【简译】美国殖民地时期的宠物

2022-08-18 14:10 作者:神尾智代 0人读过 | 我要投稿

Pets in Colonial America were kept by the colonists for the same reasons they were in Europe: for companionship and, in the case of dogs, for protection, hunting, and herding. Cats controlled vermin in homes and barns until the 18th century when they became valued as house pets.

殖民时期的美国人饲养宠物的原因与欧洲人相同：陪伴；就狗而言，为了护家、狩猎和放牧。猫在家庭和谷仓中防治老鼠和害虫，直到18世纪，它们才被当作家庭宠物来看待。

The colonists kept many different animals as pets, however, including squirrels, wild birds, raccoons, deer, horses, snakes, frogs, and turtles, among others. The settlers brought their own dogs, horses, and cats from Europe and later tamed other animals – like deer, otter, and beaver – they encountered in North America.

然而，殖民者饲养了许多不同的动物作为宠物，包括松鼠、野鸟、浣熊、鹿、马、蛇、青蛙和乌龟等等。定居者从欧洲带来了自己的狗、马和猫，后来又驯服了他们在北美遇到的其他动物——如鹿、水獭和海狸。

Long before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Native Americans had also kept pets, primarily dogs and turkeys although there is evidence that bobcats were also domesticated. The Native Americans kept dogs for the same purposes as the colonists but also used them to transport goods via sledges attached to harnesses tied around their torsos. Early colonial accounts describe dogs being used in this way but, eventually, the natives adopted the dog collar from the Europeans and the harness was used less frequently.

早在第一批欧洲人到来之前，美洲原住民也养宠物，主要是狗和火鸡，尽管有证据表明山猫也被印第安人驯化了。美洲原住民养狗的目的与殖民者相同，但也用它们来作交通工具——通过绑在狗躯干上的雪橇来运输货物。早期的殖民记述描述了以这种方式使用狗的情况，但后来，土著人从欧洲人那里采用了狗项圈，而马具的使用频率也降低了。

Each tribe had different dog breeds used for different purposes in the same way they observed various traditions distinct from each other. There was no single Native American dog in North America. The colonists, on the other hand, were more uniform in their use of dogs – and pets in general – and the European model eventually became standard across the country. In the present day, pet owners still adhere to this same model observed in Colonial America.

每个部落都有不同的狗种，用于不同的目的，就像他们遵守不同的传统一样。在北美没有单一的本土狗种。另一方面，殖民者在驯养狗或一般的宠物方面更加统一，欧洲模式最终成为全美国的标准。在今天，宠物主人仍然坚持这种在美国殖民地时期学习到的模式。

美国本土的狗

Exactly when and where dogs were first domesticated continues to be debated but it is thought that they were not native to North America but arrived with Paleoindians who migrated into the land across the Bering Land Bridge (also known as Beringia) over 14,000 years ago. Scholar Marion Schwartz comments:

Dogs are remarkable because they are uniquely sensitive to the cultural attributes of the people with whom they live. Not only are dogs a product of culture, but they also participate in the cultures of humans. In fact, dogs were the first animals to take up residence with people and the only animals found in human societies all over the world. Because of the ubiquity across cultural boundaries, dogs have been so commonplace that their history seemed to warrant little consideration. And yet for the past twelve thousand years dogs have played an integral part in human lives. What is most remarkable about dogs is their ability to adapt to the needs of the people with whom they live. Dogs have proved themselves amazingly flexible beings, and this was as true in the Americas as elsewhere in the world. (2)

确切地说，狗是何时何地首次被驯化的问题仍有争议，但人们认为，狗不是北美的原生动物，而是在14000多年前随着穿过白令陆桥（又称白令亚）迁徙到这片土地的古人类来到这里。学者马里恩·施瓦茨评论说：

狗是了不起的，因为它们对与它们一起生活的人的文化属性有独特的敏感性。狗不仅是文化的产物，而且还参与了人类的文化。事实上，狗是最早与人同居的动物，也是全世界人类社会中唯一发现的动物。由于跨越文化界限的普遍性，狗已经非常普遍，它们的历史似乎不值得考虑。然而，在过去的一万两千年里，狗在人类生活中扮演着不可或缺的角色。狗最了不起的地方是它们能够适应与它们一起生活的人的需要。狗已经证明了它们是惊人的灵活的生命，这在美洲和世界其他地方都是如此。(2)

The first dog to enter North America is thought to be a kind of dingo, although this claim has been challenged, and it is possible there were a number of different breeds who arrived with the early human immigrants. Dogs were used to protect homes and villages, for hunting, transporting goods via sledges, and in the case of the west coast Salish breed (a larger version of the Pomeranian), their fur was used to make mats and blankets. Some tribes kept dogs as pets and also as a food source, others primarily as guardians and hunters, but all considered dogs as valuable assets.

第一条进入北美的狗被认为是一种野狗，尽管这一说法受到了人们的质疑，而且有可能有许多不同的品种与早期人类移民一起到达。狗被用来保护家园和村庄，用于狩猎，通过雪橇运输货物，就西海岸的萨利什犬种（博美犬的较大版本）而言，它们的皮毛被用来制作垫子和毯子。一些部落将狗作为宠物和食物来源，其他部落则主要作为监护者和猎人，但所有部落都认为狗是宝贵的资产。

Dogs were highly regarded as a gift from the gods, and although there are many different myths relating how the dog came to live among human beings, the story of the Dog and Great Medicine from the Cheyenne of the midwest is typical. The creator-god Great Medicine made human beings after creating the world and showed his people a land covered in fields of corn and thick with herds of buffalo. The Cheyenne appreciated the gifts but had no means of following the buffalo to hunt them or of transporting the corn once it was harvested. They were also sometimes attacked in the night by other tribes who could sneak up on them so even the small amount of corn and buffalo brought into the village could be taken. Great Medicine showed them how to capture young wolves to raise as pets. These animals then evolved into domesticated dogs who would warn the village of an attack, could transport corn, and would help the people track the buffalo as well as hunt other game.

狗被视为神的礼物，尽管有许多不同的神话涉及到狗如何生活在人类间，但中西部夏安人的狗和大药师的故事是最典型的例子。创世神大药师在创造世界后创造了人类，并向他的人民展示了一片覆盖着玉米田和成群的水牛的土地。夏安人感激这些礼物，但他们没有办法跟踪水牛去猎杀它们，也没有办法在玉米收获后运输它们。他们有时也会在夜里受到其他部落的袭击，这些部落可以偷袭他们，所以即使是带进村子的少量玉米和水牛也会被抢走。大药师向他们展示了如何捕捉小狼作为宠物来饲养。这些动物后来演变为驯化的狗，它们会警告村子受到攻击，可以运输玉米，并帮助人们追踪水牛以及狩猎其他动物。

In some tribal stories, the dog is among the first creatures created, in others, like the Cheyenne, it is a gift given to make life easier for the people. Dogs were considered intermediaries between the seen and unseen worlds, the realm of mortals and of the gods, as they embodied both the wild and the domestic spheres. This view of the dog contrasted sharply with the European understanding of the dog as a created being whose only purpose was to serve people.

在一些部落的故事中，狗是最早被创造出来的生物之一，而在其他部落中，如夏安人，狗是为了使人们的生活更容易而给予的礼物。狗被认为是可见世界和不可见世界之间的中介，是凡人与神灵的领域，因为它们同时体现了野生与家庭领域。这种对狗的看法与欧洲人对狗的理解形成了鲜明的对比，他们认为狗是被创造出来的，其唯一目的是为人服务。

殖民者与他们的狗

According to the Christian Europeans, dogs had no souls – nor did any other animal – as an immortal soul animated only human beings who would answer for the deeds done in life after they died and appeared before the throne of God for judgment. The dog was therefore not viewed as anything special and references to dogs in the Bible encouraged this view as dogs are generally associated with poverty and low social status. To cite only one example, although the biblical tale of Lazarus and the Rich Man from Luke 16:19-31 has been interpreted as showing dogs in a positive light (as healers who lick the sores of the poor man), they are associated with poverty by this very act.

