Page 124 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2026

Growing up, most folks we knew had a pet or two. Mostly dogs and cats but there was an occasional goldfish, bunny rabbit, or guinea pig. Princess, Buttercup, Marbles, and all the others were part of the family and part of the neighborhood. Everyone knew whose dog would occasionally turn over the trash can and whose cat had torn up a new piece of furniture. Wayward pets were gossiped about just as much as the misbehaving kids on the street.
Pets and kids just belong together, like peanut butter and jelly or cream and sugar. Pets are more than a cute photograph
to share online. They play a pivotal role in a family, teaching children responsibility, encouraging compassion towards others, and supporting physical growth and development through exercise and outside play. They reduce loneliness
and bring out nurturing qualities in our children. Pets are non-judgmental friends that can be trusted with secrets and
inner thoughts. Pets are protective of their people too. They depend on us for everything. When children take care of pets, they gain self-confidence, learn empathy, and become more emotionally mature. Kids and animals need one another.
But pets do not come perfectly trained and ready to take their place in the family. It takes time to teach your new pet how you expect them to behave and for them to respect boundaries. There are more pets in the United States
than there are people. Seventy-one percent of American households have at least one pet and over half of those are dogs with the next largest group being cats. If your dog or cat is an outside pet, great, things are a little simpler. Shelter, fencing, and a constant source of food and water may cover the necessities. But if your pet will be an inside dweller,
they will need to develop habits consistent with how your household functions.
124 | April 2026
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage
HOME