Why do pet owners do what they do? Well the folks in the business of marketing and consumer research are interested in that too. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research organizes reasons for pet ownership into six categories. Of course these can overlap.
1) The most common reason for pet ownership is the perception and enjoyment of having pets as companions, friends, or members of the family.
2) Less commonly, people will keep pets as pieces of equipment. These animals serve a function, such as protecting, herding, or hunting.
3) Another type of person might have pets as avocations - exhibiting or showing them.
4) Certain humans have pets or other animals as status symbols.
5) Some simply have pets as ornaments. These animals are kept specifically for their aesthetic value.
6) There are even those who consider pets or other animals to be objects in their environment that function as extensions of themselves. This relationship may be a subconscious one.
Most of us probably relate to or admit being primarily in the first category - our pets are family.
Thru an analysis of essays and photographs provided by pet owners, other research published in the Academy of Marketing Science Review concluded that pet ownership provides the following opportunities:
