Why pets matter more than ever today

These days, many people would rather take their dog for a walk than go on a date, have a cat purring on their laps instead of managing a complex friendship and have some goldfish in a tank because, well, they just don’t talk back. The 21st century has left many people emotionally bruised by the decades that came before it. Alongside that, pets have become far more than just family additions or selfie accompaniments.

They have become companions, anchors and, in some cases, the most dependable emotional relationship a person can have. Psychologist and medical doctor Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys said the appeal ofanimal companionshipmay lie in the fact that many human relationships no longer offer with any certainty. “I think that pets provide people with a sense of unconditional positive regard,” he said.

“It protects people from having to experience the kind of abandonment that they might have to face in human relationships.” He said building a relationship with another person usually comes with the burden of aligning needs, expectations and emotional availability, while an animal enters that space very differently. “Setting up human relationships is often something that requires two people to have matching expectations and views, whereas buying a pet, I mean, you don’t have to worry about your pet not having the same expectation as what you have from a relationship.” Redelinghuys said people also choose animals in ways that mirror the kind of relationship they can manage.