PET OWNERSHIP AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PETS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Pet ownership and the importance of one's pet were examined in a commu nity-based, multi-ethnic sample of adolescents, age 12 to 17 years. Ha lf of the adolescents lived in households with pets where ownership wa s more common among Whites, teens living in detached single family hom es, and among teens in households with annual incomes above $40,000. R atings of importance of one's pet varied as a function of racial/ethni c group and income. Additionally, the absence of siblings in the house hold, having sole responsibility for one's pet, and owning a cat or do g were associated with higher levels of pet importance. The considerab le variability as a function of race/ethnicity in the likelihood of ow ning a pet, and the nature of the adolescent's relationship to his/her pet, indicates that future research would benefit by utilizing divers e samples and by attempting to determine why the role of pets in the f amily is a culturally bound phenomenon.