Maybe you think of a loyal and sociable Golden Retriever, or a purring cat who likes to cuddle up on the couch with you, when you think of pets. But what were ancient pets like?

Domestication occurred only recently in human history, if 12,000 years may be considered "recent." History, however, informs us that ancient people kept lions and elephants as pets. The emotional connection between humans and their pets predates the development of groups and cultures, yet the standards of the past have little bearing on the standards of the present.

There are 26,000-year-old footprints of a toddler and a dog in the living rock of the Chauvet Cave in southern France. The burial of a man who had been buried with a tiny fox during the Natufian period was discovered in what is now Ain Mallaha, Israel (near Galilee). In recent years, multiple human-canine coffins have been discovered in this area.

Mediaeval Germany

The oldest Palaeolithic dog bones were discovered in Europe, and modern dog breeding originated in Europe as well. Canine distemper is a degenerative illness that causes premature death in dogs, as was revealed when archaeologists re-examined the bones of a dog that had been domesticated in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany.

Even more intriguing is the fact that the dog shared its grave with two people and the removed tooth of another canine. It was widely held at the time that the majority of animal owners only kept pets for practical reasons like protection, hunting, or transportation. But without rigorous human care, the dog would have struggled to survive during the sickness spells, much less function in a hunter-gatherer role.

Ancient Egypt and the Middle East

Pets in ancient Egypt were revered as divine gifts and often outlived their owners. Dogs appear in Mesopotamian art as both hunters and companions.

Dogs and cats were so highly valued in ancient Egypt that when one died of natural causes, everyone in the household was required to shave their entire bodies, including their heads. And when a cat died, everyone was required to simply trim their brows.

Many Egyptians kept dogs and cats as pets, but other animals, including monkeys and birds (particularly falcons), were also maintained.

Europe, Africa, and the Middle East

Dogs were thought to ward off not just humans and other animals, but also evil spirits. However, several kinds were put to use for various tasks. Mastiffs were common in the Roman army, and domestic dogs shared meals with their owners and even accompanied them on excursions. The canines' collars made their function clear.

Children were frequently featured on vases and bas-reliefs alongside animals. The keeping of caged birds was considered fashionable in ancient Greece and Rome, especially amongst ladies.

China

In ancient China, animals were mostly regarded for their usefulness. Dogs were the earliest domesticated animals in China, arriving there around 16,000 years ago and being used both as working dogs and as companion animals.

The most vicious canines were known as fu dogs or lion dogs, and their prominence in ancient Chinese culture is reflected in the statues that survive from that era. One of the 12 animals that make up the Chinese zodiac, dogs were formerly regarded a divine gift despite China's troubled history with canines.

Continent of the Americas

Most early Native American canines looked like wolves and were put to work hauling huge loads and pulling sleds.

Some sectors of Native Americans ate dogs, just like the ancient Chinese did. Despite this, the life of a beloved dog was treated with the same reverence as that of a human, and funerals and burials were conducted with solemn ceremony.