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pet1

  (pĕt) pronunciation
n.
  1. An animal kept for amusement or companionship.
  2. An object of the affections.
  3. A person especially loved or indulged; a favorite: the teacher's pet.
adj.
  1. Kept as a pet: a pet cat.
    1. Particularly cherished or indulged: a pet grandchild.
    2. Expressing or showing affection: a pet name.
  2. Being a favorite: a pet topic.

v., pet·ted, pet·ting, pets.

v.tr.

To stroke or caress gently; pat. See synonyms at caress.

v.intr. Informal.

To make love by fondling and caressing.

[Scottish Gaelic peata, tame animal, pet, from Old Irish.]

petter pet'ter n.
pet2 (pĕt) pronunciation
n.

A fit of bad temper or pique.

intr.v., pet·ted, pet·ting, pets.

To be sulky and peevish.

[Origin unknown.]


 
 
Thesaurus: pet1

noun

    One liked or preferred above all others: darling, favorite. Idioms: apple of one's eye. See like/dislike.

adjective

    Given special, usually doting treatment: darling, fair-haired, favored, favorite,, treat well/treat badly/treat.

verb

  1. To touch or stroke affectionately: caress, cuddle, fondle, pat. See touch/not touch.
  2. To engage in kissing, caressing, and other amorous behavior: Informal fool around, neck, spoon. Slang make out. See sex/asexual.
pet2

verb

    To be sullenly aloof or withdrawn, as in silent resentment or protest: mope, pout, sulk. See happy/unhappy.

 
Idioms: pet

Idioms beginning with pet:
peter out
pet peeve

In addition to the idiom beginning with pet, also see teacher's pet.


 
Antonyms: pet

adj

Definition: favorite
Antonyms: disfavored, hated


 

Any animal kept by humans for companionship or pleasure rather than for utility. The main distinction between pets and domesticated livestock is the degree of contact between owner and animal. Another distinction is the owner's affection for the animal, which is often returned. Dogs are known to have been kept as pets since prehistoric times; cats, since the 16th century BC; and horses, since at least 2000 BC. Other common pets include birds, rabbits, rodents, raccoons, reptiles, amphibians, and even insects. The trend toward making pets of exotic animals (e.g., monkeys and ocelots) is worrisome because owners can rarely provide for their needs, and the animals' already precarious populations are further depleted when members are sold for pets.

For more information on pet, visit Britannica.com.

 

By c. 1840 the habit of pet keeping was spreading rapidly from the aristocracy to the middle class; dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and the occasional monkey or parrot found homes in British households. Sentimental cat and dog paintings flooded the art market. However, early photography could only record very old or sleepy animals—like Minette the cat photographed by Auguste Vacquerie on Jersey in 1853, or the tabby-in-a-basket stereographed by William Mason in Brighton a few years later. In the 1870s, another Brighton photographer, Harry Pointer, published over 100 posed cat photographs (‘Pointer's pets’), an achievement both extraordinary and profitable. By the 1900s, animals were appearing regularly in snapshots and even studio portraits. True to form, Jacques-Henri Lartigue captured astonishing pictures of leaping cats, and the family rabbits hurtling from an upstairs window down an improvised track. Albums increasingly included pets, on laps, chairs, lawns, or squirming in children's arms, recognizable though still often tiny and poorly exposed.

Like beaches and Christmas trees, pets have remained a staple of popular photography, often snapped to test a camera or finish a film. Children favour them; as Dave Kenyon has noted, ‘Pets … are never “too busy” or “looking dreadful”.’ Animals themselves are generally indifferent to these scentless, static, and minuscule images, although cats may respond to life-size projected transparencies of themselves or a sibling taken at ground level.

Robinson & Thompson, Birkenhead Man with dog, c. 1890s. Cabinet print
Robinson & Thompson, Birkenhead Man with dog, c. 1890s. Cabinet print

— Robin Lenman

Bibliography

  • Silverman, R. (ed.), The Dog Observed: Photographs 1844-1984 (1984).
  • Eauclaire, S., Le Chat en photographie (1991).
  • Kenyon, D., Inside Amateur Photography (1992)
 

A nonfood animal included in a human household as a companion and on a status almost equivalent to that of a human being. They are used as instructional media for children about biological matters, as companions for lonely people of all sorts, as a guarding and watchdog presence, as psychological support for disturbed people and as a means of entrance into a different social group. Called also companion animals. Includes dogs, cats, cage birds, aquarium fish, and exotic species such as monkeys, alligators, tortoises, monkeys, big cats, axolotls, newts, yabbies, seahorses, snakes, gerbils, hamsters, mice, rats and spiders.

