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Dogs can teach kids responsibility, compassion, and cooperation - all while being the best playmates anyone could ask for. Before you adopt any pup, however, it's always a good idea to research the best kind of dog breed for your children and lifestyle. Some dogs do better as playmates for rambunctious older kids, while others have gentle, patient souls more suited for little ones. If you have young children at home, consider adopting an older dog as well. Temperaments can vary based on the individual animal, but these 20 family-friendly breeds are a great place to start your pet adoption search, according to the American Kennel Club.

How you choose can depend on your living arrangements, schedule, activity levels, and budget. When you welcome a new pet into the family, expect to provide your pup with consistent, loving training as well. Your child will also benefit from learning how to interact safely and respectfully with animals. Don't forget to create a family schedule for walking, playing, feeding, and grooming! With sweet, loving dog breeds like these, your crew won't be able to imagine life without their canine pal.

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The American Kennel Club Says *These* Are the Best Dogs for Families

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Dogs can teach kids responsibility, compassion, and cooperation - all while being the best playmates anyone could ask for. Before you adopt any pup, however, it's always a good idea to research the best kind of dog breed for your children and lifestyle.

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Pets have many benefits for a family or a person.
Pets are costly for various reasons.

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Do you have friends who-as soon as they moved into their first adult place of their own-immediately went out and got an adorable puppy or cat?

I sure do, because I was one of them. When I was 24 I moved into my first "real" apartment with my girlfriend (now wife), Lauren. We could barely afford the rent, but being young and overwhelmed by "playing family" for the first time, we adopted two kittens from a local animal shelter. Ten years later, we've lost one of the cats but the other, a raspy-breathed tortoise calico named Moose, is still in the family.

Along the way, we've spent thousands on food and veterinary care including a $2,000+ surgery that fell while Lauren was an even poorer law student.

We certainly don't regret having pets-in fact, we've now adopted a dog, too-but we obviously were not thinking about the potential (and not insignificant) costs of pet ownership when we were young and looking for a cat.

If you have the foresight and are considering bringing a furry friend into your home, you might want to ask: Can you afford to be a pet owner?

The costs of bringing an animal into your home go far beyond any initial adoption fee, which can vary from nothing at all to hundreds of dollars. Here is a breakdown of the average first year cost of pet ownership for one medium dog.

One-time pet expenses

Spaying or Neutering: Dog: $200 / Cat: $145

Initial Medical Exam: Dog: $70 / Cat: $130

Collar or Leash: Dog: $30 / Cat: $10

Litter Box: Cat: $25

Scratching Post: Cat: $30

Crate: Dog: $95 depending on size

Carrying Crate: Dog: $60 / Cat: $40

Training: Dog: $110

Total One-time Costs: Dog: $565 / Cat: $365

Annual pet expenses

Food: Dog: $120/ Cat: $145

Annual Medical Exams: Dog: $235 / Cat: $130

Litter: Cat: $200

Toys and Treats: Dog: $55 / Cat: $25

License: Dog: $15

Pet Health Insurance: Dog: $225 / Cat: $175

Miscellaneous: Dog: $45 / Cat: $30

Total Annual Costs: Dog: $695 / Cat: $705

According to this report, the total first-year cost of owning a dog is $1,270 and for a cat it's $1,070.

As you can see, having a pet can cost you over $1,000 in the first year, and well over $500 each additional year. Depending on the food you buy and sudden medical expenses, the costs could be much higher. Furthermore, these tables are not inclusive. If you travel, tack on pet sitting or kennel services, and if you rent an apartment, expect to pay a sometimes no refundable pet deposit or cleaning fee, if your landlord allows animals at all.

Related: 10 Things to Consider Before Signing An Apartment Lease

The Texas Society of CPAs has a PDF version of a pet budget worksheet you can use to help you estimate pet ownership costs. While the page is geared at parents teaching kids the costs involved in pet ownership, the actual worksheet is universal, and could be useful in trying to determine what your actual pet ownership costs might be.

These figures take into account having pet health insurance, which many pet owners do not. If your animal gets sick and you do not have insurance, vet bills can quickly escalate into the thousands of dollars. If you don't have pet insurance, then potential pet costs are another reason to have an emergency fund of at least several thousand dollars.

Your reactions

Since we first published this breakdown, animal-loving readers had some passionate opinions about the subject.

Reader Willfe said he thought some of the averages were too high. His cats' food costs about $72 per year, he said, even though it's name brand. He also suggested buying litter in bulk, which he said could lower that amount as much as $50 per year.

