Keeping pets, especially dogs and cats, is a daily reality for more and more residents of the Chilean capital, according to a survey by the social studies and public opinion center at the private Central University. Ninety-three percent of the people consulted had pets, 37 percent have between one and four, and 47 percent are willing to spend whatever is needed to care for their pets.

This explains the explosive hike in spending on pet food, toys, clothes, veterinary care, “psychologists” and funerals, Emilio Torres, director of sociology studies at the university, told Tierramérica.

The new status of pets, similar to that in industrialized countries, could be due to greater ecological awareness, but also could be a symptom of a growing feeling of loneliness in the population, he said.