A pet is an animal kept for companionship and enjoyment or a household animal, 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 to those who like having animals around. There is now a medically-approved class of "therapy animals," mostly dogs, that are brought to visit confined humans. Walking a dog can provide both the owner and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and social interaction.
Choice of a pet
The average cost of a dog over its lifetime is estimated at about £20,000. The most common reasons for not owning a pet are lack of time, lack of suitable housing, and lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling. On the positive side, people most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property, or because of the beauty of the animals.
According to a 2007-2008 Pet Owners Survey
Animal  | Number of U.S. households that own a pet (millions) | Total number of pets owned in the U.S. (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Bird | 6.4 | 16.0 |
| Cat | 38.4 | 88.3 |
| Dog | 44.8 | 74.8 |
| Equine | 4.3 | 13.8 |
| Freshwater fish | 14.2 | 142.0 |
| Saltwater fish | 0.8 | 9.6 |
| Reptile | 4.8 | 13.4 |
| Small animal | 6.0 | 24.3 |
In Canada the latest survey done by Colin Siren of Ipsos Reid it is estimated that there are 7.9 million cats and 5.9 million dogs in Canada. The survey also shows that 35% of Canadian households have a dog, while 38% have a cat, which is consistent with other surveys conducted around the world.
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