  • p.-assisted therapy, p. facilitated therapy — the use of animals in a specific medical program as an adjunct to conventional therapy, especially for seriously ill and recuperating persons and persons with psychological problems. See also animal facilitated therapy.
  • children's p's — those pets which can be properly cared for by children; usually taken to include the common companion pets, dogs, cats and cage birds, and the unusual species such as lizards, tortoises, terrapins, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, gerbils, rabbits, and even snakes and spiders.
  • exotic p's — those other than the conventional dogs, cats, aquarium fish and cage birds.
 
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A tame animal kept for companionship; To fondle.

pronunciation The body is like a companion, a friendly pet that follows one around — David Hawkins, Source: The Eye of the I

 
Pets and humans each often contribute toward the happiness of the other in a pet relationship. Pet owners and their pets are likely to have longer and happier lives.[1]
Pets and humans each often contribute toward the happiness of the other in a pet relationship. Pet owners and their pets are likely to have longer and happier lives.[1]

A pet or companion animal is an animal kept for companionship and enjoyment, as opposed to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful characteristics, for their attractive appearance, or for their song. Pets also generally seem to provide their owners with non-trivial health benefits; keeping pets has been shown to help relieve stress. There is now a medically-approved class of "therapy animals," mostly dogs, who are brought to visit confined humans. Walking a dog can provide both the owner and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and social interaction.

Koko the gorilla is one of few examples of a non-human animal which has had an explicit pet. Using sign language, she requested a cat; her first pet was a kitten named All Ball, to which she was reported to be quite attached and mourned for several days after the cat escaped and was killed by a car.

Domestication

Main article: Domestication

While in theory any animal might be a pet, in practice only a small number of species of mammals (especially dogs and cats) and other small animals, such as birds, fish, or lizards, are practical. One reason for this is that large animals are not able to fit inside small dwellings.

In general, a pet must either be small enough (or easily controlled) for his or her undesirable behavioral tendencies to be negligible, or the animal must be actually domesticable. Examples of the former are such animals as fish (including carnivorous ones such as piranha), chickens, invertebrates or small mammals.

A few animals are sufficiently capable of adapting to human interaction to be considered domesticable. Dogs ("man's best friend") are considered to be a classic example of domesticated animals normally suited to being pets. Domestic dogs are quite similar to wolves, but their physical form and behavior are characteristically different, more than mere differences in size, coat, or coloring. Behaviorally speaking, characteristic changes in dogs due to domestication include a prolonged infancy, increased playfulness, and increased barking. Wolves are far less playful and vocal.

Domestic cats appear to be less changed behaviorally by their association with humans, in comparison; however, they do fit the example of an animal being small enough to control. The same hunting tendencies that make domestic cats useful for control of vermin make its larger, wild relatives too dangerous for domestication. Even small wild felines, such as bobcats or ocelots, can seriously injure or kill a human.[citation needed]

Primates have a wide variety of properties that can lead to being good pets, but most species have certain characteristics that exclude them from being ideal pets. Common chimpanzees — especially males — are not willing to allow humans to "take the lead" when they are adults, and as a result, they make for poor pets.[citation needed] Gorillas, mainly female ones, are rather better in this respect, though considerably larger.[citation needed] Bonobos, being more social than common chimpanzees, may be more suited to being pets when adult, but exhibit overt sexual behavior which is not accepted from pets in most human societies.[citation needed]

Many horses and related animals are suitable for human companionship as pets or work animals, while zebras, otherwise quite similar, are not. Zebras use biting as a means of expressing conflict within the herd, and this behavior seems quite unchangeable.[citation needed] Horses and donkeys, on the other hand, don't have a biting habit quite as deep-seated or dangerous.[citation needed]

Many rodents such as fancy rats, fancy mice, and syrian hamsters are commonly kept as household pets.

Animals such as reptiles are typically considered exotic pets. This may change in the future, as 'exotic' pet ownership is increasing rapidly. Some of these animals, such as green iguanas, large monitor lizard species, and large birds, do not make suitable pets for the average person as they require extensive housing and diet. They can also become quite aggressive if not regularly handled. Exotic mammals are also becoming increasingly more popular as pets. For example, the domesticated hedgehog has been selectively bred to the point where its physical characteristics no longer directly match its wild European and African counterparts.[citation needed]

Many animal species are difficult to handle and cannot be pets for the general populace. Raptors, such as eagles and falcons, must be handled very carefully to avoid attacks on their handlers; the sport of falconry is to a large extent ways of avoiding such outcomes, and so they are not really pets in the sense meant here. Large cats cannot become pets, as they do not reliably restrain their impulses (although cheetahs are an exception and have been kept as pets in the past). Nor do the large bears, for similar reasons. Small monkeys can be human companions, but they are notoriously unable to defer their curiosity which leads to much destruction. Several of the ferret and otter varieties can be human companions. Raccoons also fit this example. They adapt easily to almost any environment, but resist domestication.

