Over 25 million pets live in Italy. But increasingly close coexistence with humans is changing the behavior, brain and body of our pets. Ethologist Chiara Grasso explains which common mistakes risk compromising well-being.
In Italy there are more and more pets: according to the latest Istat data, almost one in two families lives with at least one animal. We are talking about more than 25 million animals that have now become an integral part of our lives, in a coexistence that is becoming increasingly closer but also increasingly complex.
The weekly episode of. starts from here Prisma, the why of things, available on Spotify, YouTube and all streaming platforms, where Chiara Grasso, ethologist and animal welfare expert, explains the foundations of co-evolution between man and animal and the news on the changes resulting from domestication that science continues to record on our pets.
Not just company: the co-evolution between humans and animals is still ongoing
For a dog, a cat, a canary, a hamster, living with a human companion often means adapting to times, expectations and environments that may not coincide with their needs. The question thus becomes more and more inevitable: what happens when the relationship between humans and animals intensifies so much? And above all, How are we changing our animals, often without realizing it?
Dog in purse, too many cats in the house: because love is not enough
Carrying a dog in your handbag, letting ten cats live together, hugging a rabbit, filling their days with stimuli or, on the contrary, protecting them from any frustration: these are common behaviors but not neutral from a biological point of view.
Chiara Grasso explains how research on animal behavior and well-being continues to show how some choices can alter the motor activity and cognitive responses of the animals we love, with measurable effects on long-term health. The same goes for a central theme like the longevity: to what extent does prolonging the lives of our animals correspond to a measurable benefit and at what cost to the quality of the animal’s existence?
