Americans love pets. Many pet owners treat their pets as a part of the family. They treat their pets as their children—sometimes even better.
In America, there are more families with pets than those with children. 43 per cent of U. S. homes have pets. Some of the pets areexotic, such as monkeys, snakes, butterflies and even wolves. Those animals come from other countries, especially China, Thailand, South Africa and so on. More common pets include fish, mice and birds. However, their favourites are cats and dogs. They sometimes have strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. "Dog people" and "cat people" often have friendly arguments about that.
People can get many benefits from pets. Pets stay with people, make people happy and help people get rid of loneliness. Therefore, most of Americans like pets. They think pets should be treated well. At least 75 animal welfare (福利) organizations have been set up in America. They provide care and good services for homeless animals. Some pets can help people live a better life. For example, researchers (研究者) have discovered that getting on with animals can help lower (降低) a person's blood pressure. Dogs can offer protection from strange visitors. Cats can play games with the children. Some kinds of pets can provide love for their owners. In fact, to keep a pet can help a young couple have the responsibility to raise children. Pets are as basic to U.S. culture as hot dogs or apple pies. To Americans, pets are not just property (财产), but a part of the family.