Another reader, Amy, said she is part of the "frequent buyer" program at her pet store, so she is able to get the tenth bag of dog or cat food for free.

On the other hand, some readers pointed out there are occasional surprise costs associated with pets-and not a good kind of surprise. These additional fees could be significantly higher than the estimates.

Livingalmostlarge said he spends $30 per month on Heartguard and flea/tick medication.

Meg suggested there might be some opportunity costs associated with pet ownership.

"Many of my coworkers have to take long lunches and frequently miss office happy hours to go home and walk their dogs. I also see people in suits frantically walking their dogs in the morning by my building, late for work. Not something I'm ready to deal with yet," she wrote.

"Funny About Money" said since pets cause damage at times, replacing your stuff should be factored in, too.

"Carpets ruined or at least in need of professional cleaning and de-stinking, furniture clawed, doors scratched up, flower and vegetable gardens unearthed, window screens ripped, draperies sprayed upon....eeek!" she wrote.

How to prepare for the unexpected

Kiplinger recently published an article on this topic, the hidden and unexpected costs of owning a pet. The authors suggest putting away an emergency fund for unexpected pet health costs: "Owners will likely incur at least one $2,000 - $4,000 bill for emergency care at some point during their pet's lifetime", says Dr. Louise Murray, vice-president of the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, in New York City.

In our case, that's already been true. When he was two, DiMaggio almost died of a mysterious bacterial infection in his brain. When we thought we might lose him, we would have paid anything to make him better. Luckily, he pulled through. But between his medication and time in the pet hospital, the illness cost us several thousand dollars.

Staff writer Lauren Barret says it's also good to budget for pet dental care. "My cat, Luna, has bad teeth-it's genetic, just like with people-and she's already had three removed, and will need to have more taken out soon. I'm kind of just assuming this will keep happening every year or so, and set aside $500 or so to cover it."

We've also had to pay for either a kennel or similar service when we go on vacations. I guess that's somewhat expected, but in a given year, it's hard to budget for that.

Four tips for would-be pet owners

What should we learn from this? Like a lot of things, the costs of pet ownership are unpredictable. As much as we can estimate cost for a year, it's better to have a safety net in case of a major illness or other emergency. You never want to be in a situation where you have to choose between saving your pet's life and putting yourself into serious debt.

Here are a few steps for making sure you can afford to own a pet:

1. Figure out how monthly expenses will affect your budget.

Are you currently overspending in some area (eating at restaurants, indulging a shoe passion, maybe) where you can cut back? Is that worth it to you? If the answer is "no," you probably aren't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to keep a pet happy and healthy.

Don't just say, "It would never happen to me." We didn't think it would happen to us either. But as the Kiplinger article says, it is almost definite that every pet during its lifetime will have a major vet bill. Setting aside the funds for that is not optional!

3. Consider how you will feel if you are faced with a life-saving vet bill you can't really afford before it happens.

If you don't, you may be faced with a Sophie's choice between your pet's life and being able to pay the rent next month. Don't put yourself in this position; it's not fair to you, nor your future furry friend.

4. If you're worried about not being able to afford big vet bills, consider pet insurance.

My family did not purchase pet insurance, but in hindsight we probably should have. When you visit your local vet, he or she will likely have a lot of information for you about purchasing the insurance, but you should do your own research. Not all policies are created equal. Policygenius is a Money Under 30 partner, and they offer great resources on pet insurance.
What about you? Do you have a tip for saving money throughout your pet's life? When were you ready to afford your first pet? What is your largest pet expense?
Summary

At the risk of sounding like my mom when we begged for a dog as kids, owning a pet is a significant financial responsibility. It's not a decision to be made on a whim. Be sure to do the math before you take home your new friend.

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The Annual Cost Of Pet Ownership: Can You Afford A Pet?

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Do you have friends who-as soon as they moved into their first adult place of their own-immediately went out and got an adorable puppy or cat? I sure do, because I was one of them. When I was 24 I moved into my first "real" apartment with my girlfriend (now wife), Lauren.

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Pets are family, which means people are willing to pay more for all kinds of things they need. The disposable income we once reserved for children, travel, dining and other luxuries is increasingly being shifted toward pet nutrition and healthcare. Other major expenses are grooming, training, clothing, and any necessary accessories for the body.

