拥有一只宠物的9种优势

 　　Everyone is in search for friendship all through their lives and the best form of companionship comes in the form of animals, that is, pets. Cats and dogs are the most preferred of the lot. However, nowadays people have birds and other animals as their pets too.

　　If you have pets, you must have realized by now that they become an indispensable part of your lives and you treasure every moment spent with them. But if you don’t own one, then this article will give you enough reasons to do the same.

　　1. Are great companions

　　As said earlier, a pet can give you utmost companionship at all times. Your pet, though silent, takes you to another level of friendship. Its just being there seems enough for you. For someone who lives alone, pets can be a solace¹. Children and old people who are often alone at home can have a good time with their pets.

　　2. Keep you active

　　Whether you are jogging or going for a stroll in the park, your pet can always keep you company. If you like to work out, you can take them running with you. Simply put, your pet will help you in being active.

　　3. Help build character

　　A pet needs to be taken care of. It needs to be bathed, groomed², fed and there are other such responsibilities that you need to look after. All this will help you in character building, as you will not only learn to do these lovely things for your pets, but in the long run also learn to take up responsibilities on your own. Children can be taught discipline, responsibilities and organizational skills by handling pets.

　　4. Teach you patience

　　Handling all these responsibilities also makes adults and old people cultivate patience. Bathing your pet, grooming³ it, feeding it, all require lots of patience. Thus, having a pet makes you responsible as well as a calm and patient person.

　　5. Improve health

　　For old people, having a pet is a relief as sometimes they pour their hearts out to these silent souls. Pets can help to relieve the boredom⁴, loneliness and stress that is common among aged⁵ people and be wonderful companions. Pets reduce the chances of old people going into depression. They even help to improve their health if they are going through any emotional trauma⁶.

　　6. Help in making friends

　　Owning a pet makes you do activities such as taking it to the vet⁷, going for a walk, etc. Thus, you get to meet other pet owners and end up asking queries⁸ to each other about your pets. In this way, you make acquaintances who then gradually become your friends.

　　7. Improve family bonds

　　A pet can quickly and easily become a member of the family and when tensions rise, pets, especially dogs, are known to intervene. Thus, they also can be great stress busters in stressful situations.

　　8. Improve your mood

　　Whether you are sulking or unhappy, your pet will always make you happy. If your bird sweetly chirps⁹ at you or your cat rubs its paws against your hands as you enter home, won’t it instantly cheer you up?

　　9. Pets for the disabled and aged

　　For old and disabled people, pets are great companions as well as modes to relax their tension. For the aged, pets can provide them company and play with them. For the disabled, pets cultivate a sense of self-esteem in them.

　　So if you were still unsure about keeping a pet, this article should surely have helped you to think otherwise.

1 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

2 groomed   

v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗

参考例句：

• She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。
• Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练，准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

4 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

5 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

6 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

7 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

8 queries   

n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问

参考例句：

• Our assistants will be happy to answer your queries. 我们的助理很乐意回答诸位的问题。
• Her queries were rhetorical,and best ignored. 她的质问只不过是说说而已，最好不予理睬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 chirps   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的第三人称单数 )； 啾； 啾啾

参考例句：

• The linnet chirps her vernal song. 红雀吱喳鸣叫着她春天的歌。
• She heard nothing but the chirps and whirrs of insects. 除了虫的鸣叫声外，她什么也没听见。