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Animal lovers are never lonely
Early childhood is an impressionable period of life in which
children are often dog lovers. Parents have a great contribution
in the building of their children's character by encouraging
them to be animal lovers and allowing them to have a dog as...
Choosing the right puppy breed
For all too many, the process of choosing a puppy or puppies is based purely on how cute the puppy is or how playful its personality seems at the pet store or kennel. Granted, playful and cute puppies can really tug at your heart strings and urge...
Click And Treat Is For The Dogs
Becoming the first major improvement in dog training since choke chains and spiked collars, click and treat has quickly revolutionized itself in becoming a big hit on the training circuit. Currently, there are over 10,000 trainers who are using this...
Pet food - The Basics
A dog is a man's best friend. You do everything you can to maintain your optimum health. Doesn't your best friend deserve the same? Your dog is an active (rather the most active) member of your family and needs the same, if not more attention to...
Why Crate Train My Dog?
A few years ago, before I decided to stay home with my kids, I worked as a veterinarian technician in an animal hospital. While at that job I saw so many clients who would bring in their dog and be upset because they had eaten something in the...
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Companion Animals and Their Unique Place in Society--Part 1
Every once in a while, a discussion of the role of animals in our lives makes the news as some difficult decision must be made. The interesting thing about this is that our relationship with animals, though different in different times and places through history, has been established since Bible times.
Several years ago, legislation was introduced to make illegal the use of horses for human consumption. It passed, but the depth of feeling on both sides of the debate was striking. The idea of using companion animals for food is so counterintuitive that I felt compelled to do some research, for although instinct would tell us that this is wrong, the facts to support such a position strengthen our arguments.
For the purposes of this article, and with my apologies to lovers of rabbits, hamsters, ferrets, pot-bellied pigs, cockatiels, tarantulas, and every other type of pet, I am going to focus on the three most popular pets—cats, dogs, and horses.
A brief history of the domestication of cats
Some experts think the cat was first tamed by 3500 B.C. The ancient Egyptians were the first people to keep cats as pets; they also worshipped cats as gods. The goddess Bastet, daughter of the sun god Ra, had a cat’s head. The Egyptians loved and worshipped her, and so loved cats. Deceased cats were mummified and given the same kind of burial as human family members.
The ancient Romans, in the conquest of Egypt,
brought cats home to Europe. After a period of disfavor during the superstitious Middle Ages, cats were restored to hero status. When rats from Asia brought the Black Plague to Europe, people who had kept cats fared better; their cats, according to the nature of cats, killed the rats. Soon cats became protected by law.
In Victorian times, cats were a favorite subject of artists and writers, and were considered part of a happy home.
Studies have shown that petting a cat lowers a person’s blood pressure, and that elderly people who are enabled to keep their pets live longer. The healing power of cats is being used to advantage in increasingly popular programs in which pets are taken to visit people in nursing homes.
About The Author
Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance writer with a specialty in business and marketing communications. She holds a biology degree and has worked in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry and teaching, and has a particular interest in both animals and Biblical tradition. She is also a graduate of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), America’s leading course on copywriting. Contact Lisa J. Lehr Copywriting www.ljlcopywriting.com, Lisa@ljlcopywriting.com for help with your business writing needs.
This article ©Lisa J. Lehr 2005.
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