically occurred at different times independently in Europe and Asia.  Both these instances, validated by fossil records, were at least 10k years ago, suggesting there’s some inherent link between man and beast beyond random interaction. 

The ancient hunter and gather culture, with cavepeople living in small groups, was a key element of doggie development.  There turned out to be a valuable symbiotic relationship between humans and hounds, beyond the basic tenant of safety in numbers.  The raised sight perspective of erect homo sapiens, combined with acute olfactory skills close to the ground offered by canines, provided optimal hunting prowess.

Over thousands of breeding cycles, paleolithic dogs ended up with divergent traits from their wild wolf cousins.  In terms of physical features, this refined strain developed a shorter snout with fewer teeth, suggesting less aggression.  Mentally, changes were also evident, including a mellowed emotional state, resulting in a tendency towards companionship with their owners.  

Even today, dogs are the most abundant carnivore in the world, though many eat their processed meat meals out of metal bowls, as opposed to hunting it down in the wild.

It’s important to note that symbiotic relationships, known as mutualism, are common in nature. Apparently, in the harsh and competitive landscape which is the global ecosystem, any potential advantage must be exploited.  Predictably, nearly all these odd animal interactions are based on securing food, protection, and health, a key trio for survival in the wild. Drongos and Meerkats. Hermit Crabs and Sea Anemones.  Rhinos and Oxpeckers.  Reef Sharks and Pilot Fish.  All unlikely bedfellows who have created biological linkages in nature which even Mr. Darwin would be surprised by. 

In fact, the continuation of the entire natural world itself is based on enticing fauna and flora interactions.  Plants, while generally inert, even get into the act.  Their relatively stationary stance makes sex appeal even more critical.    

A large majority of flower fertilization relies on flying creatures to be lured in by the sweet nectar, aromantic scent, or vibrant hues of their bloom, with the ancillary benefit of promoting pollen proliferation.  It’s no wonder that us humans are enticed by the colorful and cuddly cat and dog breeds which now dominate social media.

Meeting basic survival goals is a far cry from the modern crossbreeding of fluffy golden Labradors and curly white Poodles to create an optimized pet which is very friendly, aesthetically appealing, and potentially even immune to shedding.  An impressive scientific feat, but not overly functional from a societal need context.

Fancy pets were initially reserved for the rich, who lived a life of luxurious leisure.  While hansom cab drivers in 19th century England were responsible to keeping their horses healthy and fed to ensure carriage business functionality, the privileged royals who were being carted around in these vehicles had their own stable.  

Of dogs.  Soft ones for their laps.  Speedy once for their races.  Sensory ones for their hunts.

Appreciation of useful animal helpers in residential settings goes back well beyond Victorian England.  The worship of cats by the ancient Egyptians is legendary, showing up in all types of archeological records, from hieroglyphics to murals to statues, with mummified feline remains found in many of the pharaohs’ tombs.  

These days, the elites of the Hollywood entertainment industry have come up with a new form of tribute.  The pet cemetery.  This honorable practice, which includes all manner of amusing names on tombstones, and tokens on graves, clearly transcends time.  It’s apparent the close link between human and animal spirits, which started a few millennia ago, extends unbroken to present day.

Philanthropy:

Humanitarian shelters have been a major tool to promote pet management in America for decades.  

Annually, over 6 million animals enter these facilities in the United States alone.  This breakdown is roughly 50% each for dogs and cats, a ratio which pervades many elements of the current system. This incoming flow, to an operation with limited capacity, that is severely underfunded, and relies on volunteer labor, is handled as best as possible, considering the meager resources.

Around 4 million animals are happily adopted within 12 months, again in the same roughly even split of feline and canine entities.  Another 1 million pets who enter the shelter system are now safely returned to their original owner.

This prolific rehabitation success rate has increased substantially in recent years, due to technological improvements like outdoor motion-sensing cameras and GPS-tracking collars, with over 80% of reunited escapees being dogs.

