18.4 Pet-Keeping

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Define the pet as a cultural artifact.
  • Trace the historical development of pets in Western societies.
  • Provide examples of pets in Indigenous societies.
  • Identify major behavioral and morphological characteristics of pets.
  • Describe the economic impact of pet keeping in Western societies.

One of the most familiar and intimate roles that animals play in the lives of contemporary Western people is that of pets. Pets are animals that are either domesticated or tamed with whom humans have developed a long-term social bond. Pets are part of many human cultures.

The content of this course has been taken from the free Anthropology textbook by Openstax