As of 2023/2024, close to 146 million people in the US alone shared their home with a pet, Statista reports. Out of them, the majority (as many as 65 million) lived with a—you guessed it—dog.

The second most popular pet is probably not that difficult to guess, either, as cats have long been people’s second favored animal to share a home with. Other popular choices, according to Statista, are freshwater fish, birds, reptiles, and horses.

Talking about life with pets in an interview with Bored Panda, animal behavior expert Zazie Todd noted that even though pets are believed to be a positive influence on people, this coin, too, has two sides. “In general we have a societal belief that having pets is good for our well-being, but actually the evidence on this is mixed,” she said.

“There are some ways that pets can be good for us. For example, they provide companionship, they keep us entertained, they can help us make friends, and especially in the case of dogs, they can help us get more exercise. But at the same time, sometimes having a pet can be hard. When a pet has a serious health or behaviour issue, pet guardians can experience something we call caregiver burden, because caring for a pet can be quite difficult (and expensive) at times. So our individual relationship with our pet is very important.”

With so many pets living alongside humans, we tend to forget that most were once wild animals. Yes, that lazy orange blob on your couch was once a fierce wild cat, and that dog that’s been sighing hard sleeping in your bed is a distant relative of a wolf.

According to Todd, in the process of domestication, many animals have come to rely on humans to fulfill their basic needs, though it depends, to some extent, on the species and the individual animal. “For example, most cats could probably catch their own food if they needed to, as they still have those abilities, but some pedigrees in particular would struggle to find food. Some types of cats (Persian cats, for example) also need us to take care of their coats and wipe their faces to prevent infection.

“Quite a few dogs could probably manage to catch or find food if they had to, but some would really struggle; and again, there are some breeds that are very dependent on us for grooming, such as Poodles or Shih Tzus,” the expert noted, adding that some other domesticated species, like chickens, for example, would probably do okay without us.

Since most animals were domesticated a long time ago, they’ve been by people’s sides for hundreds—in some cases, thousands—of years. But the way we interact with them has changed immensely during that time.

Take the last hundred years, for instance; you can find pictures from the 1920s on this list that show the loving relationship between a pet and its human. But since then, animals have seemingly become even more treasured, and are now usually considered family members rather than just pets.

“Perhaps the biggest change is that these days almost everyone thinks of their pets as family members,” Zazie Todd told Bored Panda. “Along with that, pet dogs and cats are more likely to spend time indoors with us, whereas in the past they would often be allowed to roam. A hundred years ago, cats were prized for their abilities to catch vermin, but these days we don’t have much need for that, so they are more likely to be pets and no longer have a job.”

“In addition to that, we’ve learned a lot more about pets during this time,” the animal behavior expert continued, pointing out what else changed in human-pet relationships over the last century. “We know that they are sentient beings and that they are very intelligent. Instead of expecting pets to do as we tell them, these days good pet guardians know that their pet has needs that we need to meet for good welfare (such as a need for exercise and enrichment).”

Another expert of animal behavior, Alice Chau-Ginguene, who is currently on tour with SeedTalks presenting The Psychology of Cats, seconded the idea that people-pet relationships have changed quite noticeably over time.

“Over the last hundred years, people’s relationship with pets, particularly cats, has evolved significantly. The Second World War marked a turning point, introducing commercial cat food, advances in veterinary medicine that enabled routine neutering, and the invention of cat litter, allowing cats to live indoors full-time.

“These innovations transformed cats from outdoor hunters and companions into fully integrated indoor pets. However, this rapid shift, occurring in just 80 years, has outpaced their natural evolution, contributing to some behavioral challenges as cats adapt to modern urban lifestyles,” the expert added.

Expanding on the pets’ needs that people should be attentive to, Zazie Todd emphasized that pets have important welfare needs that don’t just include food and water and good health, but also opportunities to engage in species-typical behaviors. “For example, they need exercise and enrichment. For dogs, that might include regular walks, whereas for cats, it could be daily play with a wand toy.

“It’s a good idea for pet guardians to learn as much as they can about their pet’s behavior,” the expert added. “The more you understand what your pet needs, the more you can do to make them happy.”

According to Alice Chau-Ginguene, cats experience the world very differently than we do, so it’s important to cater to their natural behavioral needs. Some of the ways to do that are “a) providing safe hiding spots, vertical spaces, and areas where they can observe comfortably, b) keeping resources like food and litter trays separate to reduce stress, especially in multi-cat households, c) engaging their hunting instincts with interactive play, puzzle feeders, and activities like nose work, d) avoiding strong scents or air fresheners that might overwhelm their sensitive noses, e) training them, including clicker or cooperative care, which can build trust, ease vet visits, and enrich their lives.

“Recent studies show that cats prefer human interactions over food and toys. This must mean something,” the expert added. “This must mean they enjoy this friendship as much as we do.”