根据基督教欧洲人的说法，狗没有灵魂，其他动物也没有。因为不朽的灵魂只有人类才有活力，他们死后要为生前的行为负责，出现在上帝的宝座前接受审判。因此，狗不被视为任何特殊的东西，《圣经》中关于狗的记载鼓励了这种观点，因为狗通常与贫穷和社会地位低下有关。仅举一例，尽管《圣经》中路加福音16:19-31的拉撒路和富人的故事被解释为以积极的方式展示狗（作为医治者舔穷人的疮），但它们的这种行为却与贫穷联系在一起。

Even so, the colonists did not look down on dogs but cared for them deeply. The first law concerning mistreatment of dogs (or any animal) in the English colonies was the Regulation against Tyranny or Cruelty of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1641. Purposeful cruelty toward an animal was punishable by fine or a sentence in the stocks and pillories. Colonists who bred dogs, especially, took great pride in them and elevated their own above those of their neighbors with collars which were often ornate and, among the upper-class, quite expensive.

即便如此，殖民者并没有看不起狗，而是深深地关爱着它们。英国殖民地第一部关于虐待狗（或任何动物）的法律是1641年马萨诸塞湾殖民地的《反对暴政或残忍行为条例》。故意虐待动物的行为将被处以罚款或判处绞刑和鞭刑。特别是养狗的殖民者对狗感到非常自豪，他们用项圈将自己的狗抬高到邻居的狗之上，这些项圈通常都很华丽，在上层社会中也相当昂贵。

Leather collars with a brass plate engraved with the dog’s name, owner’s name, and sometimes a pithy epigram were popular in Europe and mirrored in early Colonial America. Dog ownership came to be associated with a degree of wealth in that one could afford to feed a dog as well as one’s family, and the padlock collar was developed, in part, to prove said ownership. The padlock collar was a hinged ring of metal attached around a dog’s neck by clasps and fastened with a small padlock for which only the owner held the key. If the dog were lost or stolen, one could prove ownership by producing the key and unlocking the collar as the piece was impossible to remove otherwise without harming the dog.

带铜板的皮项圈上刻有狗的名字、主人的名字，有时还有一句精辟的格言，这在欧洲很流行，在殖民地早期的美国也是如此。养狗与一定程度的财富有关，因为人们有能力养活一只狗，也有能力养活自己的家人，而挂锁项圈的出现，部分是为了证明这种所有权。挂锁项圈是一个铰链式的金属环，用扣子扣在狗的脖子上，用一把小挂锁固定，只有主人才有钥匙。如果狗丢失或被盗，人们可以通过出示钥匙和解锁项圈来证明其所有权，因为在不伤害狗的情况下，不可能拆除这块东西。

Dogs were used for hunting, guarding the home, and in blood sports such as dogfighting or bearbaiting. Breeds included various hounds, bulldogs, mastiffs, pointers, setters, spaniels, terriers, and others. Smaller breeds were known as “comfort dogs” and were favored by women and the elderly as companions. Upper-class gentlemen, such as George Washington (l. 1732-1799) and Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), kept inventories of breeds and Washington prided himself on his knowledge of dogs. The French general Lafayette (l. 1757-1834), an ally of Washington’s during the Revolution recognized this and gave Washington two Basset Hounds as a gift; thereby introducing the Basset to North America. Another of the best-known anecdotes concerning Washington and a dog also comes from the period of the American War of Independence (1775-1783) and relates how, after the Battle of Germantown in 1777, Washington found the dog of his opponent, General William Howe (l. 1729-1814), and returned it to him with his compliments. Washington knew it was Howe’s dog from the inscription on the dog’s collar.

狗被用来打猎、守卫家园，以及用于血腥的运动，如斗狗或猎熊。狗的品种包括各种猎犬、斗牛犬、藏獒、尖头犬、西班牙猎犬、梗犬等。较小的品种被称为 "慰安犬"，受到妇女和老人的青睐。上层社会的绅士们，如乔治·华盛顿（1732-1799年）和托马斯·杰斐逊（1743-1826年），保留了狗宠物品种清单，华盛顿以他对狗的了解而自豪。法国将军拉法耶特（1757-1834）是华盛顿在大革命期间的盟友，他认识到这一点，并送给华盛顿两只巴塞特猎犬作为礼物；从而将巴塞特犬引入北美。另一个关于华盛顿和狗的最著名的轶事也来自美国独立战争时期（1775-1783），讲述了1777年日耳曼敦战役后，华盛顿发现了他的对手威廉·豪将军（1729-1814）的狗，并将其送回给他，并向他致意。华盛顿从狗的领子上的铭文中知道这是威廉·豪的狗。

When a dog went missing, if they lacked identification such as Howe’s dog, advertisements would be posted at the local meeting house, church, or tavern offering a reward for its return, just as people do today. In Colonial Williamsburg, rewards for dogs were offered in the amount of 20 shillings (nine days’ wages) between 1774-1777 signifying the value owners placed on their dogs. Advertisements in New York City during the Revolution follow the same model as British officers posted many for the return of their lost dogs. Portraits of upper-class gentlemen of the time often show them posing with a favorite hunting dog and the same of upper-class women with their comfort dog. Dogs, in fact, begin appearing fairly regularly in family portraits from c. 1700 onwards.