A pet can be acquired from an animal shelter, a breeder, and from private transactions, typically due to the giving away of extra newborns after the birth of a litter. See also pet adoption. Because of environmental and public safety concerns, some pets are illegal in many jurisdictions.

Terminology

In veterinary medicine, dogs and cats are often considered "household" pets, while all other animals are grouped into either "farm animals" (such as horses, cows, or sheep) or "exotics" (including pocket pets, birds, and reptiles).[citation needed]

Local restrictions

Many cities and towns have local ordinances limiting the number of pets a person may have, and may also restrict or forbid certain pets (such as fowl or exotics).

The cities of Berkeley, California and Boulder, Colorado have passed laws stating that people who have pets do not "own" them; rather, they are the pet's "guardian."

Condominium associations and rental properties often ban animals because of the smells and noise the animals create.

Pet popularity

The two most popular pets in most Western countries have been cats and dogs. In the United States, census data shows that dogs are slightly more popular based on the number of households, but that the number of pet cats is almost twice as high as dogs.[2] The next most popular pets are birds followed by horses.

Overpopulation


Animal protection advocates call attention to the pet overpopulation "crisis" in the United States. According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the country and many more are confined to cages in shelters. This crisis is created by nonneutered animals (spayed/castrated) reproducing and people intentionally breeding animals. A particularly problematic combination of economic hardship combined with a love of animals contributes to this problem in parts of the rural United States.[3] In an average year, a fertile cat can produce three litters of kittens, with up to 4 to 6 kittens in each litter. Based on these numbers, one female cat and her offspring could produce up to 420,000 cats over a seven year period if not spayed or castrated. There are also major overpopulation problems with other pet species, such as birds and rabbits. Local humane societies, SPCAs, and other animal protection organizations urge people to neuter their pets and to adopt animals from animal shelters instead of purchasing them from breeders or pet stores.

Effects of pets on their caregiver's health

Health benefits

Pets have the ability to stimulate their caregivers, in particular the elderly, giving people someone to take care of, someone to exercise with, and someone to help them heal from a physically or psychologically troubled past.[4] Having a pet may help people achieve health goals, such as lowered blood pressure, or mental goals, such as decreased stress.[5] There appears to be strong evidence that having a pet can help a person lead a longer, healthier life. In a study of 92 people hospitalized for coronary ailments, within a year, 11 of the 29 without pets had passed away, but only 3 of the 52 who had pets.[4]

Pets in long-term care institutions

Even pet owners residing in a long-term care facility, such as a hospice or nursing home, experience health benefits from pets. Pets for nursing homes are chosen based on the size of the pet, the amount of care that the breed needs, and the population and size of the care institution.[4] Appropriate pets go through a screening process and, if it is a dog, additional training programs to become a therapy dog.[6]

Different pets require varying amouns of attention and care; for example, cats are have lower maintenance requirements than dogs.[7] Dogs, on the other hand, tend to be more trainable and people-friendly.

Health risks

Health risks that are associated with pets include:

  • Aggravation of allergies and asthma
  • Injuries (and, rarely) deaths caused by pet's bites
  • Disease or parasites due to animal hygiene problems

Pets and allergies

Some people with allergies can have adverse reactions to animal dander and fur or feathers. Some people with asthma can have attacks triggered by these. However, research supports that people who have been exposed to dogs and cats as pets from an early age may develop an immunoresistance to these allergens.[1]

See also

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References

  1. ^ The Health Benefits of Pets. US Government National Institute of Health.
  2. ^ Household Pet Ownership: 2001. US Census Bureau.
  3. ^ Eckholm, Erik. "For Poor Families, an Added Burden of Too Many Pets", The New York Times, 2007-06-30. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  4. ^ a b c Whiteley, Ellen H.. "The Healing Power of Pets", Saturday Evening Post, pp. 2-102. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.  Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh
  5. ^ Asp, Karen (2005). "Volunteer Pets". Prevention 57 (4): 176-78. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.  Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh
  6. ^ Huculak, Chad. "Super Furry Animals", Sun 4 Oct. 2006, p. W7. . LexisNexis. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh. 5 Nov. 2006.
  7. ^ Bruck, Laura (1996). "Today's Ancillaries, Part 2: Art, music and pet therapy". Nursing Homes: Long Term Care Management 45 (7): 36. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.  Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh.