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It's an exciting time - your family is about to get bigger! Soon there will be somebody barking, meowing or even hopping around your house, keeping the kids company and making lots of memories.

But before you get sucked into a flurry of new pet selfies, we're here to ask a very important question: Which animal is the best pet for you and your kids? There are a lot of things to consider when bringing a new pet home.

"First and foremost, the family should take a look at their schedule to ensure that the pet will be adequately cared for and they can meet the pet's individual needs," says Pia Silvani, director at the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in North Carolina. "For example, while cats may not require as much work as a dog, the litter box needs to be cleaned every day, brushing and nail clipping are required, as well as mental stimulation, which includes play. Dogs require training, exercise, socialization with animals and people, as well as mental and physical stimulation."

All of these responsibilities suddenly become very real when a pet enters your Instagram story - and parents especially need to know that even if you're getting an animal for a child, the day-to-day duties will fall in your lap.

"Children convince the parents that they will care for the pet," Silvani says. "While their intentions are good, after a few months and a busy calendar, the child may lose interest in the 'tasks' that they promised and the responsibility is back on the parents."

To help you on your quest to select the perfect family pet, we compiled this overview of nine pets parents usually get for kids and important considerations to make with each:

1. Dog

No two dogs are the same, so take your time and find a good match.

"Every dog is an individual with a unique personality," Silvani says. "Whether a dog is well-mannered around children and babies has nothing to do with the dog's breed type [it's] more about whether the dog has been properly socialized with children early on."

And if you think a small dog would totally suit a small child, think again.

"Small dogs are not necessarily the best choice for children," Silvani says. "Young children tend to think small dogs enjoy being picked up, carried, hugged, dressed up, etc. Children need to learn that dogs should not be treated like a toy or stuffed animal."

Considerations: Are you the traveling type? The family that wakes up on a Saturday morning with a game plan to spend the day driving across the state looking for landmarks? Think about how your dog will fit into this picture. Dogs need regular exercise, grooming and training, and they can't be left alone for extended periods of time. As a result, a dog may not be the best pet for your family if no one is home during the day - unless you're prepared to hire a dog walker or send your pup to doggy daycare.

2. Cat

As any cat lady will tell you, cats are independent creatures. While one kitty might be the biggest cuddle bug you've ever met, another may prefer a more solitary life (with regular servings of food, please!) Like dogs, cats do require responsibility - litter box duty will become some lucky person's regular job - but the good thing about felines is that they may afford you a little more freedom. They need food, water, care and attention on a daily basis but leaving them overnight is definitely easier to do.

Considerations: Cats can bite or scratch when they're not enjoying certain situations, so it's a good idea to give your child a crash course in "Kitty Etiquette." Teach them that not every cat likes to be held, or pet or snuggled, and that their quirks are what so many cat-lovers grow to love.

3. Rabbit

Rabbits are active and social, and they need plenty of stimulation or they can potentially get bored and destructive. If you plan to let your bunny explore your home you'll need to do some serious bunny-proofing because they like to chew, according to the House Rabbit Society.

They require a rather large enclosure to dwell in, partly because they can grown in size as they age. The House Rabbit Society recommends an exercise pen, a large dog crate, a bunny-proofed room or a very large cage or condo (all of which require regular cleaning, so roll up your sleeves!)

Considerations: Like cats, rabbits can be quirky and some don't like to be carried around, which may be difficult for children to understand.

"Animals need a break from children and they must be allowed quiet time so they are not overwhelmed with too much handling," says Silvani.

4. Guinea pig

According to the Humane Society, snuggling and exploring are some of a guinea pig's favorite pastimes, so they'll need time out of their cage every day.

Regular responsibilities will include grooming, cage cleaning, and having supplies at the ready. Supplies for one guinea pig is a regular financial commitment, the Humane Society says, and that could potentially double should you get a second guinea pig, which is recommended for companionship reasons.

Considerations: They can be easily startled, so kids will need to learn how to behave around these adorable animals before they become a part of the family.

5. Turtle

Turtles are cute but quite complicated to keep. They need to live in a specific type of environment to really thrive. Everything from the temperature to the lighting must be just right, so you have to be ready and willing to set up those conditions.

Turtles have particularly long lifespans compared to most other pets, so you might have to care for them long after your kids are off to college.

Considerations: Not all states allow the sale or keeping of turtles or amphibians, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and because of the risk for spreading germs like salmonella, you shouldn't keep a turtle if you have children under the age of five or other people with weak immune systems living in your household.

