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SALT LAKE CITY -- Many people consider their pets as part of the family, while others think of them as just animals. Whether you think of your pet as one of your children or not, animal advocates say both mindsets can be taken to extremes.
Researchers say where you live may have something to do with what you think. USA Today reports that researchers at Indiana University South Bend say people who consider their pets as children are typically city-folk.
Humane Society of Utah Communications Director Carl Arky says he knows some farmers who treat their animals more like employees.
"What I've seen and what a lot of people have seen is [that] those are working animals and they're treated as such," he said.
But Arky says it may be an overgeneralization to paint all farmers, ranchers or other people living in rural areas as people who don't have a personal connection with their pets.
Whether you treat Fido and Fluffy as your children or you have pets for a more functional reason, like catching mice or scaring burglars away, there are pitfalls you can walk into if you're not careful.
Not enough affection: Anti-social behavior
When a dog is merely considered a working animal and not part of the family it will, on many instances, never be allowed in the house.
"It could be left outside for hour after hour after hour, and the problem with that is now you have an animal that's not socialized," Arky said.
Arky says dogs that are not socialized exhibit more aggressive behavior when they do interact with humans.
"They'll bite more, they'll bark more, they're unhappy," Arky said. "Dogs are pack animals. They want to have a social structure."
Cat owners can also cause problems by not keeping a close eye on their animals. Arky says many Utahns are not neutering their cats, which leads to more cats on the street -- and the number of homeless cats in the state is already very high.
When you have both pets and children, it's important for kids to get used to the animals.
"The more that kids are around and are exposed to animals [like] dogs and cats, but especially dogs, the more they're going to be comfortable with them when they encounter them out in the world," Arky said.
Arky says many kids aren't used to dogs, and when a dog approaches them in a playful way, they panic. This in turn spooks the dog, which could lead to the child being bitten.
Too much affection: Overindulging the pet
Many times, people confuse food for love. Too many treats and too much pampering can lead to obesity and joint problems.
"It happens way too often," Arky said. "An animal will come in and you can tell it's way overweight. It needs to be put on a diet and needs to be exercised."
But when a pet is obese, it becomes too difficult for it to exercise many times.
Jealousy
When a family brings a new baby into the home, a dog will notice the parents aren't spending as much time and attention on it. In many cases, the dog may lash out at the baby, and the new parents may think they have to give up the dog. Arky says this is an overreaction.
"Most of the time there is really no need to surrender an animal because there is a new baby in the house," he said. "They'll adjust to that."
Arky says just like how kids need to get used to animals, animals need to get used to a new child.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