Obviously, there’s still a gap between inflow and outflow at these philanthropic establishments each year, with predictable results.  Unfortunately, nearly 1 million animals are euthanized in shelters annually.  Fortunately, this tally is significantly down from peak at over 2.5 million incurred deaths across America in 2011.

As with any inventory management system, there are issues with demand and discrimination. Unfortunately, in both the human and pet adoption industries, atrocities and abuse occur.  

Not surprisingly, puppies and kittens are the most likely to be chosen by aspiring owners. Everyone loves a cute, cuddly critter, either online or in person.  The old, odd ones in these pet prisons are often not as lucky.  

An adorable young Golden Retriever pup is selected immediately, while an aged 3-legged Pitbull mutt gets nary a glance at the shelter.  A pack of feral Maine Coon cats with matted fur and glassy eyes wander the rainy city streets at night, while a pair of carefully groomed Siamese felines stare down from the warm of the living room abode above.  

Currently, over 1/3rd of all pet dogs are acquired from an official breeder, suggesting genealogy and looks are driving selection.  In contrast, only 3%, 10 times less, of cats come from breeders.  Maybe we need to get back to our Egyptian roots.

Pet adoption services like the Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rely on continuous donations to keep their operations functioning.  These services are critical to putting abandoned animals in healthy homes, and managing the proliferation of domesticated creatures through diligent spaying and neutering. 

According to statistics from the ASPCA, the total number of pets in the United States is impressive: 85 million cats, 78 million dogs, 14 million birds, 12 million small mammals, and 9 million reptiles. While definitely not equally distributed across the country, this would equate to nearly 2 pets for every American household.

Pandemic:

All manner of techniques and schemes have been tried to increase the movement of animals out of group accommodations and into a loving private home.  One recent event, completely unplanned and unpredicted, has proven more successful than any prior marketing effort.  The solution was obvious in hindsight.

Simply lock extroverted humans in their residences with no outlet for socializing.  After a few weeks of talking to inanimate objects, acquiring a live companion starts to seem quite rational.

The domesticated critter uptake statistics during the COVID-19 contagion are staggering.  Americans acquired 23 million pets during this short 2-year period, which equates to 1 in 5 households getting a new member.  What makes these numbers even more impressive is that the infrastructure for breeding and feeding, housing and healing, like nearly every element of life, was completely shut down for most of this time. 

The explosion in adoptions shortly after the pandemic outbreak is understandable.  The subsequent lockdown caused individuals stuck at home alone to seek any tactile emotional connection they could find.  A one-way conversation was just fine, provided visual acknowledgement, with an occasional unintelligible utterance, from the selected conversation partner was clearly evident.  Meanwhile, flush with cash from stimulus payments and lack of entertainment spending, the decision to acquire a pet seemed like an easy one.

However, now, as many citizens are forced to return to work, parents of fur babies are struggling with the burden of hiring others to watch their loved ones during the day.  Also, while the cost of adoption from a local shelter is quite low, there are lots of important expenses associated with a growing family member, including food, toys, and health care.  Unforeseen accidents, a common occurrence for clumsy creatures in a new environment, can be especially damaging to the budget.   

On a positive note, this wave of animal acquisition has bolstered all sorts of gig economy jobs, from custom treat boxes, to group socializing daycare, to fancy fur grooming sessions, to backyard poop scooping.  More adoption means more potential customers for these entrepreneurial types, who enjoy engaging with this unique clientele on their own terms.

Having a dog turns out to be similar from a commitment standpoint to having a kid.  Not surprising, considering how much some owners pamper their pets.

Purpose:

One of the main differences between us humans and other animals, we surmise, is our ability for imaginative reflection and creative foresight.  

While it’s hard to argue that even the smartest law enforcement K-9 is as self-aware as even the dumbest criminal, not to mention other members of the animal kingdom like monkeys and dolphins, there’s an undeniable innate connection between each pet and their owner.