 
Translations: Translations for: Pet

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - kæledyr
adj. - kæle-, yndlings-
v. tr. - kærtegne, forkæle
v. intr. - kæle

idioms:

  • pet name    kælenavn

2.
n. - anfald af dårligt humør
v. intr. - få et anfald af dårligt humør

Nederlands (Dutch)
huisdier, lieveling, verwend kind, slecht humeur, vrijen, vertroetelen, strelen, gepikeerd raken, als huisdier gehouden/ behandeld, favoriet, bestemd voor huisdieren

Français (French)
1.
n. - animal de compagnie, chouchou, chou (fam)
adj. - favori
v. tr. - chouchouter, caresser (un animal)
v. intr. - échanger des caresses, se peloter

idioms:

  • pet name    petit nom

2.
n. - crise de colère, crise
v. intr. - piquer une crise

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Liebling, Schatz, Haustier
adj. - Haustier-, Lieblings-
v. - verhätscheln, liebkosen, streicheln

idioms:

  • pet name    Kosename

2.
n. - Verdruß, schlechte Laune
v. - verhätscheln, liebkosen, streicheln

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - χαϊδεύω, χαϊδολογώ
n. - ζώο συντροφιάς, ζώο του σπιτιού, κατοικίδιο ζώο, κανακάρης, χαϊδεμένος πρόσωπο, "συμπάθεια", ευνοούμενος
adj. - προσφιλής, αγαπητός, χαϊδεμένος
abbr. - τομογραφία

idioms:

  • pet name    χαϊδευτικό όνομα

Italiano (Italian)
vezzeggiare, coccolare, cocco, prediletto, animale domestico, cucciolo, favorito

idioms:

  • pet name    nomignolo, vezzeggiativo

Português (Portuguese)
v. - acariciar, mimar
n. - animal de estimação (m), favorito (m)
adj. - favorito, mimado, de estimação
abbr. - petróleo

idioms:

  • pet name    apelido carinhoso

Русский (Russian)
баловать, ласкать, любимчик, лапочка, домашнее животное, излюбленный

idioms:

  • pet name    уменьшительное имя

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - animal doméstico, mascota
adj. - querido, preferido, favorito, predilecto, mimado
v. tr. - mimar, acariciar
v. intr. - besuquearse, magrearse, sobarse

idioms:

  • pet name    nombre cariñoso

2.
n. - enojo, despecho, berrinche
v. intr. - enojarse

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - kela, smeka, hångla, skämma bort, vara på dåligt humör
n. - sällskapsdjur, kelgris, favorit
adj. - älsklings-, sällskaps-
abbr. - petroleum

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
1. 供玩赏的动物, 宠物, 宝贝, 宠儿, 作为玩赏动物豢养的, 表示亲昵的, 宠物的, 得意的, 把...当作宠儿, 抚弄, 爱抚, 钟爱, 宠爱, 抚摸调情

idioms:

  • pet name    昵称, 爱称

2. 愠怒, 不开心, 生气

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 慍怒, 不開心
v. intr. - 生氣, 不開心

2.
n. - 供玩賞的動物, 寵物, 寶貝, 寵兒
adj. - 作為玩賞動物豢養的, 表示親昵的, 寵物的, 得意的
v. tr. - 把...當作寵兒, 撫弄, 愛撫, 鍾愛, 寵愛
v. intr. - 撫摸調情

idioms:

  • pet name    昵稱, 愛稱

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 애완동물, 귀염둥이
adj. - 총애하는, 귀여워하며 기르는
v. tr. - 귀여워하다, 애무하다
v. intr. - 응석부리게 하다

2.
n. - 심술 남, 약이 잔뜩 오름
v. intr. - 앵돌아지다, 심술 부리다, 뿌루퉁해지다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ペット, お気に入りのもの, 不機嫌
v. - 可愛がる, 愛撫する, ペッティングをする
adj. - 愛玩用の, お気に入りの, いつも抱いている

idioms:

  • pet name    愛称

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يدلل, يداعب, يلاطف (الاسم) حيوان أليف يربى بالمنزل, طفل مدلل (صفه) أليف, محبوب, مدلل (اختصار) إختصار لكلمه : بتروليوم Petroleum‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חיית מחמד, חיית שעשועים‬
adj. - ‮הכי אהוב, אהוב, חביב, מפונק, הכי שנוא‬
v. tr. - ‮ליטף, פינק, נישק‬
v. intr. - ‮התגפף‬
n. - ‮התקף-כעס‬
v. intr. - ‮זעף, זעם‬


 
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American Sign Language
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Photography Encyclopedia. The Oxford Companion to the Photograph. Copyright © 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
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