Do you think having pet makes you a better person?

The Chihuahua breed .. so cute. Is that what Paris Hilton has too ? Hee ..

These are not the tiny Chihuahuas. These weigh 8-10 pounds each, so they are a little too big to fit into my pocket, but they are fun to have around LOL

haha Goldeneagle, having three chihuahuas certainly makes life better. You do not even need to bring the dogs out for a walk. Just put them into your pocket, and you are ready to go out. I wonder how you prevent your dogs from biting guests. They are small yet very aggressive. I think they do not know they are the smallest dogs on Earth, so they behave as if they own everything.

Hi Hagirl, I think nobody dares to bully you now, since you have a good and strong protector in the form of your pet. It is good to find the perfect pet, otherwise life is even more miserable. I think in many cases, pets help us to see life from a different perspective, so that we can live a more meaningful life.

haha Dav20b, the dog probably thinks about food while we rant on and on about our problems. I do not know whether pets can prolong life span or not. After all, those who live to a hundred plus do not always have pets. Hardly anyone trains their dogs to kill people. Most people train their dogs to guard the house. I think some pet dogs are really useless, since they hide under the bed when they are scared.

Hi Ricextreme, not many people get a pet because they are lonely. Some people have more than enough work, and a large family to care for, yet they want a pet. There is a difference in having a pet and talking to a best friend. Most of us tend to rush for work, rush home, and rush for everything. Sometimes, seeing the cat relax on the sofa is just enough to remind us that life is more than rushing to work or getting the housework done. I think that is the most important point about having a pet.

Hi Ricextreme, I live in an apartment building too. I have a fish tank with a big fish inside. That fish is a predator fish, supposed to eat live food. However, I kept it from young, and fed it with pellets. When I bought it in May last year, it was less than three inches, now already more than one feet. Recently I got a few feeder catfish. Those are meant for feeding the big fish. I cannot bear the idea of feeding the cute little catfish to the big fish, so I keep them in a pail of water, and feed them everyday. They are so cute. The way they fight for food really makes us appreciate how fortunate we are. I think you can just go to the fish shop, and ask to buy those feeder guppies or other feeder fish. These fish are very cheap, since they are doomed from the start. You can just get an old, unused pail, and keep the fish. Just buy the small fish food to feed them. Remember to change water every day. For my catfish, i change all the water, since these creatures really turn the clear water into blackish water. Then I use the water to water the plants. for other fish, just change 30% of the water every day.

Personally I think pets are done for us to care them, to feel accompanied, and to share time with them, and I think that people don't need pets if they have friends, and can share enough time with their friends. I'd like to have a pet, but in the apartments building I live, dogs are not permitted, and my mom don't like cats, so I don't have a pet. I was thinking in buying a little turtle.

Hi Ishrael, I think in some ways having a pet is better than having possessive friends. Some friends literally demand your attention. They cannot understand that you have your own life to live. Pets are very different. They only demand food, water and your love, as in hugging them or petting them.

Hi Hatley, I agree with you. Having pets is one of the blessing in life. Pets do not demand anything more than food and water plus some petting from the owners. I have a fish swimming leisurely in the tank. That is the most undemanding pet, since no need to bring for a walk or even hug the pet.

Hi Jdyrj, I doubt there are many people who hate pets. Most people love animals to a certain extent, but they do not like the responsibility of caring for the pets. Since I live in an apartment, having a dog is a cruelty. Most dogs need a big space to run about. So I get myself a fish, and take care of it.

Ive ran into a few pet haters. But i believe the majority love em. You could get a little dog or a cat.

Hi Jdyrj, too bad my family does not like dogs or cats at home. I would love a small dog, such as a Chihuahua very much. I had several small pets before, such as the button quails, hamsters and cats. Those cats were stray cats, but we sort of adopt them. They do not enter the house, just wait quietly outside for us to give them fish or other cat food.

Hi Alottodo, I like to have pets at home too. I think pets can help us to see things from different perspective, and to make us happy and relaxed. i wonder why anyone thinks that pets are dirty, since we are the ones creating so much rubbish and damage the Earth. At least cats can clean themselves just by licking all over, but we cannot clean ourselves without the artificial help such as shower cream, soap, and shampoo and conditioner.

Hi Shrijsr, I agree with you that having a pet is not just about responsibility and a sense of duty. Most pet owners experience a change in viewpoint about life and living. After all, why are we so stressed up? Our pets are living happily and sleeping all the time. I think the best change comes when we start to see things from the perspective of our pets.

