ANS 282 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mouthwash, Grief Counseling, Pet Sitting
Document Summary
Companion animals are those that have a special relationship with humans, are partially or totally dependent on them, live in close proximity with them and there is a bonding with their owners. Dogs and cats probably best fit the definition of companion animal, also psittacines (birds). People easily bond with them, there is an ability by dogs and cats to provide love and reassurance with their owners. They don"t complain, they want to please you and they provide people with an opportunity to feel needed and valued. Many people consider their pet to be a member of the family. Domestication of animals (different than taming a wild animal) is a lengthy process. Take a wild species and improve (through hundreds of years) it through careful selection, mating, and handling so that its products or services become more useful to humans. Humans also control the breeding of the animal. ((this definition excludes animals in zoos and circuses and many experimental animals))
