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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The wrong question

People spend billions annually on their pets—feeding, grooming, even clothing their animals. They play with them, sleep with them, approve surgery for them and mourn for them, much as they would for people.

But does owning a pet make people healthier? Popular assumptions notwithstanding, science is still out on that question. - Washington Post, January 16, 2007
I'm tempted to say that the right question is "who cares?", but shouldn't researchers really be looking for the answers to two distinct questions:
  • Would those without pets become healthier if they got a pet?

  • Would those with pet(s) become healthier if they got rid of their pet(s)?
My guess is that the answer to both questions is no. Personal pet equations do not all balance the same way. Some people can't imagine coming home to an empty house—there would be no pal there to greet and unconditionally love them. Others can't imagine coming home to a pet—there would be a needy, smelly animal wanting something, needing to go out, etc.


posted at 5:55 PM

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