Exactly! The perspective about life and the way we look at things certainly change and gradually we see ourselves changing to be a better person. It always feels good to realize that, we are heading in a better way to reach a better place!

Hi Raj, actually I think pets can change our personality, not just helping us develop certain qualities like kindness, caring etc. Those who keep dogs tend to have similar qualities as their dogs. The quiet owner will have a quiet dog. When kids have dogs, the dogs tend to make as much noise as the kids.

Hi Raj, I mean the pets, especially the dogs, can reflect our personality. Some people like big and quiet dogs. Some people like the cute and small dog breeds like those toy dogs. There are even studies about the differences between a dog owner and a cat owner. Many people like an aquarium at home, because they can learn to quiet down, just relax and watch the fish swimming leisurely. I think pet ownership can help us change our character traits to a certain extent.

Thanks for those information, But can you tell me what you are pointing here about personality?

Hi Margeryann, another factor is the space in the house or garden. For me, living in a high rise apartment rules out many pets. The government does not allow big dogs, and I do not like small dogs. I think small dogs are too emotional. I cannot keep hens or ducks at home too. The only pet that is perfect for apartment is the aquarium fish.

Hi Lottielulu, I agree, the only time when pets cause anxiety is when they refuse to eat or get sick. I think having a sick pet is one of the moment when we feel so helpless. After all, we can take medications when we suffer from fever or running nose. In most cases, we do not know what medications for the pets, and do not know what to do other than visit the vet or seek help online.

Hey :) Yeah i understand what you mean. I know of people that have got a pet dog when they have lost their partner for company, and it was extremely difficult for them when their pet got ill because they really depended on them. Even when a pet gets ill you can still provide comfort, and hopefully most of the time they'll get better :) Also, the good times when your pet is healthy always make getting through the difficult times worth it.

Hi Lottielulu, I can understand the pain of seeing the pet falls sick. Most of us experienced that when we were young, with our sick goldfish or guppies or whatever else. The worst thing about being young and ignorant was that we always did the wrong thing. When the fish was sick, instead of changing water, we stupid kids started to throw in more pellets. I think every child must have a pet, so that he can learn about caring for pets, and learning about life.

Hi Derek, I think that accounts for the popularity of having an aquarium at home. It is the cheapest form of pet ownership. In order to save money, I recycle the water from the aquarium, and uses it to flush toilet and water the plants. Other than the cost of fish pellets, which is very cheap, and the cost of filtering the water, there is hardly any additional cost. No need to bring the sick fish to the vet even.

Wow Dainy, your house is a mini zoo! I think with a few quails, a few hens, that will make it a very self-sustained household. The only birds I ever had was the button quails. Fortunately they could live every happily in the cage everyday, and they could not fly, so the risk of them wanting to escape was minimized. Just a few days ago, I bought some catfish. Those were meant as feeders to feed the bigger fish. I feel it is rather cruel to feed the live fish to the bigger fish, so I keep them in a pail of water, and feed them every day. I like the way they fight for food. It makes me realize how precious food is, and how fortunate we are that we do not need to fight so vigorously for three square meals a day.

Hi Elena, there is no need to have scientific proven records to show the benefits of having pets. Any pet owner will tell you about it. The only exception is when the kitten or puppy is very young, and untrained. The kitten or puppy may break fragile items, chew the shoes and do all kind of destructive things.

Haha SSwallace, sometimes I have a feeling that pets look down on us, and think we are stupid. That is the feeling I get when I am around cats. Cats are notoriously arrogant, and seem to look down on everyone. Dogs are not too bad. They are watchful and protective, and know how to read moods of the owners and their friends.

Hi Havocspark, having a pet does bring changes to our outlook in life and our behavior as well. I think only a dog will fight for you! That remind me of our childhood, when we threw stones at the neighbor dogs, and then expect our dog to protect us. However, when it comes to feeding times, all dogs eat happily together. Cats wont help the owners fight. They just look at you, then close their eyes, and sleep.

Hi Jiecharlesplaza, even when we have two dogs, we do not just view them as dogs. We will view them as two separate personalities. The funny thing about pet ownership is that pet can take after the personality of the owner. Friendly household has friendly dogs. Those owners who are living in a quarrelsome family have dogs that snarl and bark at everyone.