6. Bird

Birds are intelligent and social pets. Though they spend most of their time in cages, it's great if you can provide them with a safe place in your home to fly freely now and then.

Some birds, including parrots, can be loud or destructive and can live up to a whopping 25 years - which means they'll stay in the nest a lot longer than your little humans.

Considerations: Petfinder.com says Chlamydiosis (psittacosis) and avian tuberculosis are two health issues to be informed about because they can make people with weakened immune systems, like children, sick.

7. Lizard

If your family has a particularly busy schedule and the desire for a relatively quiet pet, you might consider a lizard since they can be fairly low-maintenance.

While the habitat and feeding needs of lizards - which can have long lifespans - vary by type and can be pretty specific (insects, anyone?), most don't require extensive grooming.

Considerations: Because some lizards are more delicate, an older child may be better at being gentle with them.

8. Hamster

Hamsters are nocturnal so only night owls will really get to see this critter in action. They have a relatively short lifespan - about two to three years - so keep in mind that your kids might get a lesson in dealing with the loss of a pet sooner rather than later.

Considerations: The Humane Society recommends adult supervision when a child younger than 8 handles a hamster because, like guinea pigs, they can be startled and even bite. Younger children may not be capable of making a hamster feel secure and could be at greater risk for diseases like salmonella, which hamsters can carry.

9. Fish

Often regarded as the perfect first pet for kids, fish are fascinating family members to watch, no matter your age.

Feeding them daily and cleaning out their tanks will be on a caregiver's to-do list. The frequency of tank cleaning depends on a few factors, like the kind of fish you have, but generally it will need to be cleaned every two weeks. If your family life is too hectic for a dog or even a cat, these underwater friends can make great pets.

Considerations: The positives about fish are endless: their colors and swimming patterns can soothe, they're quiet, they don't require a lot of space, they don't shed - but they still need care and attention, some more than others.

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The 9 Best Pets For Kids - And How To Choose One

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It’s an exciting time - your family is about to get bigger! Soon there will be somebody barking, meowing or even hopping around your house, keeping the kids company and making lots of memories. But before you get sucked into a flurry of new pet selfies, we’re here to ask ...

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There are many benefits to pet ownership, especially for young children. Pets teach children valuable life lessons like responsibility, trust, compassion, respect, and patience. While pets offer a lot of benefits to kids, kids also have a lot to offer the pet in your family as well. Both kids and pets enjoy high energy play as well as having a cuddle buddy during nap time. One of the major reasons, and an important life skill, for owning a pet is to teach responsibility. Pets require food, water, and love. Many, some more than others, require exercise. They also require grooming (brushing develops large muscles of the arm) and bathroom time (walking the dog develops large muscles of your child’s legs and is good for the development of their heart, brain, and lungs). The second skill children learn is trust. A pet offers unconditional support when a child (or anyone) is sad, angry, or upset. They can teach your child to trust the pet, themselves, and build trust in other relationships as well. Compassion is the third life skill developed. When a child takes care of a pet, they learn to be kind to others through taking care of their furry friend’s basic needs.

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There are many advantages to pet ownership, especially for young children.

There are many benefits to owning a pet. Pets teach children valuable life lessons like responsibility, trust, compassion, respect and patience. While pets offer a lot of benefits to kids, kids also have a lot to offer the pet in your family as well. Both kids and pets enjoy high energy play as well as having a cuddle buddy during nap time.

If your child asks for a pet, talk with them about responsibility and the permanency of owning a pet. When the "newness" wears off or the puppy/kitten gets older, will they still want to care for the animal? Have they expressed a consistent desire for a pet and understand it will need daily care up and above play time?

Set up and discuss what your child's pet responsibilities will be ahead of time. Remember, no matter how committed they are at the time of getting a pet, you will have to consider yourself as the backup plan if and when they cannot or will not continue to care for the pet.

One of the major reasons, and an important life skill, for owning a pet is to teach responsibility. Pets require food, water and love. Many, some more than others, require exercise. They also require grooming (brushing develops large muscles of the arm) and bathroom time (walking the dog develops large muscles of your child's legs and is good for the development of their heart, brain and lungs).

Children over 5 years old can have developmentally appropriate responsibilities in regards to the care of the pet. Children under the age of 4 should be monitored with pets at all times, and children under the age of 10 should not be expected to take care of a dog or cat completely on their own.

A second skill children learn is trust. A pet offers unconditional support when a child (or anyone) is sad, angry or upset. They can teach your child to trust the pet, themselves and build trust in other relationships as well.