当一只狗失踪时，如果它们缺乏身份证明，如Howe的狗，就会在当地的会议厅、教堂或酒馆张贴广告，悬赏寻找它。在殖民时期的威廉斯堡，1774-1777年间，人们为狗提供了20先令（9天的工资）的奖赏，这表明主人对他们的狗非常重视。在革命期间，纽约市的广告也采用了同样的模式，因为英国军官为找回他们丢失的狗张贴了许多广告。当时上层阶级绅士的画像经常显示他们与最喜欢的猎犬合影，上层阶级妇女与她们的慰安犬也是如此。事实上，从大约1700年起，狗开始相当有规律地出现在家庭画像中。

其他宠物

Dogs were not the only domesticated animal to enjoy an elevation in status during the 18th century; cats also became more highly valued as companions whereas previously they had been regarded more or less as utilitarian pest control. The Age of Enlightenment encouraged people to question many of the beliefs and traditions of the past, and among these was the view of the cat as almost a necessary evil. Cats were associated with pagan cultures and, it was noted, were mentioned nowhere in the Bible, making them suspect. They were useful in controlling the population of rats and mice, however, and were more tolerated for the most part than cared for.

在18世纪，狗并不是唯一享受到地位提升的驯养动物；猫也变得更有价值，它们被视为伙伴，而以前或多或少被视为防治害虫的工具。启蒙时代鼓励人们质疑过去的许多信仰和传统，其中包括把猫看作是一种必要的邪恶。猫与异教文化有关，而且人们注意到，《圣经》中没有任何地方提到猫，这使它们受到怀疑。然而，它们在控制老鼠的数量方面很有用，而且在大多数情况下，他们更多的是容忍而不是关心。

During the 18th century, however, the cat became the pampered house pet one is familiar with in the present day. Family portraits as well as single-figure pieces frequently featured the person’s or family’s cat, and they began to appear in poetry and literature. The cat as a witch’s favorite familiar, of course, was widely recognized, and they were not embraced as family members as early as dogs were, but by the time of the American Revolution, they were on at least equal standing with dogs as far as portraiture is concerned.

然而，在18世纪，猫变成了人们今天所熟悉的那种被宠爱的家养宠物。家庭画像以及单人作品中经常出现个人或家庭的猫，而且它们开始出现在诗歌和文学作品中。当然，猫作为女巫的最爱，是被广泛认可的，它们不像狗那样早早地被接纳为家庭成员，但到了美国革命时期，就肖像画而言，它们至少与狗处于同等地位。

Deer were also featured in portraits and became one of the most highly sought and popular pets of Colonial America. Deer wore collars and were walked on leashes and, based on their depiction in paintings, lived in the family home as comfortably as cats or dogs. Deer were frequently domesticated and let loose in the gardens of colonial estates to amuse guests at parties, and one example of this is a Dr. Benjamin Jones of Virginia Colony who trained over one hundred deer for his property for this purpose as well as for his family to enjoy. Portraits of deer show them in poses very like those of greyhounds of the period with brass colors often of the padlock type.

鹿也出现在肖像画中，成为美国殖民地时期最受欢迎的宠物之一。鹿戴着项圈，用绳子牵着走，根据画中的描述，它们像猫或狗一样舒适地生活在家庭中。鹿经常被驯化，并被放养在殖民地庄园的花园里，以便在派对上逗乐客人，其中一个例子是弗吉尼亚殖民地的本杰明·琼斯博士，他训练了一百多只鹿，用于这一目的，同时也供他的家人享乐。鹿的画像显示它们的姿势非常像当时的灰狗，黄铜项圈往往是挂锁式的。

Another pet which was frequently featured in portraits was the squirrel whose young became more popular than a puppy or kitten with children of the time. People robbed squirrel nests of their young, domesticated them, and sold them in the marketplace as house pets. These house squirrels were collared, leashed, and walked just as comfort dogs were. Flying squirrels were especially popular with young boys who trained them to sit on their shoulders as they walked through town. The popularity of squirrels as pets was lamented by wives and mothers of the time, who complained the creatures chewed through closets, clothing, and linens and could not be contained because they could eat their way through wooden boxes or cages. Tinsmiths capitalized on this by creating metal cages with exercise wheels and other items inside so the squirrel could still entertain a family but remain contained.

