4 Reasons God Created Your Pet

Why did God create our beloved pets? There are at least 4 reasons that I know of.

Unconditional Love

If there is one thing about our pets, it’s the fact that they don’t care if you’ve had a good day or a bad one. They’re just glad to see you. It doesn’t matter if you’re hair’s a mess, you haven’t had a shower yet, or your clothes are all dirty. They love us, despite us…just like we love them, regardless. Some have told me that their pets filled a huge void in their home, particularly after all their children have moved out. These pets are more than pets…they are their “children,” and sometimes, like in our house, our children fight. Most of the cats are declawed, but they still have their moments, but overall, we’re one big happy family. They love us no matter what our life looks like, and we love them no matter what they’ve done (this time). Imperfections and all, our pets love us in an unconditional way. That type of love is very much like the love of God where the Apostle Paul wrote that it was “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6), “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). God showed His love to us when we didn’t deserve it. Pets do that too, don’t they? There are countless stories of pets giving their lives for their owner.

Companionship

As I touched on earlier, pets make great companions. They fill a void in the home when children move out, or more precisely, they fill the void of that relationship with their children, and in time, their pets become their “children.” And pets give their owners a purpose because they have to feed them, they might have to walk them (and even enjoy it!), and they have to provide for their care. I think all pets have an inherent or built-in desire to love and be loved. So do humans. Love is what keeps many families together, and love keeps many pet owners together. There are few things that can provide companionship like pets can. Whatever pet it is, it seems to matter little. And there are some very different pets out there, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it?

The Love of God

If we need loved, we can always turn to our pets, especially if there’s no one else. We don’t have to wait until they feel like it. They always love to be loved, and the stress that petting or loving our pets does away with, is just incredible. They say petting a cat or dog lowers your blood pressure, lowers you bad cholesterol (LDL), and strengthens your immune system. Even the sound of a cat purring is proven to be therapeutic and has a calming effect. Pets are often the only way to reach some children who are suffering from debilitating mental illness. Animals are frequently the only thing some children with autism respond to. The same thing was found at nursing homes. Pets just have a way of extending our life, and the love they show, and the love we can give them, is mutually beneficial. God wired them that way for a purpose…it was for our good pleasure and benefit, and the need to be loved.

So We Would Laugh

God must have a sense of humor because anyone that’s watched kittens or puppy dog’s play, has probably laughed out loud, or at least, smiled. We feel something very special when our cats do something unique to them, and every one of our pets is different. They all have their own personalities. And they make us laugh by the things they do. And laughter is good medicine for the soul. I think that may be part of the reason God created pets…so we’d have moments of enjoyment and pleasure, and at times, laughter. When we had our first cat, I remember him getting into all kinds of predicaments. A few times it was serious, like when he got stuck behind the washing machine, but more often than not, our pets have brought us times of pleasure. We have a laser light toy and they just go crazy over that. And they are so fun to watch when they play. God had a purpose in creating our pets, and I believe one of those reasons was to benefit us with better health and more enjoyment in spending time with our pets. And just laugh.

Conclusion

Our pets can show us many things about God. They show us their unconditional love. Our pets also provide us with companionship, and become part of the family. Our pets also show us the love that God has toward us…loving us when we don’t deserve it (Rom 5:6-10), and our pets show us that it’s okay to laugh and enjoy life. They bring times of relaxation, companionship, and love into our life. Most people I know love to see a kitten play. Almost everyone wants to take a puppy home. They’re so cute, and they’re so hard to resist, but God made them that way because He knew who we’d feel that way about them. God intentionally created our pets for our good pleasure and our benefit, but it benefits our pets too. People with pets live longer, and of course, pets with people live longer too. And there’s nothing like coming home to your precious one. A couple of our cats sit in the backyard by our garage, waiting for us to come home. Then they follow us into the house. It’s like they’re saying, “We’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home. Can I jump in your lap now?”