Compassion is the third life skill developed. When a child takes care of a pet, they learn to be kind to others through taking care of their furry friend's basic needs.

Other skills kids learn include:

Bereavement. When a pet passes away, a child will learn about the grieving process.

Respect. Requiring gentle touching and learning about boundaries when the pet is eating and sleeping will develop respect for others in young children, which is a difficult skill to learn at a young age.

Self-esteem. When pets show unconditional love, it boosts a child's self-esteem. Being responsible also develops self-esteem in young children.

Loyalty. Pets are very loyal and a good example of how to treat others that are important to the child and family.

Physical activity. Walking and throwing a ball is great exercise.

Patience. Sometimes bonding with a pet takes time, as well as teaching tricks and learning good behavior.

Social Skills. Pets are great in helping "break the ice." On outings, dogs encourage conversations with others and will improve a child's social skills.

Motivation. Because of all the skills pet ownership provides, young children have a reduced risk of allergies and better grades at school because kids develop internal motivation while caring for their animals.

Empathy. Children growing up with a pet do so with more empathy towards animals and more empathy in general.

Research shows children who live in homes with a dog can possibly have fewer ear infections and respiratory tract infections and require fewer antibiotics, perhaps because the exposure to animals at a young age stimulates the immune system. Research found in the Time article, " Why Dogs and Cats Make Babies Healthier," indicates that exposure to pet dander could prime babies' still-developing immune systems and be able to fend off common allergens and bugs. Young children's immune systems are more capable of facing them. Kids with a dog did better than those with a cat. The exposure has to happen very early in life. More information can also be found in the CBS News article, " Babies with dogs less likely to develop colds, ear infections as infants."

When thinking of which pet to add to your family, pick one that fits your lifestyle. A fish, turtle or hamster will require less playtime than a cat or dog. If your family travels a lot, then maybe an animal that can be left at home with minimal care would be a good choice. If you prefer to go for long walks and play in the yard, then a dog may be a perfect fit. More information on choosing the right pet can be found in the Michigan State University Extension article, " Which pet is right for me? "

To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2016 impact report: " Preparing young children for success" and " Preparing the future generation for success." Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2016, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website.
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There are many advantages to pet ownership, especially for young children. There are many benefits to owning a pet. Pets teach children valuable life lessons like responsibility, trust, compassion, respect and patience. While pets offer a lot of benefits to kids, kids also have a lot to offer the pet in your family as well.

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pet, any animal kept by human beings as a source of companionship and pleasure.

While a pet is generally kept for the pleasure that it can give to its owner, often, especially with horses, dogs, and cats, as well as with some other domesticated animals, this pleasure appears to be mutual. Thus, pet keeping can be described as a symbiotic relationship, one that benefits both animals and human beings. As the keeping of pets has been practiced from prehistoric times to the present and as pets are found in nearly every culture and society, pet keeping apparently satisfies a deep, universal human need.

The history of pets is intertwined with the process of animal domestication, and it is likely that the dog, as the first domesticated species, was also the first pet. Perhaps the initial steps toward domestication were taken largely through the widespread human practice of making pets of captured young wild animals. Eventually, a working relationship developed between the dogs and their human captors. The dog was swifter, had stronger jaws, and was better at tracking prey; therefore, it could be of great use in hunting and guarding duties. From human beings, on the other hand, the dogs were assured of a constant supply of food as well as warmth from the fire. There is indirect evidence that the dog may have been domesticated and kept as a pet since Paleolithic times, as can be surmised from the paintings and carvings that archaeologists have found in ancient campsites and tombs. In Mesopotamia, dogs that look remarkably like the present-day mastiff were shown participating in a lion hunt. Domestic pets were often depicted in the scenes of family life in ancient Egypt; hunting dogs of the greyhound or saluki type accompany their master to the chase, and lap dogs frequently sit under the chair of their master or mistress.