另一种经常出现在肖像画中的宠物是松鼠，它的幼崽比小狗或小猫更受当时的孩子们欢迎。人们把松鼠窝里的小松鼠抢走，把它们驯化，并作为家庭宠物在市场上出售。这些家养的松鼠就像舒适的狗一样被戴上项圈，拴上绳子，被到处遛走。鼯鼠特别受年轻男孩的欢迎，人们训练鼯鼠坐在他们的肩膀上，在城镇里溜达。当时的妻子和母亲对松鼠作为宠物的流行感到惋惜，她们抱怨这些动物会咬破衣柜、衣服和床单，而且无法控制，因为它们可以吃穿木箱或笼子。铁匠们利用这一点，制造了金属笼子，里面装有运动轮和其他物品，这样松鼠仍然可以取乐家人，也能被控制住。

Domesticated birds were especially popular with young girls and women, who kept cardinals and others in often elaborate cages in their drawing rooms. It was believed that one could teach a bird a tune by repeating it and so small flutes known as flageolets became popular among bird owners. The person would repeat a simple tune on the instrument throughout the day, and it was thought the bird would learn to sing it. There are no records of this practice actually succeeding, however, except in the case of the mockingbird.

驯养的鸟类尤其受到年轻女孩和妇女的欢迎，她们在自己的画室里把红雀和其他鸟类养在通常很精致的笼子里。人们相信，通过不断重复，人们可以教给鸟儿一首曲子，因此被称为Flageolets的小鸟在鸟主人中很受欢迎。人们会整天在乐器上重复一支简单的曲子，人们认为鸟儿会学会唱它。然而，除了知更鸟，没有关于这种做法实际成功的记录。

Beavers were also popular, mainly among men and boys, and were trained to catch fish and carry them home. Otters were trained to retrieve game that fell into water, in the same way hunting dogs previously had been. Fishermen, especially, were fond of trained otters who would dive under the water and return with fish. Raccoons, which were also domesticated, were least popular owing to their habit of breaking-and-entering pantries and stealing food or various items from homes. No matter how well-trained, a raccoon was also apt to kill the family’s chickens, which eventually led to it being dropped as a pet and seen more as a predator and nuisance.

海狸也很受欢迎，主要是在男人和男孩中，它们被训练来抓鱼并把它们带回家。水獭被训练用来打捞落入水中的猎物，就像以前的猎狗一样。渔民们尤其喜欢训练有素的水獭，它们会潜入水底并带着鱼回来。同样被驯化的浣熊最不受欢迎，因为它们习惯于破门而入，从家里偷取食物或各种物品。无论训练得多么好，浣熊也很容易杀死家里的鸡，这最终导致它被放弃作为宠物，而更多地被视为捕食者和滋扰者。

Other animals, such as snakes and small monkeys, continued to be popular even though they presented their own problems. Snakes were particularly unpopular among women, although women and girls were the primary owners of monkeys who were far more bothersome in maintaining a neat and clean home. Another animal popular especially among young girls was the lamb which was often depicted in paintings wearing a ribbon around its neck. Chickens, of course, also served as pets although no portraits feature them adorned as lambs and monkeys were.

其他动物，如蛇和小猴子，也很受欢迎，尽管它们带来了许多问题。蛇在妇女中特别不受欢迎，尽管妇女和女孩是猴子的主要拥有者，而猴子在维持一个整洁的家方面要麻烦得多。另一种特别受年轻女孩欢迎的动物是小羊，它在绘画中经常被描绘成脖子上系着丝带的形象。当然，鸡也可以作为宠物，尽管没有像羊羔和猴子那样经常出现在肖像画中。

总结

Changes in pet ownership, concerning the types of animals kept in homes, came with the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th century. The British industrialist Samuel Slater (l. 1768-1835) introduced English textile mills into the USA c. 1789. He was assisted by industrialist Moses Brown (l. 1738-1836) who established the first water-powered mill in America in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1790. The introduction of textile mills proved quite profitable for businessmen and encouraged the development of more labor-saving technology, which led to urbanization as people moved to cities for work. As industrialization and urbanization increased, pet ownership became more restrictive regarding choice; a city apartment was no place for a deer, horse, or lamb as a pet. Those in rural areas still kept these animals as pets, but they no longer appear in portraiture in the 19th century, and squirrels seem to have followed this same decline in popularity.

