City Folk Treat Pets like People

By Hope Schultz for WebVet.com
Dog in human bedNo matter where you go in the world today, the trend seems relatively consistent. For those of us who love our dogs - and we are many - we unquestionably treat them more like people than pets. And, as we should!

A recent study published by David Blouin of Indiana University indicates that while this behavior tends to be somewhat of a global phenomenon, those of us who live in urban areas are more likely than those in rural environments to treat our pets as if they are our children. So while a precious Poodle in New York City might spend more than her share on the latest fashions, it's highly unlikely that Bessie the Cow is looking for the latest hoof wear styles on TopShop. But then you never know.

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And then there are those lovely Europeans who revere their pets to the extent that they take them almost everywhere with them! They travel with their pets, shop with them and, in some cases, even dine with them. Take Paris for example: It just so happens that I'm currently on holiday in the beautiful "City of Lights" and have seen the level to which the French honor and respect their pets first hand. Much to my delight, I might add!

Case in point, a few nights ago I met some friends at at Japanese restaurant (you know, the type where you sit in large groups and they cook your food right in front of you) and low and behold one of our furry little friends was right there at the table with the rest of us. While she didn't indulge in the sushi and sake, she did seem quite pleased to be part of the "in" crowd! Frankly, there was a small part of me that was waiting for her to pick up the chop sticks and dig in. You know how sophisticated those little Parisian pooches can be!

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The bottom line is that the more we love our pets, the more we treat them like humans and the more human-like they become. And I find this quite ironic, as I personally believe that it would be a glorious thing if people were more like pets. If this were the case, we'd spend more time wagging our tails and less time wagging our tongues! :-)

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