Pets | Companion Animals
Pets are a group of animals kept primarily for companionship, that live in a place of residence with an owner or guardian. Goats and sheep were the first domesticated animals, but cats were the first to be kept as pets around 7000 B.C. Pets are distinguishable from work animals, livestock, and laboratory animals because their primary purpose is to provide companionship or entertainment to their owner. However, though different from work animals, pets can also be therapy animals, providing elderly or ill humans with emotional benefits and support. A wide variety of animals can be pets, the most common being dogs and cats, but rabbits, ferrets, rodents, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and arthropods are all kept as pets, as well.
There are a variety of animals that make a good first pet. Animals that make a good first pet include dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Other animals that make good first pets are lizards, hamsters, fish, rats, birds, and snakes. Tortoises and sea monkeys also make good first pets.
Pets that are typically low maintenance include betta fish, pugs, rabbits, and turtles. Other pets that are low maintenance are hermit crabs, guinea pigs, hamsters, and butterflies. Pets that are low maintenance typically do not require much grooming, attention, and sometimes are even cheaper than other pets.
Some of the weirdest pets include ocelots, fennec foxes, sugar gliders, chinchillas, pogonas, and hyacinth macaws. Weird pets are typically more expensive to take care of. Although they may be considered weird it is possible to create a strong relationship with these pets just as much as with conventional pets.