The Social Norms of Pet Ownership: What Makes a Good Pet Owner?

Abstract

The research presented in this study investigates the status common household pets have in the home and the regulations society has naturally assigned to pet owners. The primary topics this research paper focuses on are: Pets and financial responsibility, pets being treated like family members and pets’ health and wellbeing. The purpose of this study is to find an answer to what truly makes a good pet owner since pets have become a much more common element of basic families. This research utilizes the responses of 358 survey participants to assess the importance of pets in the home while analyzing the extent of preparedness people feel it is necessary to have to own a pet. The research showed that more than half of the respondents felt that not everyone had the ability to be a good pet owner, while exemplifying that being a good pet owner is situational and predominantly depends on each pet’s individual needs.