What advantages can one get from having a pet.  

Have you ever had a pet or do you have the intentions of having one?

The pet culture is one that started many years ago. As we all know many dogs were used in hunting by the ancient men, we can infer that many households of old had one form of pet or another. 

Today, it is etimated that 57% of the global world population ate pet owners. out of this number   there are roughly 370 million pet cats and 476 pet dogs  in the world.

Just recently I was listening to a radio broadcast and the anchor of the day decided to bring out a topic on Nigeria and pet culture. Just recently many nigerians have started seeing the need to have pets. One might ask what is the need of having a pet. Some even call some of the pets especially cats "evil spirits". It is quite amusing but there are certain benefits you will gain if you decide to have a per today. They are listed below as:

- Owning a pet can increase your opputninty to exercise and socialize.Yes you heard right! I know for a fact that the average Nigerian does not exercise or if he/she does it is so little. This fact is undenyable even for me. I still remembered when I wanted to start a routine where I would go jogging every Saturday morning but to be honest with you I only went out once and that was it. I got so tired the first day of jogging I canceled my routine. Yes i undertsand most of our excuses to be "we don't have the time na", "instead of me to be thinking of how to make money I should  be exercising". In as much as this excuses are not undisputed we should not be to busy chasing money and forget the health benefit of exercising. This is where owning a pet can be helpful. Dog owners can decide to go on walks with the dog. This walk on turn serves as an avenue for exercise and socialization. 

- Owning a pet can help remove loneliness. For most individauls who live alone or who have partners that work a different shift patten from you, owning a pet is one way you will never feel lonely. Pets are great companion especially cats and dogs and just snuggling on the sofa with your pet can help reduce your loneliness a lot. 

- Owning a pet can reduce your stress level. Yes! We all knoe that this modern life is very stressful. You think about bills you have to pay, jobs that are not enjoyable, pressure from families. All these might just be too stressful for one to handle, however, owning a pet can help reduce your stress level. Studies have even shown that pet owners tend to have a lower blood pressure thus limiting their chances of having stroke and other life threatened sickness.

These are just a few benefits you get from owning a pet. There are several more I haven't mention. However before you decide to own a pet you must be careful to pick the right one for yourself. Make sure that it is the right one for you and your family. Do some research beforehand about the specific needs of the animal. Ask yourself these questions before getting a pet:

How long will this animal live?

What does the pet eat?

How much exercise does the pet need?

How large will it become?

How much will veterinary care cost?

Do I have enough time to properly care for and clean up after the pet?

Make sure these questions are answered truthfully before deciding to own a pet. And finally go for a pet that is within your income limit. Don't buy a dog when you are struggling to feed and survive. There are numerous pets that are cheaper to carter for so go for your income level. 

I on the other hand will want to own a pet one day. For those pet lovers out there keep enjoying your companion.