Americans love pets. And its not just puppy love， either. Many pet owners treat their furry friends as part of the family. Sometimes they spice up their pets lives with entertaining videos and amusing toys. If they have an eye for fashion， pet owners can dress their pets in stylish clothes. For special occasions， they can use canine perfume to make their dogs smell， well， less beastly. You might say Americans treat their pets like they treat their children—sometimes even better.

In America， there are more households with pets than those with children. At least 43 percent of US homes have pets of some sort. Exotic creatures， such as monkeys， snakes and even wolves， find a home with some Americans. More common pets include tropical fish， mice and birds. But the all-time favorites are cats and dogs. Americans sometimes have strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. “Dog people” and “cat people” often enjoy friendly rivalries.

Leading a dogs life in America isnt such a bad thing. Many grocery stores sell gourmet pet foods to owners eager to please their pets. In Houston， Texas， dogs can have their dinner delivered to their homes， just like pizza. Well-to-do canines can attend doggy daycare centers while their owners work. Pets can even accompany their owners on vacation. Fancy hotels are beginning to accommodate both man and beast. Furry guests at Four Seasons Hotels can enjoy gourmet meals served on fine china and sleep in soft beds.

The average American enjoys having pets around， and for good reason. Researchers have discovered that interacting with animals lowers a persons blood pressure. Dogs can offer protection from burglars and unwelcome visitors. Cats can help rid the home of unwanted pests. Little creatures of all shapes and sizes can provide companionship and love. In many cases， having a pet prepares a young couple for the responsibilities of parenthood. Pets even encourage social relationships： They give their owners an appearance of friendliness， and they provide a good topic of conversation.

Pets are as basic to American culture as hot dogs or apple pie. To Americans， pets are not just property， but a part of the family. After all， pets are people， too.

美國(guó)人很愛(ài)寵物，而且還不是一時(shí)的激情。很多寵物的主人把這些毛茸茸的朋友當(dāng)作家庭的一員，有時(shí)候還為它們準(zhǔn)備有趣的錄像帶和玩具讓它們過(guò)得有滋有味。如果主人時(shí)髦的話，他們還會(huì)給自己的寵物穿上時(shí)髦的衣服。在一些特殊場(chǎng)合，他們甚至為狗噴上專用香水，這樣它們聞起來(lái)就香噴噴的，香水減少了一些動(dòng)物身上的味道?？梢赃@樣說(shuō)，美國(guó)人待他們的寵物如同待自己的孩子——有時(shí)有過(guò)之而無(wú)不及。

在美國(guó)，有寵物的家庭比有孩子的家庭還多。至少43%的美國(guó)家庭養(yǎng)有不同種類的寵物，有些還飼養(yǎng)外來(lái)品種，例如猴子、蛇甚至狼;更常見(jiàn)的寵物有熱帶魚(yú)、老鼠和鳥(niǎo)。不過(guò)，貓和狗一直是最有人氣的。最好的寵物到底是貓還是狗？美國(guó)人有時(shí)候被這個(gè)問(wèn)題弄得牽腸掛肚的?！皭?ài)狗的人”和“愛(ài)貓的人”也經(jīng)常喜歡彼此調(diào)侃一番。

在美國(guó)，狗過(guò)的日子還是不錯(cuò)的。寵物美食在很多雜貨店都有售，心情迫切的主人可以借此討好他們的寵物。在德克薩斯州的休斯敦，狗狗還能享受送上門(mén)的晚餐，就跟比薩餅一樣。富人家的狗在主人上班的時(shí)候可以去狗狗托管中心。寵物甚至可以和主人一同度假。一些別出心裁的飯店已經(jīng)開(kāi)始同時(shí)留宿人和寵物。這些毛茸茸的客人在四季飯店可以盡情享受盛在精致瓷器里的美食，并在柔軟的床上睡覺(jué)。

普通美國(guó)人喜歡養(yǎng)寵物，且有充分的理由。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，與動(dòng)物為伴能夠降低人的血壓。狗能保護(hù)主人免受竊賊的侵犯，并能將不受歡迎的訪客拒之門(mén)外。貓能幫忙清除家里討人厭的害蟲(chóng)。任何形狀及大小的寵物都能給人們帶來(lái)友情與愛(ài)。很多時(shí)候，擁有一只寵物能幫助年輕夫妻培養(yǎng)為人父母的責(zé)任。寵物甚至有助于改善人際關(guān)系：它們使主人看起來(lái)更友善，并且也帶給人們一個(gè)交談的好話題。

寵物是美國(guó)文化中很基本的一部分，就如熱狗和蘋(píng)果派一樣。對(duì)美國(guó)人而言，寵物不僅僅是私人財(cái)產(chǎn)，而且還是家庭的一部分。畢竟，寵物也是“人”??！