Janet Collins
Billy MDon’t Pat The Dog, Try The Ipod
March 7th 2007 04:17
A Thing Of The Past?
Pets. We all love them. The dog even has the title of man’s best friend. Our hectic world and stressful lives are given perspective by these curious beings. One of the first questions, other than ‘how was the womb’, our children are asked is ‘cats or dogs?’ Which one is it? You simply must choose. But despite the perceived obsession with the family pet, exemplified by the myriad of Pet-Help reality television shows, it seems our love of animal playmates is on the decline. At least that’s what the Australian Veterinary Association says.
Apparently, the number of Australian dogs has fallen by over 1 million in the last seven years, with cats following a similar trend. Could our pets have discovered migration? I doubt it. It seems more likely Australian families no longer have time for the humble pet. With the introduction of computer games, DVDs and portable audio devices, cats and dogs just don’t measure up anymore. Another explanation, according to Dr. Seksel from the AWA, might be related to a drastic change in living conditions. “We tend to live in apartments and high rises more than we did five years ago”.
While 63% of Australian households still own some kind of pet, it has become quite apparent that children no longer look to pets for companionship – instead preferring to turn to a humorous Big Brother contestant.
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Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I've always had family pets. But 4 years ago I got myself a cat, George. He was the best cat ever. And living alone, it was great having a kitty to come home to. Unfortunately he was hit by a car last year.
I now have a kitten named Alfie who is awesome (a bit psycho, pretty fat....but SO damn cute).
I'd love a dog, but it's unfair since he/she'd be left alone for so many hours each day.
Comment by AnthonyB
These days, no-one pets me and I increase stress levels with my high critical blogging, but I guess I no longer act like an animal either....
Fantastic post, my brother from another mother
- Anthony