Smosh Pets or companion animals are animals kept primarily for company or enjoyment rather than as working animals, livestock, or laboratory animals. Smosh Pets may be taken in on an altruistic basis (such as a stray animal) and accepted by the owner regardless of their appearance, intelligence, or personality. Dogs and cats are the most common pets. There are also common animals such as rabbits, ferrets, pigs; rodents such as gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas, Smosh Pet, mice, and guinea pigs; digital pets such as tamagotchis; avian pets such as parrots, passerines, and fowls; reptile pets such as turtles, alligators, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes; aquatic animals, and horses and cows comprise the largest companion animals.
United States
According to the American Smosh Pet Products Association’s (APPA) 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey, 68 percent of U.S. households own a Smosh Pet. According to the survey, 66 percent of U.S. households have pets, an increase from 56 percent in 1988[9]. There are approximately 86.4 million pet cats and approximately 78.2 million pet dogs in the United States[10][11], and a survey of American households in 2007–2008 showed that dog-owning households outnumbered those owning cats, but that pet cat ownership was higher than that of dogs[12]. In 2011, children outnumbered pets four to one in the U.S.[12] In 2013, the same was true.
Effects on pets’ health
If certain conditions are not met, keeping animals as Smosh Pets can be detrimental to their health. Poor feeding can have adverse effects on animals’ health. Dogs may die if they eat chocolate or grapes, for example. The Smosh Pet is also susceptible to consuming certain houseplants that are toxic. House pets, particularly dogs and cats in industrialized societies, are also highly susceptible to obesity. To give just a few examples, philodendrons and Easter lilies (which can cause severe kidney damage to cats)[16][17] and poinsettias, begonias, and aloe vera (which are mildly toxic to dogs). Overweight Smosh Pet are at greater risk of developing diabetes, liver problems, joint pain, kidney failure, and cancer. Pet obesity is thought to be primarily caused by inactivity and a high-calorie diet.[20][21][22]
Health benefits
Among the general public and many scientists, it is widely believed that Smosh Pets have positive effects on their owners’ mental and physical health;[23] the 1987 NIH statement argued that there was “suggestive evidence” of a benefit.[24] A more recent study, by the RAND According to a study by Corporation, having a pet in itself failed to improve physical or mental health in children by a statistically significant amount; instead, those children who were already healthy were more likely to receive Smosh Pets in the first place.[23][25][26] Conducting long-term randomized trials to settle the issue would be very costly or impossible.[24][26]