The Pet Owner Experience

Future Directions in Human-Animal Bond Research

“…As noted above, we need studies of a wide variety of contacts with animals and nature. At this stage in our knowledge, we do not know if the value of animals for children is resident in the animals' ability to focus attention as predicted by the biophilia hypothesis, participation in the adult roles of caring for another, the human social support from family or community that it generates, animal social support from the bond between children and pets, or a combination of all of those factors (Beck & Meyers, 1987).…”

Companion Animals and Their Companions: Sharing a Strategy for Survival

“…For instance, dog and cat ownership in families with no children is 33.1% and 24.0%, respectively, with 46.2% of households having at least one or the other. Once there is at least one child 6 years or older in the family, dog ownership jumps to 56.1%, and cat ownership to 35.7%, with 68.3% of households with young children having at least one of these creatures (Beck & Meyers, 1987). Interest in pets is not simply because of exposure or background to them; urban children, with less animal ownership, report they are more attached to pets than rural children, and the attachment is not related to the child's gender (Stevens, 1990).…”

Allergy to furred animals

“…In the United Kingdom, pet ownership is very common and = 1/3 of homes have a cat and 1/4 a dog [1]. Whilst the popularity of the dog and cat is generally reversed in other countries, these figures are similar throughout the western world and it is estimated that between 60 and 70% of households have pets (including birds) [2,3]. As cat and dog allergen can be detected in public places and homes without current pet occupation [4], the majority of the population may be at risk of sensitization to domestic animals.…”