Pet care and humanization

Members of the family

Studies have shown that petting a dog or cat lowers the blood pressure and heart rate of the pet owner. Dog and cat owners also have an arguably greater chance of surviving a heart attack than people without pets. 

Studies conducted on the positive impact animals have on children, for example, is primarily focused on the development of children’s cognitive, social and emotional skills. In addition, research also suggests that animals like horses and dolphins have a very positive effect on humans in their role as assistance animals. With these new findings, dogs and cats today appear to have a different position in the family than 50 years ago. They are considered to be members of the family. This has resulted in the origin of the humanization trend, “what is good for me, is good for my pets.” Modern pet owners are more willing to spend more money on their pets and choose the highest quality for their animal these days. 

Human characteristics

Many owners treat their pets like children and speak to them that way. About 90% of dog and cat owners believe they can interpret their pets’ feelings and emotions. And there are owners who think their pets have human feelings, such as love, guilt or pride. This phenomenon is called anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities, such as pets. This may pose a threat to the welfare of animals and could be the cause of behavioural problems. 

A good example is the increasing problem of obesity in companion animals. More often than before owners currently believe that pets are entitled to receive extra treats throughout the day. This is partly the cause of the current high percentage of dogs and cats suffering from obesity (20-40%). 

Too close for comfort

As discussed earlier in the article “One Health concept”, which states that there are important similarities between humans, animals and their habitats, we talked about the fact that companion animals could play an important role in the possible transfer of certain infections (zoonosis).

Studies show that today 14% (UK) to 45% (Netherlands) of pet owners let their dogs sleep in their beds. For cats, this varies between 45% (France and UK) to 60% (USA). In doing so, owners do not realize that, apart from large amounts of sand and dirt, their beloved companions could pass on a lot of diseases, such as Cat Scratch Disease and Lyme disease, which is transmitted by ticks.

Some owners see no issue with having their dog or cat lick them in their face. They seem to think the dog or cat tongue is clean or sterile. There are even examples where people have their wounds licked by their dog. It is true that saliva contains human and animal wound healing ingredients, but dog saliva is not effective for people. The oral cavity of the dog and cat contains a vast and varied bacterial flora, as demonstrated by wound infections that often occur after a bite wound received from a dog or cat. As a result, there have been regularly (severe) infections reported as a result of people having their wounds licked by a dog or cat. 

Responsible pet ownership

To prevent unwanted infections being passed on, it is important to keep pets healthy, with normal behaviour between man and animal. This is called responsible pet ownership. Owning a pet is a privilege, but the benefits of pet ownership come 

with responsibilities. An important aspect of responsible pet ownership is taking the pet for their annual health check at the vet, vaccinations and parasite control, no raw meat and to provide adequate hygiene when in contact with pets.

Various government agencies, such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, organizations such as Companion Animal Parasites Council (www.capcvet.org) and the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (www. esccap.org), emphasize the need for various hygienic and health protection measurements regarding domestic animals in the interest of public health.

Their recommendations could also be used in the pet industry and pet retail to inform customers about the importance of vaccinations, proper food, regular deworming and flea and tick control.