The Last Meew Research Paper

“Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats” (Pet Statistics). Many animals are rescued and taken to shelters all around the United States. These shelters provide all the resources and take care of the animals until they are well or adopted. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, is a non-profitable organization that is dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. You should donate money to the ASPCA or even adopt a pet if able to because it provides money to the animals to give them the necessities they need, it supports the animals that have been poorly treated, and it helps get animals out of poor

In an article “The Last Meow” published in The New Yorker in 2003 the author Burkhard Bilger states “Americans now spend $19 billion a year on veterinary care for their pets, up from $11 billion just seven years ago. Add to that the cost of pet food and other supplies, and the number rises to $47 billion, nearly three times as much as the federal government spends on welfare grants” (Bilger, part 7, paragraph 48) Bilger claims “clearly our love affair with animals has gotten out of control”(Bilger, part 8, paragraph 49). It is a sad state of affairs that Americans spend 15 billion on welfare in this country, and some squabble over money spent on helpless loving animals owned by hard working loving Americans.. America is the land of opportunity

In the story “The Last Meow” it talks about a cat that is very ill and could barely live in it’s own. It gets prepared for surgery to cure her illness in her kidney. The author Burkhard Bilger, includes some hints and examples on how the average American will pay whatever it costs for their beloved pet. He explains how Americans now spend nineteen-billion dollars a year in veterinary care plus the cost of pet food makes it forty seven-billion dollars. He states out “clearly, our love affair with our pets has gotten out of control”. I disagree with his position.

Every day in the United States, approximately 10,000 people and 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. There will never be enough homes for all of these animals, and as a result millions are killed by animal control or die by themselves every year. If people would adopt their pets from a rescue or shelter, and not buy from pet stores or breeders, many lives would be saved and a lot of misery would be averted. Also, you end up with a great animal.

Family is what you make of it. It is who you are close to, who you have a connection to, even if you are not blood related. Family is people who you trust, people you can tell personal things to, or cry on their shoulder. I think everyone has an honorary family member(s). They are people who are always with you or someone you know very well.

People often define family as the ones related to them through genes or their bloodline. While growing up, typically 90% of kids will at some point own a pet (Strickland), nearly all those pets, whether it be salamanders, or cockatoos, are considered part of the family, without even being the same species. Due to the fact that this is so often the case, why would it be any

According to the dictionary family is a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. Or family is from the descendants of a common ancestor. According to society family is a group, it can be related are not. My definition of family is anyone who is there for you through good and bad, someone who always have your back no matter what. Family is not just blood. However some of the best families are the ones you are not related to.

But journalist Burkhard Bilger argues in his article, “The Last Meow,” that pet owners are spending a little over the top on their pets to manipulate their existence, while he points out that many are better off euthanized and owners should consider adopting stray cats or dogs. It is also equally important to remember that people who spend too much money on their pets for medical reasons need to let their pets rest with dignity. “Americans now spend $19 billion dollars a year on veterinary care, up from $11 billion just 70 years ago” (Bilger 10). In fact, not only are Americans spending more money for some trips to the vet, they’re trying to prolong the life of an animal that has probably lived than expected. Even after all these outrageous medical procedures, pet owners have to pay for their pet’s medicine, veterinary fees, and vet visits (Bilger 10).

I define family by a group of people that communicate on regular basic, care for each other, and love each other unconditionally. I think that I was able to construct that definition when I realized that my “relatives” weren’t related to me at all. And then realized I talk to the people who I was related to all more than the people who were considered “blood”. I’ve never been to a family house where I have considered them perfect, every family has their personal issues as well as their own strength.

This is the simplest thing to understand. You must take care of your pets, money is only an object. Your pet is family, your pet will be with you through everything if you treat them correctly. Again, pets aren’t cheap. Food for a dog or cat can cost $5.00 - $30.00 alone. A pet is like a child. They depend on you to keep them alive and healthy.

Many pet owners perceive to say that having a pet is the best thing in the whole world. In the United States, about 63% of households have a furry friend to call their own. They come in many different colors and sizes that make them unique and fun to play with. However, owning a pet anywhere can be very controversial. Some people think that owning a pet can throw away most their money that they earn on a day to day basis. Even if that might be true, pets can also benefit people in many ways that is worth spending a little extra money. In my opinion, I think that everyone should have a pet of their own because they can improve health, can provide entertainment, and create a special friendship or companionship with its owner. (6)

A family can be defined in many different ways and almost every person has their own view and definition of families. Some may define it as simply as the blood relatives they have grown up with, living in the same home for most of their life. Whereas others, including myself, have a much more in depth or personable definition. No matter the culture or living situation, my definition of a family is the people I know will be there for me whenever I need them to be. This includes not only my actual blood related siblings, parents, grandparents and cousins but also my best friends and even some of my parents’ close friends that I have known the majority of my life. Family should not be defined by blood. I have an aunt that was adopted which means she is not blood related, but I still fully consider her family, I believe this has an impact on my own definition of a family. Television today has changed the views and stereotypes on American Families. Stereotypes include the family having a mother and father living in the same home where the mother is a stay at home mom, while the father makes a living for the family. Also the family is usually Caucasian and considered wealthy, living in the suburbs. The shows such as Full House, Good Luck Charlie Keeping Up With The Kardashians have had a major impact on how societies view families in this day and age because of the way they follow these American Stereotypes.

As someone who did not grow up with a typical family, I claim most of my close friends as “family” members. Every year we get together for birthdays, vacations and celebrate some holidays together. Some of my close friends are even closer than my actual family. One friend that I grew up with since the 7th grade is practically a brother to me, and even though I have and love my own mom, to this day I call his mother “mom” as well. I do believe that family is based on bonds and emotional ties, not just by blood and marriage. Our textbook defines “fictive kin as close relations with people we consider ‘like family’ but who are not related to us by blood or marriage (p.352)”. This sociological concept helps me realize that my own situation of who and what I consider family is more common than I may have thought before.

It can become a go-to option when pet owners can’t afford medical treatment. Not all families can afford expensive medical bills for their pets. Unlike human health care, there is not many financing options for pet medical care. As a result, some owners may just decide to euthanize their pets because they can’t afford to pay for veterinary treatment.1

According to Swartz and Scott (2009), family is defined as a group of people related to each other by blood, marriage, adoption or being sexually open in a relationship. The