Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I think being very close to a pet can be both a positive and a negative thing. Health professionals have concluded that having a pet is very healthy for everyone. People who have heart disease or similar health problems are often urged to get a pet because it can lower your blood pressure. However, some people get anxious about their pets. If you always worry about the pet getting lost or not getting the right food to eat, then that isn’t healthy for you.

Many pets are very loving and it’s easy to love them back. Some people, though, go overboard. They treat their pets like one of the family. Sometimes they even set a place for them at the table or give them their own rooms in the house. They treat them as if they were children. Some pets are, in fact, substitutes for children. People need to keep their perspective about their pets. Dressing a pet up in clothes like a child is not emotionally healthy. Pets are animals and get confused if you expect them to act like human beings.

There are now stores devoted entirely to pets. They sell pet food, pet toys, pet clothes, pet homes. Pets should be given appropriate food, and they should have a few toys, since they need some enjoyment just like humans do. However, some pet owners spend hundreds of dollars on supplies for their pets. There are children in the world who don’t have clothes or food or toys. It would be better to give some of that money to charity.

Feeling close to your pet can be very satisfying and healthy, as long as you don’t overdo it.