For 9 out of 10 Italians, the pet is an integral part of the family and a source of physical and psychological well-being. Anyone who has an animal at home is not surprised at all, and the confirmation comes from a recent survey (Federchimica Aisa with Swg) which investigated the nature of the relationship between Italians and pets. But why are we so attached to them? Did the lockdown increase interest in pets? We asked the ethologist Roberto Marchesini, one of the world‘s leading exponents of Zooanthropology, a discipline that studies the human-animal relationship from a non-anthropocentric perspective.
The Search: Favorite Companion Dogs
According to the latest Assalco-Zoomark data, there are over 60 million pets in our country and the recent Aisa-Swg survey confirms that 1 in 2 Italians own one. The dog is the most loved companion animal, chosen by as many as 62% of the interviewees while 55% opted for a cat and 27% decided to buy fish, birds, rodents and exotic animals such as snakes and iguanas. Lockdown effect? Not entirely because 51% of current owners claim to have adopted or purchased their pet before 2016. Why so much popularity for animals? According to the results of the Federchimica Aisa survey, company research is the reason that most drives people to adopt or buy: it is for 67% of respondents, a percentage that rises to 73% if we consider people without children.
Wellness and health dispensers
For 90% of the interviewees, living with a pet is an important contribution to psychological health and a support for the development of children. It was even more so in the Covid-19 period, in which more than 80% of dog and cat owners said they were comforted by their presence. Not only that: animals are also considered an aid to strengthen the immune system. In fact, while 49% of those who have never had an animal are convinced that living with a pet puts them at greater risk of contracting infections, more than 87% of those who own one are convinced that this coexistence contributes to strengthening the immune system. and to improve physical health.
Where does this human need to surround himself with animals come from, not only the classic dogs and cats but even exotic ones or rodents? “The human being – replies the ethologist Marchesini – has always had a very close relationship with animals, think for example of all the societies that were born after the Neolithic, those of breeders and farmers. Think of Italy in the 30s and 40s, a rural country where the vast majority of people spent a lot of time looking after animals to get some benefits, for example, sheep for wool and cows for milk “.
The mononuclear family and the relationship with animals
In these societies of the past, children from an early age lived among rabbits, chickens, horses. “It was a life in which a large part of the activities and the relational dimension was linked to the relationship with animals”, continues the ethologist. “The characteristic that was created in the urban society of the second half of the twentieth century and of this period is due to the fact that people coexist very closely with some animals in their homes because starting from the 1960s the mononuclear family, the apartment, and therefore another type of context, different from the very extended rural family ”.
Bat-man or Spider-man, superheroes are animals too
However, human beings are born with a strong desire to relate to animals, starting with children. “Animals – underlines Marchesini – appear in comics, fairy tales, toys and as teenagers, superheroes again have animal characteristics such as Batman or Spider-Man. All this makes us understand that the human being is fascinated by the animal world and therefore perhaps in this period there is simply a greater interest in the affective aspect, perhaps we are looking for something in animals that we do not have and that we lack “.
How to choose your pet
From the Aisa-Swg survey it emerges that 87% of Italians recognize pets a helping role, not only to combat loneliness, but also to increase their psychophysical well-being. But to also preserve their health, what should we consider when choosing a pet? “The most important thing – explains Marchesini – is the knowledge of the needs of a specific animal. People often get caught up in the enthusiasm of adoption, but then they find themselves faced with difficulties that they had not taken into account “.
The veterinarian’s advice
The dog, for example, is an animal that requires a very strong presence, it cannot be left alone, it does not manage itself. On the contrary, the cat requires a home that is in line with its desire to explore, to privacy, to interact with everything that moves. “It is an extremely curious animal and would need a ‘house-theater’, in which unexpected things happen because the cat is a predator and hungry for novelty”, continues the ethologist. The most important thing, therefore, is to make an informed adoptive choice by asking a veterinarian or a dog trainer for advice to find out what the animal’s needs are. Same evaluations also in the choice of the breed. “Once the needs of the animal are clear – adds Marchesini – we must then deal with our availability, in a very honest way. To live a relationship well, it is necessary to fulfill certain needs of the other ”.
The identikit of the ideal master
From the Aisa-Swg survey it emerges that dogs and cats are among the most common animals among the 60 million present in Italian homes, what is the “perfect identikit” of the owner of a dog and the owner of a cat? “The cat loves thoughtful and discreet people, who don’t make too much noise and who are always intent and concentrated in some manual work”, replies Marchesini. “The cat, in fact, loves to see us move our hands, is intrigued by what we do; when we cook, for example, he may look at us not because he is necessarily interested in food but because he is genuinely intrigued by our business. The dog, on the other hand, needs an active person, who wants to go out, to play together, to walk; the owner of a dog must be ready to take on the role of guide and leader, it is a very important aspect that reassures the animal “.
Animals are not stuffed animals
It will have happened to everyone to meet dogs fully dressed with lots of accessories or cats with deluxe litter boxes. Do you sometimes overdo it? “Some people – clarifies the ethologist – forget that every living being has the fundamental need to express its nature, therefore a dog and a cat must have the opportunity to express it. Often, however, people would like to transform the dog into a child or the cat into a soft toy and the animals suffer without being able to react ”. In short, in these cases the animals become like masks whose authenticity is taken away.
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