Pets are for companionship

The Holy Book, the Bible, recounts how God saw that it was not good for man to be alone and that the need to have help was created. Thus, in essence, it explicitly reveals the need for companionship. No man is an island; we need to constantly relate to people to ensure our sanity is intact. Ask the introvert, and he will tell you he enjoys his own space, but deep down, he envies the relationships and fun experienced by people around him. The need for companionship cannot be overemphasized. Most cases of depression arise from loneliness—the inability to communicate or have a living soul around.

PETS

Pets are animals that man has domesticated to live with such that value is placed on them in relation to eating, drinking, and companionship. In summary, pets are our friends. And the most common of these pets is a dog, which is popularly called the friend of man. Pets are given names to endear them to us. Different pets appeal to different individuals. Pets are the animal forms of the family. These pets are often seen as family members, particularly by Caucasians. The blacks also have pets, which commonly include dogs, cats, parrots, etc.

Women and especially elderly women are generally fond of pets compared to men. You will agree with me the former are home keepers and would easily nurture the tender pets like babies.

AFFECTION

Every living soul that receives affection has a tendency to become receptive and loyal. Pets are better tamed when they're younger. A show of love often draws these animals to their owners, and they have a high tendency to remain loyal. Dogs, for example, are drawn to their owners more passionately when there is a show of affection, which can be exercised by feeding, caring for wounds, and taking walks.

My mom unfortunately does not subscribe to dogs and pets generally, with some reservations. There are occasions where dogs have been held culpable for inflicting wounds on owners, children, or even strangers. Such may have been precipitated by poor care or inadequate affection by the owners. This is where the defense becomes the attacker.

IMAGE CREDIT

Personally, I would prefer to have a parrot as a pet. Parrots are known for their talkativeness, but that's fine with me. The parrot is uncommon as a roaming bird but can be bought for some thousands of naira in cages around the world. I would love to teach them languages, as they are known to be quick learners.

PET CARE
If you can't care for them, don't bother owning them. It's better for them to live freely in the open than to own them without adequate care. Animals have souls within them and can feel love and affection. Pets should be given care like a parent would a child. Such care could include their feeding, vaccination, play, and scolding when necessary. Pets are babies in animal form and should be treated like one.

Unfortunately, pets cannot talk and may find it difficult to express themselves when hungry or have ailments. It is wise to be keenly observant of their reactions and lifestyle so that we can know when something is wrong.

LOCAL FAUNA

I remember a neighbor owning a monkey in the compound where I lived some two decades ago. We all loved the monkeys, which was correlated with the movies we watched of them. The other pets in the neighborhood didn't find it difficult to relate to the monkey, though with caution. There was no harm brought up to the environment.

INVASIVE FAUNA

Occasionally, an organism unfamiliar with a territory gets introduced into a stable ecology and poses a threat or harm to it. An example is the presence of a stray dog within the vicinity of pets that, oftentimes, have lived peacefully and were probably vaccinated before the intrusion. Such invasions can harm the peaceful existence of already-established fauna in that ecology. We should be vigilant against unwelcome organisms that pose threats to invasive fauna.

Here is my entry into #aprilinleo monthly and daily prompts. You can participate via this LINK

Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.