On the most basic level, there’s something to be said for any individual who is reliably there to greet you with a happy demeaner, any time of the day, regardless of mood, weather, time, or place.  If only relatives and coworkers could be so compassionate. 

It’s impossible to envision many households without a pet.  This phenomenon even pervades the entertainment industry, with animals playing prominent roles in all manner of films, from live action to animated.  Beasts in the wild also capture our TV imagination, through the multitude of nature shows which aim to candidly capture all manner of unique biosphere phenomena in their native form.

For many people, some of their fondest memories are related to interacting with their favorite fluffy friend, be it running around in the lawn as a young child, or simply sitting in the recliner as an elder. Since most pets, aside from a hearty tortoise, have shorter lifespan than humans, there’s an inevitable, yet undesirable, churn of companions during one’s tenure.  

Human’s best friend doesn’t even begin to describe the true importance of a perpetually faithful, albeit sometimes troublesome, animal compatriot.  That first day coming home after an unfortunate loss is tough.  When your dog doesn’t rush forward leash in mouth ready for an evening walk, or your cat doesn’t brush up against your leg purring in anticipation of the evening feeding. 

For those who need to cheer up following the passing of a beloved animal, there’s no content funnier and more cathartic than watching the world’s foremost, funniest pet detective in all his glory.  Ace Ventura’s comedic charm relies on people’s numerous quirks and their pet’s unrelenting patience. Plus, a multitude of hilarious facial expressions, from both boy and beast. 

Praise:

Maverick, our beloved black, grey, and white tabby, wasn’t a big fan of automobile transport.  This fear came from some experience incurred before we adopted him; trauma that was undoubtably tied to a troubling experience with a veterinarian which we were never able to ascertain.  

As a result, after several mauling incidents during routine check-ups, Maverick spent the last 5 years of his life enjoying an undisturbed homeopathic existence, for the safety of medical professionals, as opposed to his own well-being.   

But he was a trooper when he did have to ride in a vehicle.  For an animal who despised getting into the car, he spent a fair bit of time in this stressful scenario.  Not during regular weekly increments, but instead intermittent extended spurts, often years apart.  During his nearly 2 decades with us, the little guy traversed most of the United States, partaking in cross-country journeys along I-80 and I-90, plus vertical jaunts on I-15 and I-81.

As soon as Maverick determined he wasn’t headed to the clinic for a procedure, he quickly settled into travel mode.  His desired spots were perched high, looking out the windshield like his parents, or curled up on the floor mats, enjoying the soothing rumble and steady warmth provided by the engine.  

Which was fine, unless he decided to crawl under the pedals on the driver’s side.  That lack of awareness is why our boy never got is driver’s license.     

This past winter, Maverick was able to take one last adventure, the old man traveling with us on a ski trip across Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.  Happy to rest in the condo each day, he would snuggle with us at night, then adopt a raised position above the center console to watch the snowy road ahead while on the move. 

A few months later, on April 15th, 2023, our perpetual troublemaker was gone.  It was a good run, in more ways than one.  Even if there wasn’t much running, especially at the end. 

Fortunately, cats have 9 lives.  Maverick just ticked off a long and lazy increment in his life cycle journey.  Based on the plentiful 18 years just logged, his sum total will be longer any mere mortal human.  Hopefully he’s moved on to a home with a simple patch of sunny grass: where he can eat green shoots until he pukes them up, bask in warmth until he dozes off, and pretend to hunt without actually moving until he gets bored.  

Cheers to the fiercest, fattest, funniest house cat you’ll ever meet.  Cheers to Maverick.

Positions:

• Extensive history on how wild dogs became tamed.  [REF]

• Detailed analysis on pets as part of everyday human life.  [REF] 

• Explanation of Egyptian elites’ connection to cats.  [REF]

• Yes.  Pet cemeteries are a thing.  In Hollywood, CA.  [REF] 

• Statistics on domestic animal distribution in the United States.  [REF]

• Summarizing the impact of COVID-19 on the pet industry.  [REF]