Although I don’t have any pets, I do like animals and enjoy spending time with the cats and dogs of my friends. Time spent with animals I find is relaxing and sometimes I find that you can learn a lot from a pet.

Pets can be very perceptive. Often, I have witnessed when a dog doesn’t like someone, and I learn that person tends to be rather unlikeable. Some dogs are able to sense when a person is having (or about to have) a medical incident like a seizure. I once saw on a television program, a true story about a cat who saved its owners – and their home – by digging up a pipe outside that was leaking natural gas.

So, cats and dogs can be pretty smart. What about other kinds of pets? Do they have a purpose? Well, it has been well-documented that watching fish in an aquarium can lower one’s blood pressure. I know some people who like small pets like hamsters and gerbils, because they find them cute and fun, which I suppose can be theraputic in its own way. I also have friends who rescue animals of all kinds and re-home them, which is really admirable.

I also know a lot of people who have no pets at all. They have lifestyles that don’t work in terms of being able to schedule in walking, feeding, visits to the vet, and other responsibilities that pet ownership entails. I think this is extremely valid. Part of being a responsible person is knowing when not to take on a responsibility.

Spending time with the pets of others gives me an excuse to hang out with friends and get some puppy and kitty cuddles.