随着18世纪末和19世纪初工业革命的到来，宠物所有权发生了变化，涉及家庭饲养的动物类型。英国工业家塞缪尔·斯莱特（1768-1835）在1789年左右将英国纺织厂引入美国。他得到了工业家摩西·布朗（约1738-1836）的帮助，后者于1790年在罗德岛的波塔基特建立了美国第一家水力工厂。事实证明，纺织厂的引入为商人带来了相当大的利润，并鼓励了更多节省劳动力的技术的发展。随着人们搬到城市工作，城市化也随之而来。工业化和城市化的发展，宠物所有权在选择方面变得更加严格；城市公寓里没有鹿、马或羔羊的居住空间。农村地区的人仍然把这些动物作为宠物饲养，但在19世纪，它们不再出现在肖像画中，松鼠的饲养似乎也跟随这种流行的下降而下降。

Colonization, westward expansion, and further immigration also affected which animals were kept as pets. Deer were regularly hunted as food and for their hides even as they were domesticated as pets, but as natural habitats began to shrink and deer populations moved further away from settlements, catching and domesticating a deer as a pet became less popular than shooting and eating one for dinner. The snake, so popular during the Colonial period, followed this same course as they were driven further away from towns and cities and finally became relegated to the sphere of entertainment by traveling magicians and circus performers by the mid-19th century.

殖民化、西进扩张和进一步的移民也影响了部分动物被作为宠物饲养。即使鹿被驯化为宠物，也经常被当作食物和兽皮来源而猎杀，但随着自然栖息地开始缩小，鹿群进一步远离定居点，捕捉和驯化鹿作为宠物变得不那么受欢迎，而射杀鹿并将其作为晚餐食用则逐渐流行。在殖民地时期非常流行的蛇也遵循同样的路线，它们被驱赶到远离城镇的地方，到19世纪中叶最终沦为旅行魔术师和马戏团表演者的娱乐活动。

As more land became settled, and more people needed to be fed, animals like beaver, otter, and raccoon – which had been hunted for their skin and meat even when they were seen as popular pets - came to be primarily seen as food sources instead of companions and assistants. Native American villages, which had once been quite numerous along the eastern seaboard of North America were destroyed by colonists to make room for further settlements, and once the inhabitants were relocated onto reservations, it was illegal for them to own dogs just as it was for them to have access to firearms. Native American dogs were confiscated, and these dog breeds eventually went extinct from breeding with European dogs and so thoroughly that it is unclear, today, what many of these breeds even were.

随着越来越多的土地被开垦定居，人们的食物储备受到了考验，像海狸、水獭和浣熊这样的动物——即使在它们被视为受欢迎的宠物时，也曾因其皮和肉而被猎杀——开始主要被视为食物来源，而不是伙伴和助手。北美东部沿海地区曾经有相当多的美国原住民村庄被殖民者摧毁，以便为进一步的定居腾出空间，而一旦居民被迁移到保留地，他们拥有狗是非法的，就像他们可以获得枪支一样。美国原住民的狗被没收了，这些狗的品种最终因与欧洲狗的繁殖而灭绝，而且灭绝得如此彻底，以至于今天都不清楚这些品种有哪些。

Restrictions on types of pets seem to have occurred naturally as more exotic animals became more difficult to come by. Dogs and cats, therefore, became the primary choice for most people, and their popularity grew as more homes adopted them. In the present day, the dog and cat continue to be the most popular and common animals kept as pets, although a number of Americans continue to keep exotic animals just as their ancestors did.

对宠物类型的限制似乎是自然发生的，因为更多异国的动物变得更难得到。因此，狗和猫成为大多数人的首要选择，随着越来越多的家庭收养它们，它们的受欢迎程度也越来越高。在今天，狗和猫仍然是作为宠物饲养的最流行和最常见的动物，尽管一些美国人继续像他们的祖先那样饲养异国动物。