By: Adalyn Xiao

Many pet owners treat their pets as humans, but many experts argue that it isn’t good for pets or us.
Our pets are becoming more like us–or at least that seems to be our goal. We pamper them with customized nutrition plans and knapsack carriers, dog hydrotherapy and stays in boutique cat hotels. At many pet stores, the most popular items are toys that are supposed to stimulate and bring happiness to our pets. Experts argue that the more dependent our pets become on us, the more they develop health and behavioral issues.

“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 freely at night.” Said James Serpell, an Emeritus Professor of Ethics and Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

Now, out of concerns of bird predation, many pet cats spend almost their entire lives inside. Until the late 1970’s, pet dogs spent time roaming around on the streets and neighborhoods, unleashed. Now, Dr. Serpell said, more than 60 percent of cats and dogs are overweight or obese.

A couple of years ago, Dr. Herzog who is an Emeritus Psychology Professor at Western Carolina University who studies animal-human relations. He went on vacation on the island of Tobago, and spent much time looking at the stray dogs that roamed the landscape. “I asked myself: Would I rather live as a pampered dog, or would I rather be a dog in Tobago hanging out with my friends?” Dr. Herzog said. He concluded, “I’d rather be a dog in Tobago.”

Instead of making pets stay indoors because of it being dangerous outside, pet owners should let their pets go outside and explore. In Sweden, for example, it is illegal to leave pets alone at home for extended periods of time. In both Sweden and Finland, keeping animals at home in cages is illegal in most cases. Pet owners should stop treating pets like humans for the benefit of the pets’ health.