By: Phoebe Huang

More and more people have been adopting pets. About two-thirds of Americans have at least one pet, increasing from 56% in 1988! Americans have also spent 13 billion more on their pets just by a 1-year margin. And its not just America. Pets are getting more popular and more expensive in countries around the world.

But these days, we may treat our pets too much like humans. Pets are treated like human babies – we give them customized nutrition, we carry them around everywhere we go, we tease them with cat and dog toys, and we give them their own ‘rooms’. Stores have also been
selling dog toys that “stimulate” pets that “are lying around alone and bored”.

Now, some veterinary scientists are wondering if we have gone too far in humanizing our pets by doing what we think will make them happy. The more we pamper our pets, the more dependent they are on us, causing more health and behavioral issues on our pets.

James Serpell, a professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine says, “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.”

One of the health concerns comes from breeding. An example of this is the French bulldog– it is loved by many dog owners and bonds well with them. But they have trouble breathing, may be born with syndromes, and can catch infections easily.

We are also caging our animals by locking them inside our house every day. Many cats and dogs now spend their days inside, out of concerns like bird predation or becoming “dirty” after having bugs and ticks crawl into their fur. Before, most dogs spent most of their days in a backyard or strolling in the city, but nowadays, taking your dog outside for a walk just won’t do the trick.

This confinement and isolation physically and mentally has taken a big toll on the mental health of these animals. Veterinarians have discovered an increase in animal separation anxiety, obesity being a big issue, and aggression in pets. Many ex-pet-owners – after encountering the weight of caring for pets – toss their pets back into animal shelters, resulting in an increase of euthanasia at shelters.

“We’re at an odd moment of obsession with pets,” Dr. Pierce, a bioethicist who focuses on animal-human relationships said. “There are too many of them and we keep them too intensively. It’s not good for us and it’s not good for them.”

So many modern pet owners have asked the question: “I don’t want to isolate my pets from the lives they deserve, but I still want to be able to enjoy their companionship.” To this, Dr Sergey offers the advice: “By all means enjoy your dog’s companionship. But dogs are not people. Get to know the animal from its own perspective instead of forcing them to comply with yours. It enables you to vicariously experience the life of another being.”