In my opinion, this is especially true of reptiles. I make a personal distinction between keeping a companion animal, such as a dog, and keeping reptiles, such as lizards. Dogs are social mammals to start with, but have been selectively bred for many thousands of years to be companion animals. read more
Pets open a window to a world separated by countless miles and millions of years of evolution, and so, even if the animal does not "give back” in terms of affection, or usefulness, people keep them. read more