Animal versus Pet

Animals are exquisite and unique!  Animals are all creatures created by God. Animals are described as being in different classifications. Scientists have grouped animals into classes for the ease of studying them. An animal class consists of animals that are alike in certain important ways. There are millions of types of animals in the world and there are many, many animal classes.

Vertebrates are one category of animals. Vertebrates mean animals with backbones. Five of the most commonly known classes of vertebrates are amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals.

Mammals: Mammals include animals such as dogs, cats, horses, kangaroos, dolphins and whales, just to name a few. The characteristics seen in mammals include:

• The presence of hair or fur.
• Sweat glands.
• Glands specialized to produce milk, known as mammary glands.
• Three middle ear bones.
• A neocortex region in the brain, which specializes in seeing and hearing.
• Specialized teeth.
• A four-chambered heart.

When a mammal is a baby it drinks MILK from its Mother.

Amphibians: Amphibians spend their life in the water and on the land. All amphibians begin their life in water with gills and tails.  As they grow, they develop lungs and legs for their life on land. Amphibians are cold-blooded, which means that they are the same temperature as the air or water around them. There are thousands of different kinds of amphibians. Common types of amphibians include frogs, toads and salamanders.

Reptiles: Reptiles are a class of animal with skin that is scaly.  Reptiles are cold- blooded. Reptiles are born on land. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators and turtles all belong to the reptile class.

Fish: Fish are vertebrates that live in water. They have fins, scales and gills on their body.

Birds: Birds are animals that have feathers, a beak and are warm-blooded. Birds are born out of hard-shelled eggs.

There are also animals that don’t have vertebrae. They are called invertebrates. Animals that have more than four, jointed legs are called arthropods.  Spiders, crustaceans and insects belong to this class of animals.

For safety reasons for a perspective pet owner and for the benefit of the animal, not all animals would or should be “domesticated” or that is to be tamed or made house pets. Per the nationalpost.com “According to online dictionaries, the word “pet” dates back to the 16th century, and can be traced to Scotland and northern England. It’s used to refer to a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.”

Certain animals can be domesticated and can safely live in ones home as a companion pet.  It is important to know that great understanding regarding that animal must take place by a perspective owner in order for the owner to safely meet the emotional, social and physical needs for the well-being of the animal that is going to become a pet.

Being a successful pet owner requires compassion, knowledge, resources, finances, understanding of and     commitment to that animal. The rewards of being a successful pet owner are immense!!. Because of walking with ones pet, some rewards of pet ownership are physical and can include decreased blood pressure and decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Other mental health benefits include lessening feelings of loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Other benefits include an increased opportunity for outdoor activities, better cognitive capabilities in senior adults and more opportunities to socialize with other people.