Next to the dog, horses and cats are the animals most intimately associated with human beings. Surprisingly, both these animal groups were domesticated rather late in human history. There is no evidence that horses were domesticated in Paleolithic or Mesolithic times, but by about 2000 bce horses used in chariot battles were an established phenomenon throughout the Middle East. It seems that riding astride horses was a practice developed a few centuries later ( see horsemanship). The cat too does not seem to have been domesticated as a pet until the New Kingdom period (about the 16th century bce) in Egypt. This is all the more strange as the ancient Egyptians had tamed many types of animals, such as lions, hyenas, monkeys, the Nile goose, and dogs, since the Old Kingdom period. But once cats were finally domesticated, their popularity was enormous. Gradually, the cat became one of the most universally worshiped animals.
(Read Britannica's "9 (Lives of) Famous Cat Lovers.")
As has been noted, the primary bond distinguishing a pet-and-owner relationship is affection. As useful as many of these animals are, what differentiates a pet from other economically useful livestock is the degree of contact between the animals and human beings. Often, this relationship has been unabashedly sentimentalized in myth, art, and literature. The affection between Alexander the Great and his favourite horse, Bucephalus, has become legendary, while in the modern age the popularity of such canine motion-picture stars as Rin Tin Tin and Lassie is further evidence of the importance placed on the relationship between owner and pet.

The pet-and-owner relationship, however, is not only founded on companionship; since the earliest period of domestication, pets have fulfilled practical, economic ends. Catching other animals to feed their human masters is one of the most fundamental uses of pets, and not only dogs have served in this capacity but cats, hyenas, and lions have also been used for hunting. The aristocratic, rather arcane sport of falconry made use of the natural talent of hawks to aid in hunting game birds. Pets have also been used for the purpose of guarding-either other livestock, the home or territory of their owners, or the owners themselves. Any pet that has a sharp sense of smell or hearing and that makes a loud noise when aroused can be used as a guard, although dogs are the best-known examples. It is thought that the Nile goose, a favourite household pet of the ancient Egyptians, may have served such a purpose. The herding and guarding of livestock is another practical use of pets, in particular the dog. Over the centuries, many specialized breeds of dog have been developed to suit this purpose.

Often, pets have been used as a source of food when other sources become scarce. This has been the case with dogs throughout their history of domestication in both the Old World and the New World. Guinea pigs, domesticated as pets in the New World, also assured a stable food supply.

Pets have also been used to eliminate animal pests. The rat-catching ability of cats is celebrated in fairy tales such as "Puss 'n Boots" and "Dick Whittington," as is the snake-catching talent of the mongoose in Rudyard Kipling 's "Rikki-tikki-tavi."

Finally, pets themselves have become a self-perpetuating industry, bred for a variety of purposes, including their value as breeding animals. Pets that are bred for aesthetic purposes may have full-fledged show careers. Other pets may be bred for racing or other competitive sports, around which sizable industries have been built.

Animals kept as pets can be classified according to the type of premises or habitat they usually occupy. Dogs, cats, and birds such as canaries and parakeets are kept as household pets. Other birds, such as jays, magpies, and members of the crow family, are kept in aviaries. When kept as pets, reptiles and amphibians frequently require special conditions of heat and moisture. For this reason, they are best kept in glassed enclosures called vivaria. The most common vivarium pets are snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and toads. Many people keep fish as aquarium pets. Fishes constitute a completely separate section of the pet world, and an international industry exists for catching, breeding, transporting, and supplying stock. Hutch, or cage, pets can be kept indoors or outdoors under protected conditions. These pets include rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and, recently, chinchillas. Paddock pets are those that must be stabled outdoors and include such animals as horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. Several kinds of insects are also kept as pets. These include walking-stick insects (kept in simple containers at room temperature) and ants (kept in artificial nests).

Of increasing concern is the sale of exotic pets (e.g., jaguars, alligators, ocelots, monkeys, apes, kinkajous, etc.). Rarely are the owners of such pets able to provide the basic nutritional or habitat needs of these animals; most of the animals soon die or are sent to a zoo. Furthermore, in order to obtain the young, which are considered most desirable as pets, many adults of the wild species are killed, seriously depleting populations already endangered. Several countries have passed laws to prohibit the importation of endangered species as pets, but an active black market flourishes.

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Pet | Definition, Types, History, & Facts

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A pet is any animal kept by human beings as a source of companionship and pleasure.

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Pets are any animals that are kept by human beings as a source of companionship and pleasure. While a pet is generally kept for the pleasure that it can give to its owner, often, especially with horses, dogs, and cats, as well as with some other animals, this pleasure appears to be mutual. Thus, pet keeping can be described as a symbiotic relationship, one that benefits both animals and human beings. As the keeping of pets has been practiced from prehistoric times to the present and as pets are found in nearly every culture and society, pet keeping apparently delights a deep, universal human need.

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How do pets benefit a family or a person?
Why is owning a pet so costly?