Owners are spoiling their pets: What’s the Future for Pets?

By: Gabby Zhou

Almost two-thirds of U.S. households own pets. However, pets are being spoiled, and what’s the future for pets? This article will feature 4 main sections: Introduction, Owner’s Goals, Health Risks, and Spoiling Pets.

Introduction
Many humans consider pets a valuable companion for emotional support, and even as service pets to help aid the disabled. “As of 2024, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet,” (Forbes, 2024) thus proving how important pets are to us.

Owners’ Goals
According to The New York Times ‘24, many pet owners’ goal is to make pets more similar to humans “We pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels.” (The New York Times, 2024) Pets are often spoiled and that could mean a lot for the future of them.

Health Risks
Today, many animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists wonder if human’s efforts to humanize pets are going too far. They argue that pets have grown overdependent on us, and more health and behavioral issues are found in pets due to the pet owner. According to James Serpell, an emeritus professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine: “We now view pets not only as family members but as equivalent to children. The problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. So animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.” Adding on to that, many health risks increase due to breeding. For example, a popular dog breed known as the French bulldog now faces difficulty breathing as well as many other health risks.

Spoiling Pets
Many other observers wonder as well: “Are humans spoiling their pets?” “The latest pet-obsessed study shows that not only would people choose their pets over their romantic interests—they would even kill for them.” (OBSERVER, 2016) In the future, pets may eventually be entirely dependent on their owners, but maybe it’s time to change that.