The history of keeping pets

Pets like cats and dogs have lived with people for thousands of years. But do you know what animals people have kept as pets over the years? Let’s read and find out!

2000 BCE-500 CE  Some ancient Egyptians had unusual pets like crocodiles and elephants, but cats and dogs were the most popular. People even believed that cats had magical powers and could bring good luck.

500-1500  In the Middle Ages, pets were often a symbol of wealth and power. It was common for European kings and queens to have pets. Sometimes, these animals even had their own servants! It became popular for noble ladies to have lapdogs, and noblemen had hunting dogs. However, common people did not generally keep pets for fun. At about the same time in Japan, people caught fireflies and kept them as pets.

1700-1900  People kept all kinds of pets in their homes, such as birds, frogs and even snakes, but cats generally stayed outside the house. This began to change towards the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, cats became very common house pets.

1920s  During World War I, an American soldier named Lee Duncan found a dog in France. He named him Rin Tin Tin and began teaching him tricks. After the war, Duncan took the dog back to America and entered him in dog shows. One day, the clever dog caught the eye of a film-maker. Rin Tin Tin went on to star in nearly 30 films and became one of the most famous dogs in history! Duncan was full of pride for his clever dog and wrote a poem about him after he died.

Today  Cats and dogs are among the most popular pets, and hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles and goldfish are also common. Over the years, the relationship between people and pets has grown closer. Across the world, pets are nowadays treated like family members.