How much should you pay for a pet? A pedigreePure-bred.  SamoyedA medium-sized herding dog with thick, white fur. They were bred in Siberia. might cost over £10,000.¹ But even that is cheap, according to new research.

Economists looked at data from 2,500 British households. They found that living with a pet improved life satisfaction by three or four points on a scale of one to seven. This is the same, they say, as earning an extra £70,000 a year.²

It is also equivalent to getting married. According to Dr Adelina Gschwandtner, the lead author of the new study, "people do not actually realise how important their pets are".³

Journalist Katie Glass thinks that living with a dog is much better than living with a man. Her dog Bear is "never snappy, in a bad mood or stressed about work".⁴ Also, Bear loves her unconditionally - although he rarely helps with bills or the housework.

Surveys have shown that stroking animals can reduce people's levels of the stress hormoneChemicals carried in the bloodstream that alter the way your body's systems act.  cortisol. This in turn improves blood pressureThe beating of our hearts keeps our blood at a certain pressure. This pressure can rise when we are stressed, as the heart beats faster. and even makes them less likely to suffer from depressionLow mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months.. Regular dog walkers have better cardiovascularRelating to the heart and blood vessels. health, while cat owners have a lower risk of allergies.⁵

Some argue that as looking after animals has so many health benefits, politicians should try to encourage pet ownership. For instance, they could remove the limits on keeping pets in rented accommodation, or give people tax incentivesReasons for or benefits of doing something. for adopting animals.

But journalist Melanie McDonagh worries about people who substitute human affection for animals. She also thinks that treating dogs like babies - dressing them in outfits and wheeling them round in prams - is "creepy, wasteful and warped Twisted out of a natural or normal shape.".⁶

Others worry about the ethics of owning pets. Animals in homes are often subject to boredom, confinement, monotonousThe same all the time. diets and mutilations like spaying or tail dockingThe practice of surgically removing all or most of an animal's tail. .

According to bioethicist Jessica Pierce, domestic animals were originally raised to work alongside humans as hunters or guards. As Pierce points out: "Doing nothing but lying on a bed and having treats fed to you is profoundlyDeeply. frustrating and boring".⁷

Yet others argue that the loving bonds that exist between pets and their owners can make both parties happy. Pets might not be a substitute for family or friends, they say, but they are still a wonderful addition.

Is a cat better than a partner?

Yes: Pets love people unconditionally. They do not judge whether someone is rich or poor, young or old, messy or clean. No wonder they bring humans so much happiness.

No: A dog or cat cannot drive someone to the airport, help with their bills and housework, or understand their deepest hopes and dreams. The best pet is still just an animal.

Or... Pets and people are wonderful things: a rich life surely contains both. Economists may try to measure happiness, but there is no need to choose between them.

Pedigree - Pure-bred. 

Samoyed - A medium-sized herding dog with thick, white fur. They were bred in Siberia.

Hormone - Chemicals carried in the bloodstream that alter the way your body's systems act. 

Blood pressure - The beating of our hearts keeps our blood at a certain pressure. This pressure can rise when we are stressed, as the heart beats faster.

Depression - Low mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months.

Cardiovascular - Relating to the heart and blood vessels.

Incentives - Reasons for or benefits of doing something.

Warped - Twisted out of a natural or normal shape.

Monotonous - The same all the time.

Tail docking - The practice of surgically removing all or most of an animal's tail.

Profoundly - Deeply.