Why do we cherish our pets so much?

Pets are often the thing that people cherish most. There’s something different about the way people talk about their pet, their tone softens and the stories become detailed. For something that doesn't speak our language or perhaps doesn't even consider us as anything more than someone who feeds them, they are pretty significant in our daily lives.

A particular reason is because pets love without conditions. Pets don't care about social status, grades, or appearance. They don't use your identity to measure worth, but they adapt towards their person's presence. With humans, we tend to tell jokes that we think would be humorous for the other person, or curate ourselves depending on who we are talking to. With pets, your authentic self is a normality whilst a performance is odd. They adapt to who you are by responding to your energy. It feels rare in a world where most relationships feel conditional. Oftentimes, our pets see us in our unfiltered states. Pets see you when you are sick, crying, exhausted and not performing for anyone. 

Everyday at 6pm my dog gets fed, then the following hour it goes for a potty break. This is the stable routine that occurs that I am familiar with. Especially when we have lives that are constantly changing, whether it may be in school, environments or even jobs. The contrast between our multifaceted life compared to the simplicity of a pet's life helps us feel a sense of comfort. Pets mark different chapters in our lifetime. The puppy that was with you during elementary school, to the pet that was there for you during secondary school up to graduation and beyond. The bond feels deep because no matter what the activity was, no matter how involved they were, they had just remained in the story whether relevant or not. 

Overall, pets offer a sense of instinctive love. The kind of love that doesn't need a performance, the kind of love that is consistent throughout all stages of our lives and the kind of love that doesn't need to be performative. Reminding us that someone is here, even if they cannot talk to us.