Happy National Pet Day! It’s believed that humans started domesticating dogs more than 30,000 years ago. That’s 10-20,000 years before cats waltzed into the lives of humans and domesticated themselves. It’s also thousands of years before horses and ruminants (sheep, cattle, goats, etc) were put to use by enterprising homo sapiens. So basically, we’ve been keeping pets for a very, very long time. 

While pets have been found in tombs – both mummified and not – it feels as though our animals are being put on a higher pedestal than ever. Think of all the cats, dogs, and other pets who have been immortalized by their own personal social media accounts, or through memes. Keyboard cat, grumpy cat, the list goes on. There are even ways to put your animal to work by creating cute animal content that advertisers can then use on their own platforms. 

The financial opportunities of pet ownership might be appealing to many people in the age of TikTok and reels, but pets are good for us in so many other ways. They care for us, make us more responsible people. They provide us with companionship, decrease our cortisol levels, and help soothe depression and anxiety. If you own an active critter, they can help you stay active. Plus, they’re usually cute as hell. So for National Pet Day, we’re bringing you some memes that will be relatable for many pet owners. Give your buddies some extra treats for us today, okay?